Re: [Usability]From application- to user-centric configuration

[Seth Nickell <snickell stanford edu>]

GNOME is going to be using gconf for the forseeable future, though we're
happy if other projects use it too.

-Seth

On Sat, 2002-03-09 at 06:12, Daniel F Moisset wrote:
> On Fri, 2002-03-08 at 14:01, Tommi Komulainen wrote:
> > From: Tommi Komulainen <Tommi Komulainen iki fi>
> > To: usability gnome org
> > Subject: [Usability]From application- to user-centric configuration
> > Date: 08 Mar 2002 00:44:53 +0200
> > 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > I've been wondering, do you think it would be possible to get rid of the
> > current application-centric configuration model anytime soon?
> > 
> > Personally, I'm getting sick and tired of configuring new browser, or
> > mail client, to the same settings I've already configured to countless
> > other applications.  Proxies, fonts, languages, java/javascript on/off,
> > homepage, bookmarks, e-mail address, IMAP servers, mail folder
> > locations, addressbook, you name it.
> > 
> The problem is with configuration in general, not only applications. For
> example, If my mouse protocol is foobar, i have to tell X, gpm and
> svgalib that my mouse protocol is foobar (probably, in different ways)
> 
> > Every single time I want to try a new application, I have to enter the
> > same information over and over again.  Why do I have to do that?
> > 
> > For example, I have one e-mail address you can use to send me mail.
> > I don't have one you can use to send mail to my mutt, another for
> > evolution, third for sylpheed, and so on.
> > 
> > I think the configuration of such things should not revolve around the
> > application, but the functionality of the application, or sometimes the
> > user.  When configuring evolution I'm not really thinking about
> > configuring evolution, I'm thinking I'm configuring a mail client.
> There should be possible to have different configurations anyway, but
> only if the user desires so.
> 
> > When
> > I want to try some other mail client I only wonder why I have to do that
> > all over again.  Didn't I just configure a mail client?  Why can't the
> > applications share that configuration?
> > 
> > Do you think something like this could be used in GNOME?  I think it
> > would significantly reduce the configuration effort of users.  Diversity
> > and having the possibility to choose are good, but when you have to
> > repeat everything again and again for every choice, it becomes a PITA.
> 
> I think it should be done at a lower level than GNOME. Because, for
> example, i would like to set my desktop background at gnome, and then
> have the same if one day i want to use kde, or windowmaker.
> 
> I have thought a lot about this problem, and drafted some analysis of
> what should be done to solve it. I wrote a very rough design of what
> could be used to solve that, in a way that could be usable with current
> apps w/o modification. But i haven't enough time to implement it, so
> it's been stored in a shelf :-(
> 
> If you're interested, you can read it at:
> http://www.grulic.org.ar/~dmoisset/lcf/doc/design.html
> 
> If you know about somebody that likes it and wants to write it, I would
> gladly help finishing the design (There are some modifications I never
> made on that document, based on some things I learned from similar
> tools, i.e: GConf, Windows Registry, etc...), and I have a rough idea of
> what the API should be like.
> 
> I think the configurations issues addressed there are a huge usability
> problem for gnu+linux as a system, not just gnome.
> 
> 	Daniel
> -- 
> Knowledge, sir, should be free to all!
>                 -- Harry Mudd, "I, Mudd", stardate 4513.3
> 
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