[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Applications menu for Fvwm



On Thu, 03 Oct 1996 09:58:01 +0200 Christian Linhart 
(clinhart@ping.at) wrote:

> First, I think it's an excellent idea to provide an automatically
> configured wm-menu. This will make the use of the system a lot more
> user friendly.

Definitely agreed.

> I think we should use a generic installer script (install-menu).
> This script can then call the window-manager specific scripts.

[snip]

As every wm configuration file is different, I suggest that every wm 
package provides an install-menu-<wm> script which will handle 
removal and additions to the window manager menus...
Then install-menu would dispatch the request to all installed wms.

[snip] 

> Now, I can think of some open questions:
> * What information should be provided to install-menu ?
>   This must be enough information such that all window managers
>   are happy with it.

We probably want:
1) an action (add/remove)
2) a package name
3) a category (nobody wants menus filling the whole screen)

> * Interaction with dpkg, e.g., should install-menu be integrated
>   into dpkg ?

That should probably be part of the dpkg package. Install-menu would 
be called from the post/pre installation scripts, the same way that 
install-info is.

> * Should we use the package section as the name of the menu ?
>   (This will be more consistent and thus probably easier for the user)

Duh ? Makes sense as long as the package name does the same (I think 
that if the package `xterm-color-3dscrollbar' (if it ever comes to 
life) shouldn't appear like that in the menu. This could be an 
argument for install-menu:
	install-menu <action> <name> <category>
where name is not always the package name...

Some additional remarks...

We'll be faced with the same problem as with /etc/skel.... What about 
if users copy the wm file and modify it (which is quite common) ? The 
case will happen much more often than /etc/skel (I mean /etc/skel 
files aren't changed very often, at least less often than this case), 
as any X package will want to update the menus.
I've always considered a nice thing to update all of the users 
menus... But what if the user changed the conf file beyond 
recognition ?
I suggest using a meta comment, like this:
	#---DEBIAN-UPDATE-CONFFILE---
With some other comment around saying that if this line is 
changed/deleted, automatic updates won't be possible anymore...
Of course, this will make the update task quite complex...

Additionnaly, what about the existing installed Debian base ? We must 
think about a roadmap...

> * Who writes it ? 
>   [I know that I'm kind of volunteering for it when I ask this
>   question ;-)]

I could try to help (when I'll have upgraded my packages to the new format :-)

Phil.


--
TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to
debian-devel-REQUEST@lists.debian.org . Trouble? e-mail to Bruce@Pixar.com


Reply to: