A friendly rant on Kubuntu's [KDE's] software center

[Guest]

I've installed the latest Kubuntu LTS on a virtual box machine. Even if I use apt from the terminal to search and install packages I wanted to check out the new software center (discover I believe is its name). Unfortunately it's not in a good state and that's unfortunate because the software center is the first thing a new user will see. To be more precise:

- It doesn't list all of the installed applications (for example it doesn't list ktorrent).
- Search also can't find all applications where "apt-cache search" can.
- It has problems with higher than the default DPI. Especially in the top animated thingy.
- Enabling the partner's repositories is counter intuitive at best. With the rise of linux gaming people want to install steam for example and software-properties-kde is not the best tool for a beginner.

[claydoh]

Ubuntuand Kubuntu's default software centers do cater specifically to gui software so a lot of things are not going to be present.

Having said that, ktorrent should show up but my guess is a packaging error in not labeling the package into a category that shows up in these programs. I don't know yet if someone has filed a bug report on this.

Steam is not free software so the partner repo is not enabled by default.

The dpi problem is already known though I don't believe a ....ahem....resolution has been found.

Most new (inexperienced) users will likely be less confused by all the command line apps and libs and such that they likely won't want or need until they learn and need something more powerful and can easily be installed.

A feature of Discover often overlooked is how it shows and installs plasma widgets and other things from kde-look without having to dive into system settings and other places for stuff.

sent from my LG V10 using Tapatalk

[GreyGeek]

Most skilled Kubuntu/Ubuntu/Linux users will install muon, or my preferred package, synaptic. That said, I think Discover is an excellent package manager for new Kubuntu/Linux users because they generally prefer GUI apps that are easy to use. Later, as they gain more experience, they will read about muon, synaptic and apt in forums like this and explore those apps. Noobs and technophobes, like my lovely bride of 54 years, will stay with Discover (or ask her resident techie to install software ) but many will switch to another PM with more meat and less frills

[GerardV]

I still use Synaptic, mostly just for checking out a particular piece of software and get the correct name for that package, and than install it with "sudo apt-get install..."

[Qqmike]

In the Discover search box, you should be able to enter Muon Package Manager and install it.

[vinnywright]

In the Discover search box, you should be able to enter Muon Package Manager and install it.

nope ,,,,not @hear........discover will not search it up.

VINNY

[Qqmike]

nope ,,,,not @hear........discover will not search it up.

It did for 14.04 (and maybe later?), but not for 16.04, apparently. (I'm on 14.04, and from everything I read around here, am not in any hurry to change.)

[claydoh]

Oh there are a lot of things Plasma Discover does not show, that should show. Quite a few bug reports on bko. Probably many things are missing the appstream data tghat is needed for things to show up


(btw Muon discover in 14.04 is different from Plasma Discover in 16.04 - uses the new appstream over qapt or whatever is used in Trusty)

[claydoh]

Oh there are a lot of things Plasma Discover does not show, that should show. Quite a few bug reports on bko. Probably many things are missing the appstream data that is needed for things to show up.


(btw Muon discover in 14.04 is different from Plasma Discover in 16.04 - uses the new appstream over qapt or whatever is used in Trusty)

[schnelle]

Well discover 5.5.5 was working well but it was updated to 5.6.2 before release. And that version is broken.

[Goddard]

I agree this new version in 16.04 is a regression. The 14.04 version's search function worked. It was visually consistent. It never crashed. It even had features other Discover Guis didn't have. Even the text is messed up for the carousel at the top.

I still use Synaptic, mostly just for checking out a particular piece of software and get the correct name for that package, and than install it with "sudo apt-get install..."

You use a GTK app to search for packages? Sacrilege.

Here is an example. This is what I have to deal with.

[GreyGeek]

I agree this new version in 16.04 is a regression.

"Regression" may be a little harsh. It was just that April came two or three months to early!


QUOTE=Goddard;387902]
You use a GTK app to search for packages? Sacrilege.
..: [/QUOTE]

While I'd love to have a pure Qt API KDE, it takes time to create a complete set of apps that supply all the functions people want. The movement towards that goal was stalled when Gnome and KDE developers got together and created a compatibility layer that allowed apps from both DE's to run on each other's DE. KParted, for example, became equal to Gparted only a few years ago. Muon comes very close to matching Synaptic in functionality but it's form design still doesn't match that of Synaptic, yet. Synaptic is just laid out better and is more intuitive. IMHO.

[Goddard]

Maybe regression is a little mean, but I don't know.

I was just saying in 14.04 how Muon Discover was so fast and had all the things you would want and Gnome Software was crap and so was Ubuntu Software Center. It had ratings, comments, images you could enlarge when clicked and it was an appropriate size for your monitor. Now we have something that can't search, looks like garbage, and lots of simple functionality looks displaced. If this added newer and better features I don't see them and it isn't faster. It seems slower, especially search. I would say the old code base is much better.

I am looking at Muon and can't see any features missing from Synaptic. What features are missing? It is more intuitive? I don't see how that is the case personally, but would love to hear your perspective as to why. Muon is extremely fast to use. Synaptic is slower to do things.

I can't even find KParted in the repositories. What is it listed as?

[GreyGeek]

As PartitionManager, which carried on where QTParted left off, which did the same with KParted. I've been around a long time and never got over calling the KDE Partition Manager "KParted".

Also, as an old programmer of 40 years, my like of Synaptic over Muon is one of preferring Synaptic's form (GUI design). Muon has improved to rival Synaptic's functionality, and I have used it when Synaptic wasn't available, but I prefer Synaptic. Discover, on the other hand, takes GUI to the extreme and it interferes, IMO, with the functionality. This is obvious from the fact that Discover cannot discover apps that Synaptic or Muon find and display easily.