LaunchpadIntegrationBeforeBOF
Implementation Plan ideas before BOF
In the short term, and in favor of making this happen by hoary, some of the std. libraries of GNOME can be patched in order to include this functionalities as part of an application's "About" dialogues. This would automatically make most of the desktop applications be "integrated" with about 2-3 centralized patches, leaving relatively small number of applications that might inevitably need "local" patches due to non standard usage of the about dialogues, using a flow oriented (i.e. Druids) GUIs or a complete customized type of GUI.
For the long this may be an opportunity to stream line the way application developers define and specify their preferred supportive frameworks, i.e. bug report systems, translation systems, information pages and so on - which would ease derivatives and customized based distros work.
Short Term:
- Patch libgnomeui and gtk to include 3 buttons to open each launchpad service, from the std. about dialogs.
- Possibly create a configuration file for changing the URLs used for opening the relevant page on the portals, making it easier then changing the code each time launchpad locations and service names change.
- Patch remaining apps (non gtk/gnomeui clients).
Long Term:
Note: this is just an idea for the future maybe, with a thought to generalize this sort of application supportive desktop integration efforts.
- Create a library and an API that would provide support for an app to use a standard way to "request" those menu items and their attached actions.
- Complement the library with a conffile that would include details, per application / globally to instruct which bug tracker , translation portal / program / info pages to use for an app relative to the distro it's running on.
- Encourage the developers’ community to use that API, so to achieve a streamlined way to allow derived custom distributions to specify their preferred bug systems, translation portals, information pages and possibly make this API extensible to allow derivatives to add more functionality, as per their private infrastructures.
- This would make it trivial for distributors of desktop suits (Ubuntu as one) to customize this niche of the desktop, as well as spreading this functionality over all flavors of desktops, if this gets wide adoption by the community.
Research
This is the list of applications that are expected to have a launchpad integrated menu items, as they are already using some kind of menu bars infrastructure and/or are visually interactive. (Compiled from the hoary current desktop seed list)
These applications link against one of the std. GUI libs in GNOME and are thus addressed by centralized patching of the libraries:
Name |
Lib |
Comments |
bug-buddy |
libgnomeui |
Druid UI, uses an "About" button on first dialog |
eog |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
evolution |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
file-roller |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gcalctool |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gconf-editor |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gedit |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
aisleriot |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
blackjack |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gataxx |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
glines |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnect |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnibbles |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnobots2 |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnome-stones |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnometris |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnomine |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnotravex |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gtali |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
iagno |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
mahjongg |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
same-gnome |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnome-gv |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnome-cd |
libgnomeui |
"About" dialog from right click drop down |
gnome-sound-recorder |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnome-nettool |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnome-panel |
gtk |
The panel app, "About" dialog from right click drop down |
gnome-system-monitor |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnome-terminal |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnome-dictionary |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
logview |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gnomemeeting |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gthumb |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
gucharmap |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item, however disabled in ubuntu (#if HAVE_GNOME) |
hal-device-manager |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
nautilus, nautilus-cd-burner |
gtk |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
rhythmbox |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
sound-juicer |
libgnomeui |
"Help"->"About" menu item |
totem |
gtk |
Appears to be using GtkAboutDialog |
yelp |
gtk |
Applets::
contact-lookup-applet |
libgnomeui |
"About" menu item, when right clicked |
contact-lookup-applet |
libgnomeui |
"About" menu item, when right clicked |
gnome-netstatus-applet |
libgnomeui |
"About" from a right clickable drop down |
clock |
gtk |
"About" from a right clickable drop down |
fish |
gtk |
"About" from a right clickable drop down |
notification_area |
gtk |
"About" from a right clickable drop down |
show-desktop |
gtk |
"About" from a right clickable drop down |
window-list |
gtk |
"About" from a right clickable drop down |
workspace-switcher |
gtk |
"About" from a right clickable drop down |
Clients of no / custom / about dialogs:
Name |
Lib |
Type |
Comments |
gaim |
gtk |
has it's own non std. "About" dialog |
May require local patching |
gimp |
gtk |
doesn't use std about dialog, has some rather *funky* looking about box |
requires a local patch. |
gnome-about |
-- |
A dedicated one dialog only about app |
requires local patching |
gnome-control-center |
libgnomeui, gtk |
No "about" , no menu bar at all. |
would require adding those. |
gnome-cups-manager |
gtk, gtkmenu |
Has a menu bar, no "Help"->"About" entry |
requires adding it |
gnome-btdownload |
PyGTK |
Doesn't have an "About" dialog at all, should we add one? ask upstream to? |
|
gstreamer-properties |
gtk, glade |
Doesn't use an "About" dialog |
requires local patching |
vu-meter |
libgnome, gtk |
small app, doesn't have a menubar at all nor about dialog |
requires local patching |
gnome-system-tools |
gtk,glade |
doesn't have a menubar at all nor about dialog |
requires local patching |
gnome-screenshot |
gtk,glade |
Doesn't have a menubar nor about button |
requires local patching |
gnome-search-tool |
gtk,libgnome |
Doesn't have a menubar nor about button |
requires local patching |
gfloppy |
gtk,libgnome,glade |
Doesn't have a menubar nor about button |
requires local patching |
ssh-askpass-gnome |
gtk |
one dialog app, doesn't have menubar nor about dialog |
|
synaptic |
gtk |
uses non std. about dialog |
|
update-notifier |
gtk |
doesn't have an about dialog |
|
vino::vino-prefernces |
gtk |
one dialog settings app, doesn't have an "about" button |
|
zenity |
gtk |
custom dialog , derived from the old gnome-about code |
|
xsane |
gtk |
custom about dialog |
|
xpdf |
X |
no about dialog, no menubar |
|
xchat |
gtk |
custom about dialog |
|
xscreensaver::screensaver-properties-capplet |
gtk |
custom about dialog |
|
x3270 |
pure X |
custom menubar --> about |
|
tsclient |
|
no about dialog, no menubar |
|
xvncviewer |
X |
no about dialog or menubar, used underneath tsclient |
(mvo) Others:
- gnome-pilot-conduits - gnome-pilot related, needs further checkup.
- metacity - the window manager, doesn't have interactive gui?
- gdm - doesn't make much sense patching, user must be logged in order to start a browser...
Desktop GUI Apps that doesn't use gettext thus not translatable though Rosetta:
- openoffice.org
- mozilla-firefox
No GUI:
- gnome-volume-manager - a daemon.
- xscreensaver-gl
- pr3287
- fortune-mod
LaunchpadIntegrationBeforeBOF (last edited 2008-08-06 16:18:26 by localhost)