Dependency checking change...

Max Bowsher maxb@ukf.net
Sat May 7 18:12:00 GMT 2005


Brian Dessent wrote:
>
> Okay, how about this scenario:
>
> Remove the checkbox; add a button that says "Select these now
> (Recommended)".  When you press it the packages are selected and the
> contents of the text box are replaced with the status of those changes
> (e.g. "selecting foomatic-1.2.3-1..." but the wizard stays on the same
> page.
>
> If a user just presses Next, they get a popup saying "You should really
> install these before continuing, do you want me to do that?
> Y/N/Cancel"  Yes would apply and move on to installation.  Cancel would
> dismiss the popup and leave them at the same wizard page with no
> change.  No would present a second popup saying "Are you really sure you
> want to continue without selecting? Y/N" to eliminate the chance of a
> user in a hurry selecting the wrong thing.

Agree mostly, but I think the checkbox was a good idea.
Make the popup have just OK/Cancel.
To break dependencies, make people check a checkbox labelled something 
suitably scary - e.g. "Force installation with broken dependencies" - and 
*then* click Next.

> If started with --expert the behavior would be the same, except no
> popups.  If you press next without pressing "Select these now" you get
> exactly what you selected without setup getting in your way.

I would really rather not have --expert at all.

Command line options are fine for automation, but in general it is much more 
elegant to allow people to configure such things within the GUI. I know we 
have abused command line options in the past, (e.g. -5 ), when we weren't 
quite sure or didn't have the time to add appropriate stuff to the GUI, but 
I would rather not perpertuate that.

Max.



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