KlikIntegration

Revision 10 as of 2006-03-03 01:52:22

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Summary

I believe it's very important to integrate Klik and Ubuntu as much as possible. Klik offers a way of installing applications in GNU/Linux without actually using a repository. It's based on the "Appdirs" specifications.

Rationale

At the moment, to install an application a user needs to use Synaptics. This means that s/he will need root access, AND that the package will need to be available in one of the repositories.

Use cases

  • A user wants to install an application without having root access to the system
  • A user wants to copy an application onto a CD, and be able to run it off the CD without installing it
  • A user wants to install an application that is not available in any repository

Scope

  • This only covers software installation WITHOUT using Synaptics.
  • Klik is NOT a replacment for Synaptic

Design

Please have a look at [ this interview http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/free_issues/issue_11/simon_peter_interview/ ] for more information about Klik (straight from the author!)

Basically, Klik is "ready to go". What is missing, at the moment, is:

  • A way of "registering" where an application is. An application could be registered the first time it's run (as it happens is OS X). Then, if it's moved by the GUI, it could re-register itself in the new location
  • An EASY way of assigning mime types to a registered application.

Both these modifications would be fairly easily achieved by patching Nautilous.

The tricky part would be the creation of an applet that checks that each registered application is indeed up-to-date. This is much trickier, but still not impossible to achieve.

Implementation

The coding involved would be:

  • Patching nautilous so that it registers applications. This should be done in such a way so that Konqueror for example does it in a compatible fashion
  • Writing the applet that works on the updates

Discussion

Daniel-Goldsmith says:

It seems to me that system-level Klik integration may be more trouble than it is worth. This occurs for three reasons:

  1. Incompatibility of Klik-patching with standard ubuntu patches in libraries. This would result in Klik'd libraries failing to function with ubuntu patched programs installed at a later time from repositories.
  2. Incompatibility of Klik with apt system. This would perforce lead to difficulties in supporting users who had klik'd their systems by installation of items with compatibility issues, thus preventing ubuntu achieving enterprise usage.
  3. Already there are a multiplicity of Ubuntu upgade/installation systems. Just on a quick memory count the user can apply dpkg, apt-get, aptitide, synaptic, adept and Ubuntu's own 'Add Application. Do we need a further method, particularly one over which Ubuntu has little or no control?

Tony Mobily says:

I don't think point 1) is valid, but I am not 100% sure. Points 2) and 3) are definitely valid.

However, do you have a counter-proposal for a system which:

  • Would allow people to install software as non-root (or non-admin)
  • Would allow people to see a program as in "icon", and copy such a program on an external media and _run_ it

...? I see these two things as crucial. Mac got it right. Linux... not quite :-|

Klik is the closed thing there is to a "solution". The points (2) is very true. However, I think (3) Is the real problem: it doesn't have *much* to do with Ubuntu. However, Klik is there and it works...

KillerKiwi says

  • Points 1 and 2 is a non issue also as klik apps do NOT afect the system in any way
  • Point 3 - There are many systems but i dont think any of them meet the 'human' need
  • Other, An Application Folder type system might be a solution for registering menu/mimetypes

http://klik.atekon.de/wiki/index.php/Dapper

Code

Outstanding issues

BoF agenda and discussion

CategorySpec