Re: Gnome-vfs blocks cddb-capplet. Why?

[iain <iain ximian com>]

> 
>   - It's not a desktop setting. If I wanted to change 
>     where information about CDs was obtained, I'd look 
>     in the properties for the various CD player gadgets,
>     not in Desktop Preferences.

See, this is what seth complained about and this I think is the crux of
the matter. However, I disagree that it is not a desktop setting.

It is for a CDDBSlave process that has no other GUI[1]. Yes, each player
program that uses it could implement the changes, but then we'd have the
possibility of each application implementing it in a different way, one
program would be "FreeDB properties", one might be "CDDB properties". I
look on it like the Default applications stuff, each application could
implement "What browser is opened when a link is clicked", but instead
we have one way to do it in the Preferences:/// stuff.

>   - It's called "CDDBSlave 2 Properties" in the window title 
>     and "CDDB" in .desktop file - totally meaningless to 
>     almost all users.

Can be easily changed.

>   - It isn't instant apply.

It was copied straight from how the other capplets at the time were
done. If they've changed, I'll change the CDDB one too.

>   - _I_ don't have a clue what the "Log on information" area 
>     means or why I'd choose one of those options over another.
>     I'm sure most users won't know if I don't.

Again, easily fixed.

>   - The server section is quite opaque as well; "round robin" 
>     is a programmer term here, what is FreeDB, why would I 
>     choose freedb vs. something else, why does "other server"
>     still show freedb by default if it's "other besides
>     freedb", what is a "port" ...

Ditto.

> 
> If you don't consider those technical reasons then fine, but they're
> still good reasons. ;-)

Well, all except the first could be considered bugs.

> 
> There should definitely be a way to choose your cddb server
> somewhere, but I don't see this as the right place, and I'm not sure
> the user-visible phrasing should be called "cddb server"
> 

CD Information Lookup? Again easily changed.

> If it isn't in the prefs for the CD player app, maybe in a "CD
> properties" dialog of some kind, maybe merge it with the CD properties
> control panel that magicdev adds. That already has a frame called
> "Audio CDs" that would naturally contain an extra item "Get track
> titles and album covers from this server:" and we need to figure out
> how to get magicdev-type functionality in upstream gnome anyhow.

I have no problem with that, I just refuse to make each application set
it a different way. Not only does it make it possibly inconsistant, but
also potentially confusing if every program has its own different way to
set the properties, "Do I need to set the cddb preferences in all the
apps or just one?"

Although IIRC seth also said that the CD properties capplet that
magicdev adds shouldn't be there either, so who knows what we'll do with
that.

iain
[1] Technically, it does, but only if there's multiple matching entries,
so the dialog rarely is shown.
-- 
"And while we were sleeping they even took our neighbourhoods away, and
everything turned into Disneyland and marionettes and chipboard and
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