Novell's community distro, OpenSuSE, is for sure the best Linux distro on the market.
And you actually don't need to be an expert to realize that... all you need to do is a few searches and you'll reach the same conclusion. (I must recommend you to read, at least, this article!
Even being outdated...)
We have to be real and face that EVERYONE (ok... not everyone... but almost everyone...) uses MS Windows and it is from MS windows that Linux has to get users.
To do that there has to be shown to users they can trust Linux, that they are secure and that they won't loose any data or make changes to their computer they can't reverse.
So what to do?
Well, from my point of view, users are fascinated by the "Free factor" and by the "Virus-free factor" - openSuSE have them both, however when they first see it, it has also to look simple and easy to use and that means that the basics need to be there. It has to be "Grandma-proof" or to pass the so called mythical test "Can my Grandma us it?"... OpenSuSE does not pass!!!
The Problem:
Lack of an easy way to remove applications!!!
Note: This is being discussed in the OpenSuse Forums, on the OpenSuse Features or, if you prefer, you can chat directly on theIRC's #YaST by clicking here
What is a Operating System good for if you can't install the programs you need???
OpenSuSE already brings a big part of software, but how to easilly install the one you want that didn't came whit the OS (3rd party software)? (http://blogs.computerworld.com/lenovo_linux_has_no_future_on_netbooks)
We have the 1-Click Install amazing feature (that solves this!)... but no easy way to TOTALLY reverse the changes made by a 1-click install action (e.g. an 1-click UNINSTALL)... You see... the problem is that instead of something like this:
We get this:
So, what will a user do if he can (easily) install but don't know how to remove an application?? - He will probably quit! Why? - To uninstall an application we are presented with a list that may include Libraries, Packages and things like that... regular user is easily spooked... and, hell, this scares even me... and let's see the truth... for someone that comes from MS this is a very big mess!!!
So how to make it easy for newbies and yet not removing the "experts/or capacity of choose" view???
Well, since this is just a question of grouping "things" in order to obtain a better organization, i came up with a few ideas of how to do this...
(Anyway, before you get to the ideas, note that the Package History feature was a very important step to "1-click uninstall" and that the bug that was holding it back is RESOLVED which means OpenSuSE is now A LOT closer to the feature in question.
Also, recently, a new application appeared called "RPMORPHAN". This new application is great and fills a great void, however to use it you need to be more than a newbie and be comfortable about packages and applications concept... i would dare to say it's a great tool for almost-experts ;) )
Some ideas to solve the problem
You may also notice that, in my suggestions, I've added an "Autoremove Repos" option on the bottom that, if checked when user is removing an entire application, would remove the related repos that were installed with the software (after it checks if the repos set to be removed are not used by any other application!)... Now, to avoid cluttering the interface, this could be set on/off somewhere else. The important would be the feature to be available!| 1st idea's description: | How this would look like: |
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This is the last idea I've wrote (it's based on Daniel Mader's idea) and since it is the most simpler of them all, i decided to put it in the first place!
All you have to do is select One-click Installed Software from the filter and it will show you only the software that was installed using the one-click install method. After this it's quite easy: On your right you will have 2 panels - the left panel will show you the applications that were installed - just uncheck any of them to remove the entire application and all that was installed whit it (if it's not used by any other application)! What was installed with the applications (packages, libraries, and so on) is showed on the right panel after you highlight the application in question.If you want you can remove just one of those components (if you know what you're doing...) |
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| 2nd idea's description: | How this would look like: |
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This idea is somekind of a Tree View where user would have software grouped by applications (only installed software would be visible)... taking openoffice as an example everything related to it would be included inside openoffice's tree
This way you could select "openOffice" and it would automatically remove everything that was installed/related whit OpenOffice or you could just select Draw to be removed or even just one specific file/component/package of Draw... This would enable newbies to easily remove software and yet allowing experts to do everything they're used to... (Yast, at the moment, it's not very friendly!!!). |
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| 3rd idea's Description | How this would look like: |
This is largely based on the functional way of the KDE4 menu:
you can uncheck "FreeCiv" in the left pane and all the files from the right pane will be removed... or you can be more specific and remove only one file / package / lib / anything from the right pane In this idea the "Autoremove Repos" is not present (since Duncan said it would clutters the interface more) but it could be set somewhere else, as I said above... The important would be the function to be present!!! |
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Vote for an easy way to reverse 1-click install here!
You can also vote for the resolution of this feature at Bugzilla
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Another possibility
(not Yast related!) |
How this would look like: |
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This possibility would be something like the MintInstall
from Linux Mint, the PIB files
manager from PC-BSD
or the CNR plugin. An Yast independent software that allows you to Install, Uninstall, Update and Upgrade your software without knowing anything about dependencies, repos, libraries and things like that... You want to uninstall - just click "Uninstall" and it's done. Pretty much like windows. But the problem is that CNR is not available for OpenSuSE yet (unlike the Ubuntu family,Linux Mint, Freespire and Linspire), and MintInstall... well it's only available to Linux Mint, just like PIB files are only for PC-BSD!
I've heard that Justin was thinking about creating something to reverse the 1-click install changes (something like CNR for opensuse)... however I have no confirmation from Justin about this... It would be very nice if he wouldn't take too much time (something like have this ready for the 11.2 or even early...) :) |
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And yet another cool idea
(not Yast related!) |
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Recently Paolo Tuninetto contacted me about his cool idea, that would be an Yast-independent software (as well) and that would combine the first 2 ideas described here... He though of this based on the Gentoo Linux way for dealing whit packages.
Gentoo has packages splint into System (where are all the files installed whit the OS) and World (where are the user installed files)... In here when a user removes an application all it's dependencies are removed as well (if not used by any other application)! This would also be a great way to deal the situation... |
There is an VERY URGENT NEED TO CREATE SUCH SOFTWARE / FEATURE! Something that is able to Uninstall software as easily as possible, in a way that even a kid can do (if he knows the root password...) or at least as easy has it is on M$ Win. Beside... if other great distros already have it...why not OpenSuSE???
Note: This is being discussed in the OpenSuse Forums, on the OpenSuse Features
or, if you prefer, you can chat directly on theIRC's #YaST by clicking here
Like the idea of something simple??? Want to help but can't code??? Then...
Vote for an easy way to reverse 1-click install here!
You can also vote for the resolution of this feature at Bugzilla
Bugzilla Vote Instructions
To vote for this idea you'll have to get to the bug page
and, in the page menu (on top), click "Log In"!
After that you'll see a new button on the right side of the bug page called "VOTE FOR THIS BUG".
There you can score it from 1 to 5 points (considering how much you would like to have it)!
You can spread the word by linking back to this site using a text link or the following image:
My Conclusion:
Other distros have already tools to make this ideas more that just a dream ( and i'm talking specially about the idea to remove software easily ) and this place those distros, such as the Ubuntu family, Gentoo Linux, Linux Mint, Gobo Linux, PC-BSD, Freespire, Linspire (RIP), Xandros (probably soon, if we don't count the already implemented technology in the Asus EEEPC OS) and probably others i don't know about, ahead of OpenSuSE in the user friendly environment.This will gain newbies attention which will tell other newbies about it... and we got a snowball effect... But in a wrong direction: away from a great Distro...
So the time to act is NOW!!! If we want OpenSuSE to grow, the idea of Linux-only-for-Experts (which still exists a lot in Opensuse) needs to be shrinked and we need to get newbies the basic tools to work with
Now, I may be wrong about my ideas...It's possible... but if the above steps were done, i bet
OpenSuSE would definitely be used A LOT MORE!
