Re: [Trisquel-users] entries in "Add/Remove Applications"
"Add/Remove Applications" is gnome-app-install, which depends on app-install-data, which includes a bunch of files in /usr/share/app-install/desktop named "[package]:[name].desktop". For example, there is "3dchess:3dchess.desktop" which contains[Desktop Entry] X-AppInstall-Package=3dchess X-AppInstall-Popcon=20 X-AppInstall-Section=main Type=Application Version=1.0 Name=3D Chess Comment=3D chess for X11 Comment[de]=3D-Schach für X11 Exec=3Dc Icon=3dchess Terminal=false Categories=Game;BoardGame; Keywords=chess;board;3D;X11; X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=app-install-dataLooking at the selection of desktop files in this directory, I see a lot of Ubuntu-sounding crap like "unity-webapps-amazoncloudreader:AmazonCloudReaderreadamazoncom.desktop" so perhaps the app-install-data package has not been modified from the upstream version. That would explain why non-Ubuntu apps like IceCat and Abrowser do not show up in Add/Remove Applications. Does that sound right? If so, how would one go about updating app-install-data to reflect the differences between Ubuntu and Trisquel? As an experiment I tried copying 3dchess:3dchess.desktop to icecat:icecat.desktop and changing a few of the fields to see if I could get a new entry to appear in Add/Remove Applications, but it didn't work.
Re: [Trisquel-users] entries in "Add/Remove Applications"
I agree that beginners shouldn't be overwhelmed with options. The distinction between the DE and the OS needs to be presented in the simplest terms possible, or they will judge the distro (and GNU/Linux in general) by the first screenshot they see. When I show Belenos to someone used to/by the Mac interface, they take one look at the default GNOME configuration, see that there's no search bar or dock, assume that only macOS can have those features, and get all "Apple's products are superior because they have such great interfaces and are so in touch with their users and treat us like friends and Apple Store and Geniuses blah blah blah."
Re: [Trisquel-users] entries in "Add/Remove Applications"
> Actually we have official variants beyond Gnome with LXDE, Openbox,and Sugar. Whoops, you're totally right and I totally knew that. I wasn't thinking. What you're describing would be great for people who already know what they want. People who are migrating from a Micro$oft or crApple OS have no context for making those decisions and first need an easy way of trying out different options. Hell, they need to get used to the idea of *having* options.
Re: [Trisquel-users] entries in "Add/Remove Applications"
Actually we have official variants beyond Gnome with LXDE, Openbox,and Sugar. Triskel is unofficial. :) I really wish someone would create a distro around the idea of selecting only the software you want. I use Ninite when I set up Windows systems and every time I do I just wish we could do that with the whole user-land for a distro. Select what you want, download the ISO, done. That would be a game changer.
Re: [Trisquel-users] entries in "Add/Remove Applications"
Yes, there are really two separate issues here. I feel like including something like Icecat is pretty clearly a good idea, but including DEs is less obvious. However, I do think that it is important for beginners to be able to easily try out different DEs. It doesn't surprise me that Ubuntu doesn't do so, as they have their different *buntu "flavors" with different default DEs. Since Trisquel doesn't do that (with the exception of Triskel which I think can only be installed via the text insaller and confusingly retains Ubuntu's branding) it might make sense to faciliate switching DEs within Trisquel. I think this would be a better approach anyway, as Ubuntu's approach obfuscates the distinction between the OS and the DE. I don't find it too hard to get Trisquel to appeal to Windows useds because its default GNOME configuration has a very similar layout to Windows 7. However, MacOS useds are immediately turned off because they don't see any of the features they are familiar with, and Apple has done a very good job of conflating their DE with their OS and creating the misconception that the features of their interface are unique to their OS. When I show MacOS useds screenshots of KDE or Enlightenment/EFL they are more receptive, but most of them would not be able to figure out how to try out these or other DEs on their own.
Re: [Trisquel-users] entries in "Add/Remove Applications"
Not really sure why Icecat isn't in there, but with alternative desktop/window managers it might be due to Trisquels connection to Ubuntu. Last I knew Ubuntu didn't offer them in their add/remove either. I can't speak to the Icecat issue as I rarely install anything through a graphic installer.
[Trisquel-users] entries in "Add/Remove Applications"
Trisquel is almost entirely usable without a terminal or other tool with which beginners would be uncomfortable, which is why it is the ideal distro for ordinary desktop users. However, I've noticed in Belenos that some useful programs do not appear in "Add/Remove Applications" such as IceCat and alternate desktop environments. They can be accessed through Synaptic, but Synaptic includes applications alongside libraries and dependencies, making it unsuitable for beginners. It would be great if Flidas had a more complete list of programs in "Add/Remove Applications." Not being a developer, I don't know how difficult this would be. However, I would expect that it consists of adding entries alongside the existing ones, which probably contain the application name, an icon, a description, and the package(s) to be installed via apt. If adding such entries is just tedious work that does not require any particularly advanced knowledge, I'd be happy to help with it. If it requires intermediate knowledge I wouldn't mind learning something new. Can anyone provide information on this?
