aptgetinstallprotocol

Revision 23 as of 2006-03-24 12:07:47

Clear message

Apt-Get Web Install

Summary

It would be nice if you could click on a url in a web page (http://install.ubuntu.com?package=foo) and trigger package install using apt-get from the systems set repository list

Rationale

At the momment the forum and wiki is full of cut and paste this command 'sudo foo foo foo'. New linux users have no idea what these commands do and so could be considered a security risk (sudo rm -R-f /). As well as the obvious fact that they actully have to open a terminal window.

Its that or

  • click system
  • click administration
  • click synaptic
  • search for package 'foo'
  • right click on package and select install
  • click Apply

Saying click this link http://install.ubuntu.com?package=foo is a lot nicer and cleaner

NOTE : Add applications is a great start but it only covers a small part of the ubuntu packages

Use cases

  • Wiki howto gives instructions on how to apt-get packages
  • Forum users give instructions on how to apt-get packages
  • Email grandma an apt-get-install link to enable her to install that bridge game she wants
  • Bert fresh from switching from that 'other OS' is used to installing applications from web pages, he has never used a cli and dosnt want too.

Scope

  • Will only apt-get install packages in the existing repo lists does not cover adding new repositires
  • Keep It Simple, protocol only allows simple 'install' any thing else is advanced user and can still be done through CLI

  • Should allow a list of packages to be installed ie http://install.ubuntu.com?package=foo&package=foo2

  • apt-get install is the only command to be 'web enabled'

Design

  • Check if sudo avalible for user and alert error message if not
  • Should prompt for sudo
  • Should display a nice progress bar
  • If package is not avalible in the current sources repositories an alert should state so.
  • If package is already installed an alert should say so

  • Use file/mimetype defined by ThirdPartyApt

Implementation

Easy ubuntu already demonstrates a method for tying into synaptic so the user gets a progress bar for download and install.

Klik already does something similar to trigger cmg creation

Linspire's Click-N-Run does some thing similar as well

Resources

  • [removed]

Comments