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Launchpad entry: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/kubuntu-gdebi
Packages affected: gdebi
Summary
There should be a Qt/KDE frontend to the gdebi package installer tool used in Ubuntu.
Google Summer of Code 2007
This specification serves as the Google Summer of Code 2007 project application. Its author is MartinBöhm .
Rationale
Kubuntu lacks a package installer tool and thus .deb packages downloaded to the hard drive have to be installed in a less straightforward way. Gdebi has a GTK frontend and a command-line frontend. It is desirable for it to have a Qt/KDE frontend as well.
Use cases
- John is accustomed to searching for new applications using the Internet and his browser. He finds an official Kubuntu package he needs using an online search tool. He downloads the package and installs it easily.
- Paul wants to install a 3rd party application and its vendor offers Ubuntu/Debian packages on his website. All Paul needs to do is click on the download link and on the package.
- George wants to install Kubuntu on a computer that has no internet connection, but he needs some additional universe packages. He downloads the packages elsewhere and puts them to a USB pen drive, mounts the pen drive in his other computer and installs the packages by clicking on them.
Scope
The scope of this specification is to develop and maintain a Qt/KDE frontend to the gdebi program. No changes in gdebi features should be necessary.
Design
The UI should be similar to the gdebi-gtk one in terms of simplicity, while changing some elements in order to bring a consistent UI with the KDE guidelines (OK/Apply/Cancel button placement, for example).
The current GNOME frontend for gdebi:
An unreviewed screenshot of the frontend:
A mockup image created using Qt4 Designer (now obsolete):
Timeline
April 9 - May 28 - finalizing the user interface; the mockup should probably be evaluated by one of the Kubuntu User Interface specialists.
May 28 - Official Google Summer of Code start. The implementation itself will have started before or at this date.
June 16 - Alpha deadline. Within a month of the implementation start a working alpha should be released. An alpha version should contain most or all of the user interface aspects. At the alpha deadline it should be clear whether the python-kde4 API will be used.
July 1 - Beta deadline. In 14 days a beta version of the frontend will be released. This beta will contain all the UI features and should work without any serious issues. Further development will concentrate on code purification, documentation, internationalization and bug fixing. Kubuntu documentation team should be contacted and offered help with the documentation of this particular frontend.
August 1 - 20 days before the end of the SoC and at least one week before the Feature Freeze a "1.0" version should be released. This version should be easily translatable by the Kubuntu translators (through Rosetta) and also well documented.
Implementation
Not yet started.
Code
- Python programming language will be used as gdebi is built upon it.
- The python-kde3 module will provide the Qt/KDE API ( possibly python-kde4 as well, if it will be released soon enough before the feature's deadline and if it meets the requirement of the embedded konsole support ).
- Bzr on Launchpad will be used as VCS.
Data preservation and migration
Unresolved issues