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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: RFC: new KPanel application menu
From:       Waldo Bastian <bastian () ens ! ascom ! ch>
Date:       1999-07-13 10:56:41
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Pietro Iglio wrote:
> 
> At 11.57 13/07/99 +0200, Waldo Bastian <bastian@ens.ascom.ch> wrote:
> >Pietro Iglio wrote:
> >
> >> Note that I'm not considering any other directory layer, such
> >> as the "group" layer suggested by Stephan because (a) the
> >> implementation would be much harder and (b) more than two
> >> layers can be too confusing for users and administrators.
> >>
> >> Comments and criticisms will be appreciated.
> >
> >First of all I like it very much.
> >
> >Some small points:
> >
> >$HOME/.kde and $KDEDIR don't exist any more in KDE 2.0.
> >
> >Instead of $HOME/.kde you should use 'locateLocal()' to find
> >the location where to store stuff. By default this will be
> >$HOME/.kde but you can't count on it.
> >
> >$KDEDIR doesn't exist any more either. Instead the user can
> >provide a ordered list of directories which to check. When
> >searching for resources, the most 'specific' directory is
> >looked up first.
> >
> >For kpanel I suggest to use for 'publishing' the
> >"least specific directory the user can write to".
> >
> >Example:
> >It he user has
> >KDEDIRS="/opt/kde:/usr/local/kde:/home/department/.kde:$HOME/.kde"
> >
> >Then the "most specific" directory is "$HOME/.kde"
> >the "least specific" directory is "/opt/kde".
> >
> >When the user has write access to /usr/local/kde,
> >/home/department/.kde and $HOME/.kde
> >publishing the application will write it to /usr/local/kde.
> 
> In principle, I agree with you. Your approach would also be
> more complete, because you can publish at any level (eg. local,
> workgroup, all users).
> 
> In practice, however, I think that more than two levels can confuse
> users. Two levels (personal/global) looks like a right trade-off
> between flexibility and simplicity. Thus I'm suggesting, at least for
> applications, to keep the old, two-levels model.

Yes. 95% of the users will most likely just use 2 levels.
But 5% has a need for more levels and then it would be odd that
each and every KDE application supports this apart from kpanel.

Think of schools with classes. You have the system setting
provided by the distributor/system administrator. Depending on 
the class, a teacher can 'publish' new applications for his/her 
complete class, but not for the whole school. The children/students
themselves can of course also make changes. (Or maybe they can't :)

It needs some work (by the distributor/administrator) to set it up
right, but once set up I think it is very convenient (for the 
students/teachers). Users on a sinlge user system won't notice
the difference because they will useally not have more levels than
the current ones ($HOME/.kde and /usr/local/kde or similair)

Cheers,
Waldo
-- 
The "gui" in "Penguin" is pronounced "K-D-E"

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