Debating A Software Center For Fedora

[bwat47]

I don't think synaptic can handle RPMs.

Yes it can, it was the package manager in PClinuxOS which is an RPM based distro (haven't used that distro recently, don't know if they still use synaptic by default).

[AnonymousCoward]

Ubuntu software center sucks, but probably still better than windows:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntucat/software-installation-in-linux-is-difficult/

synaptic+deb ftw

Synaptic is dead., i.e., it's no longer being developed or maintained.

[not.sure]

Ubuntu software center sucks, but probably still better than windows:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntucat/software-installation-in-linux-is-difficult/

synaptic+deb ftw

[DanL]

I don't think synaptic can handle RPMs. Plus, its UI sucks. The only reason people still use it is familiarity. If synaptic was released in this state today, its developers would be shot.

Synaptic's UI is fast and intuitive. If you're a seasoned or semi-intelligent user of .deb-based distros (and a bad typist), it makes most package management tasks quicker than typing. I haven't seen a good RPM GUI yet (though I haven't played with mandrake/mageia). Yast is painfully slow nowadays and packagekit is.. ungood.

[BlackStar]

Windows doesn't have one and it seems to be doing alright...

Windows 8 introduces an appstore. With that, all major OSs now sport a software-center as a first party component - all major OSs bar Fedora, that is.

[BlackStar]

apt-get -> Synaptic. That's all a distro needs to manage packages.

I don't think synaptic can handle RPMs. Plus, its UI sucks. The only reason people still use it is familiarity. If synaptic was released in this state today, its developers would be shot.

[BlackStar]

Only a lier or a naive one would issue such statements. I'm talking about the fact that native/compiled apps which are usually written in C/C++/Vala a priori have speed advantages over python/ruby/whatever scripts for not having to run an additional VM/interpreter and not having to waste extra CPU cycles on dynamic compilation when running, not to mention other stuff. Before arguing make sure you understand what you're talking about and don't bring up cheap shots anymore please.

Thanks for the laugh, needed that!

Those evil VMs/interpreters that are stealing our precious CPU cycles, slowing down the very CPU intensive software-center GUI. Damn them! Not to mention other stuff.

No, in fact I'd like to know what you meant by "other stuff". What other stuff do those evil VMs/interpreters do, other than "steal your CPU cyclez"? (For some reason I don't think you'll answer "improve security", but feel free to prove me wrong).

[bulletxt]

apt-get -> Synaptic. That's all a distro needs to manage packages.

[cl333r]

You can write fast applications in Python and Ruby.
It's definitely possible to write a software center app in one of those languages that starts up quicker than a C++ application like Firefox.

Only a lier or a naive one would issue such statements. I'm talking about the fact that native/compiled apps which are usually written in C/C++/Vala a priori have speed advantages over python/ruby/whatever scripts for not having to run an additional VM/interpreter and not having to waste extra CPU cycles on dynamic compilation when running, not to mention other stuff. Before arguing make sure you understand what you're talking about and don't bring up cheap shots anymore please.

[finalzone]

I agree that Fedora should have a new software management application, but I'm with those who want a sophisticated one. The main reason why I never got into Fedora was that package management was horribly difficult - even a task like adding a new repository was nearly impossible. So an advanced package manager like YaST Qt would do it a lot of good.

Which version of Fedora have you used? Adding a repository like RPMFusion is just a matter of click via a browser. Yumex, one of frontend for yum, is available for people waiting to use advanced function. Granted that GUI packagekit needs refinement, but the functionality are not that difficult.