@mac_v: I welcome a more respectful atmosphere, but it can't be one-sided. That's the message I was trying to get across to you in comment 10. It's really disappointing that I'm having to fight so hard to be heard, when I'm not really even an "average user".
Thank you for taking a serious look at this. I'm not sure what you are referring to above when you mention text in brackets. I created the list using Add/Remove Programs, since Software Center apparently isn't part of the Xubuntu desktop. If there are brackets, I'm not seeing them. I'm seeing a one-line program name and a one-line program description, and in all the cases I listed they were identical AFAICT. I accepted that parenthetical differences in version and desktop environment/toolkit meant that they were different packages; the would have been longer otherwise. I assume there are superficial textual differences that I'm not seeing in Add/Remove Programs that probably are displayed in Software Cente in brackets. I agree with your assessment that there are multiple problems going on. Based upon your evaluation it seems that there are 5 categories of issues, and some of them definitely seem out of scope of Papercuts: 1) Different apps 2) Same app, same package 3) Same app, different version number 4) Same app, auxiliary package (-data) 5) Same app, different toolkit I've listed them in what I feel is least acceptable to most acceptable order. Here's a brief rationale: Group #1: Different applications should have obvious differences. Usually the name should be different, but on the rare occasion when they aren't, descriptions (short and long) should be. In the commercial world, disambiguation could usually be effected by mentioning the vendor. We could use author in lieu of vendor, but one expects the descriptions to actually have some character as well. Group #2: Not sure this is actually happening, but if it is, it's inexcusable. At the very least it represents duplication of packaging effort. This group should be completely eliminated. Group #3: This is pretty silly. The entire point of a distribution is to pick best-of-breed software and eliminate unnecessary choice for the user. I think there are three basic use cases here: stable user, bleeding-edge user, and advanced user. Of the three, only the advanced user will want to have two different versions at the same time, and there are other means for achieving this, so I think troubling normal users is uncalled for; a choice is required. This will probably take a spec and a lot of work to resolve to advanced users' satisfaction, however. Group #4: These actually make sense to have a separate package for, but I'm not sure why they have the same name and description. I have no opinion on what to do with these in the UI in the long run, but I would start by giving them better names and descriptions. Group #5: These are actually different packages, but it is still confusing. This one seems tricky, and I'll have to read the link you provided. Again, though, I would start by making sure the descriptions mention the desktop environment/toolkit dependency to give the user a fighting chance. I disagree with your framing this as not a typical workflow, but I respect it. IMO, virtually every user will use the Software Center and/or Add/Remove Applications. Especially if they stay with Ubuntu. I consider it just as integral to the experience as something like Nautilus. It seems Canonical would agree; otherwise, why put so much effort into it? Since I would be satisfied if descriptions were modified to be unique in both Software Center and Add/Remove Applications, and since that still seems readily solvable for the list of 27+1 we've documented, I propose that we solve that issue as a Papercut, and spawn longer-running bugs for the groupings listed above, as necessary. Does that sound reasonable? -- Software Center (and Add/Remove Applications) have duplicate listings https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/355389 You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
