Following the speed improvements coming with the previous update, additional fixes and features were added to the Software Manager today. We strongly recommend you update the mintinstall package to version 7.1.6 using the Update Manager.
Changes:
- When showing a package, the Software Manager now only lists the 10 latest reviews. A link appears at the bottom of the page which you can click to see all the reviews.
- When showing a category, the Software Manager now only lists the 500 most popular packages.
- The communication between The Software Manager and the APT daemon now takes place entirely in the background, making the UI more responsive, in particular when you click the “install” or “remove” buttons.
- A new option called “Open links in the web browser” was placed in the “Edit”->”Preferences” menu so you can choose whether to visit the packages websites within the Software Manager or using your own browser.
- Bug fix: Double-clicking or clicking multiple times on a category or any other element of the UI does not result in duplications of elements in the navigation bar anymore.
Notes:
On the computer on which the Software Manager is developed, it used to take 43 seconds for the “All packages” category to be displayed. Although the data is already loaded in memory, GTK is relatively slow and rendering 30,000 rows in a table takes a lot of time. This new version of the Software Manager now only shows the 500 most popular packages in the category. On the same computer, the “All packages” category is now displayed in 1.3 seconds.
We could argue that functionality was lost since browsing through categories now doesn’t show all the packages from that category anymore. But browsing through a long list of 30,000 rows isn’t particularly useful to anybody. We can still browse through the top-500 for each category and reach particular packages using the search feature.
This update introduces two new localized character strings which will be displayed in English until new translations become available through an update of the “mint-translations” package.
Clem, sorry i just want report a bug or i dont know what can i name it xD, but there is a problem with the icons in the last Isadora’s realese, someones doesnt appear, like the “volume mounted” or USB mounted, i mean when u insert an USB in a port, well that icon doesnt appear, id try to edit it in the respective folder in icons but still not appaers, i just reporting that, i really dont know where post this so i post it here…D: (are the default icons of gnome)…
Maybe instead of displaying 500 ‘hits’ you could allow the user how many packages he/she wants to see? this way we could choose between speed and functionality
I like borsok’s idea. Actually, i think it’s better to have everything as options, that way the users can tweak the software a bit more. But if you go that way you’ll have to make a preference tab or panel for this 🙂
And thanks for the web browser option 🙂
PS : don’t forget to add a translation for the option. My Mint is in french and the browser option is in english. Did i miss something?
i just want to say that i’m a little concerned with the lost functionality; since only the top 500 of each category are displayed, how are newly developed applications going to get to a broader user base?
i think that we should follow the steps of the reviews and have the manager display like the first 50 or so most popular programs and then have a link to display all of them (which is kinda what borsook said now that i actually lurked)
Even 500 could be a bit much. Couldnt there be an option to change the number of visible apps (like most websites use). Give people the option to choose 20, 50, 100, etc depending on connection/PC speeds.
Keep improving
please add support for the option to choose how many packages to see.
if possible , even an option to show/hide all the comments, and popularity
Hi! I’d like to report a bug or some weird behaviour of the software manager. It’s explained in this topic: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=49095
Keep moving forward! 😉
@ xoxo, your question is more one for the forums I guess, but I try to answer it.
In my opinion it’s a configuration issue
please go to menu -> control centre -> Representation or Presentation (don’t know, I have the German version) -> desktop configuration -> click the squares you wish to have on the desktop.
hope I could help you
H.
New users will be confused by only showing 500 programs on “All Packages”, This “All Packages” system should probably either be removed or replaced with a “Show all installed software” system. Also, a “show more packages” button wouldn’t be a bad idea.
its fery nice os i try it several time to install one with under windows and other is stand alone, but i have same problem when connect to net. the speed is reduce half from what it was, and always disconnect around 2-3 minutes and then connect again for 1 minute.
but in my windows its normal. i wonder why?????
We can ask the user a lot of things but when it comes to tuning it can become overkill… as to the number itself, I challenge anyone to count the rows in the table. The only two noticeable differences with this new versions are the fact that a user can’t scroll down to look at things alphabetically (say he/she wants to look at openoffice* packages… he could scroll down to O before.. now he/she might have to perform a search) and the fact that a user can’t scroll down to the end of the list to see the least popular software (applications with negative reviews).
Thank you for reading my input, Clem. 🙂 mintInstall now performs better while browsing software. I’m looking forward for future enhancements. 🙂
Hello.
I’d like to report a bug.
serious problems with the screensaver. When i click on screensaver in menu it appears and the few seconds later the entire comp shuts down leaving only white bars on black screen.
i have reverted back to mint 8 with which i do not have this problem.
i want to upgrade to 9.
please help!!!!!!
Installed 7.1.6. If I install a package, mintInstall crashes. But it does seem to install the package.
i think the functionality lost by only showing the top 500 is too large, could you please add a button to see the rest like you did with the reviews? or maybe just a “next page” button, this would be greatly appreciated.
@magicrob
Hi! I have mint 9 installed, and I don’t have that screensaver problem. Actually it’s working flawlessly…
Did you try re-installing mint? You should ask in the forums for help.
I wish I could help you more but I’m kinda newbie at some things..
Yes I don’t see how a button at the bottom could do any harm.
No speed improvements, but its fast on my pentium dual core with 4GB ram.
7.1.5:
add_categories took 0.968 ms
build_matched_packages took 0.150 ms
add_packages took 1225.581 ms
add_reviews took 123.152 ms
__init__ took 1575.850 ms
7.1.6:
add_categories took 0.984 ms
build_matched_packages took 0.149 ms
add_packages took 1216.919 ms
add_reviews took 124.425 ms
__init__ took 1575.305 ms
Clem (or anyone else with enough knowledge… 😉 )
Have you been able to solve the problem with Google Earth, in the meanwhile? GE won ‘t show the panoramio pics when clicked on, it shows a grey field. I checked and it does work in Ultimate Edition, so it should be possible to work in an Ubuntu-devirate….
For the rest: Mint is wonderfull!!
Two things I can think of:
I agree with other that you should not restrict the entire list. By all means limit number of packages shown on each screen (making this user definable), but show entire list in screen pages.
How can someone search for something they don’t know exists? You say packages can be searched for, but how can you do this unless you know about it already? The whole point of having a ‘catalogue’ surely is so you can find packages you didn’t know about?
I like one thing about it
–and I do think the layout is a good graphic design..
————————————
I like the categorization displays..
————————————
I don’t like the fact that it hides every action of the install sequence of any selected application, and that it doesn’t give the list of dependencies, so that you will know if you want the extras, such as mono or too many gnome of KDE selections (you can’t always tell by the names, they don’t all start with gnome-something or KDE-something ??)
–I like to know, what the application will install
I also don’t like the fact when choosing software manager from the menu, I have to reauthorize (the root) for each install selection, and I am not even sure if I can do a multiple selection to install a bunch of applications at the same time
Clem:
Please do an update download to ‘fix’ a ‘non persistent’ pointer …. This is a problem ingrained in ubuntu 10.04 LTS …. However this problem got (easily) fixed in ‘PeppermintOS One’!! For all of you’s sake, (and for all of my sake), please fix it!! Thanks!!!!
mintinstall 7.1.4
add_categories took 2.704 ms
build_matched_packages took 0.372 ms
add_packages took 4329.705 ms
add_reviews took 7348.232 ms
__init__ took 12307.093 ms
mintinstall 7.1.6
mintinstall
add_categories took 2.926 ms
build_matched_packages took 0.354 ms
add_packages took 3197.714 ms
add_reviews took 289.219 ms
__init__ took 4450.776 ms
This presumes that 7.1.4 was the version included with Isadora, tough it might just be that 7.1.5 was the version it shipped with. Anyhow, great improvements.
Another way of displaying more packages:
If you scrolled to the last package of the 500. A button could appear “Show next 500 package”. 🙂
I am on Mint 8. In synaptic, mintinstall is still 6.5.1
Am I missing anything?
Do we have a complete list of all the repos for Mint? I have LOTS installed but want to make absolutely sure I have all the critical repos! Thanks for an awesome awesome OS
What about fetching more packages when the user starts to reach the bottom of the page. Maybe just start out with 100 and then add more as time goes by.
Speaking of repos, I have a prob with the update manager not being able to retrieve repositories. Gives me a “Something wicked happened” error. I’ve read forum postings, googled, even posed the question in the chat room, no one can help me with this. It has been like this since I installed 9 the day it came out. I’m just wondering if this is something that can be resolved without a complete system reinstall.
Why dont u add version of program in Mintinstall? like it says Firefox but no version, i dont know wich version am i downloading 🙂
it seems that the general consensus is that only showing 500 packages isn’t a good idea and we need to find a way to resolve this, i would really appreciate it if you could do something about this.
@ Jan E.
if you have the side panel up you get the gray squares
if you close the side panel of G.E. you get the panoramio pictures.
so is it here
looks like it is a bug in G.E.
Hope I could help you
Automatic DHCP doesn’t work in Mint (I have a realtek 1Gb/100/10 networkcard on Gigabyte motherboard.
Dhclient does work manually. AUTO DHCP is configurated ok but doesn’t work. Router does recognize pc so problem is in distro. This happens when distro is startup from harddisk, not when it is started from ISO image on DVD.
To install updates it is problematic and chaotic. Clean straightforward approach is necessary. ==> need to be improved. Look at other distro an try at least to do a clear interface with a clear choice of which is the preferred repository.
The video interface act strange when you change resolution. You need full power off before he recognize the correct resolution.
Startup wwith vga is a must before using digital connection.
bootup problems with GRUB versions (helena and isidora together on same computer)
It seems to me not very well tested.
@ Nixnine
have you checked the software sources?
you can do it in Menu System Software Sources
and/or in Mint update
from Mint
Main
Upstream
Import
from other software
recommend
important security
http…archive canocical …. lucid partner
http…packages medibuntu lucid free nonfree
file usr/share
http opera
unhook both archives get deb -from there I got error messages-
looks like they can not be found
that worked for me
and have you the keys for authentication?
A check if you have the best server is also a good thing.
Hope I could help you
H.
Before we get too bogged down in discussions about 500 packages, or 1000 packages or 30,000 packages, let’s consider what Mint is about.
It appears to me (and maybe I’m wrong here) that Clem has a vision of Mint as being designed for the non-expert user. Assuming that’s the case, then 500 packages is enough, perhaps more than enough. If you are the expert user that needs access to more than the 500 most popular packages, then you probably know exactly what you want, and are expert enough to know how to get it.
I’m sure Clem can whip around Slackware with one hand tied behind his back, so he is not designing Mint for himself. He can use the help of the experts among us who can also see through the eyes of the non-expert.
@ waldo full ack 500 packages for each category is enough in my opinion. If somebody wants more… for them is the search function.
Isn’t that good?
@ Clem, thank you for your work. Your fine work makes me grin every time I have to solve problems on Win computers of my relatives and friends*. Their number is decreasing, after I the first time have shown them Mint. Thank you!
H.
*I’m not an expert, only a user lingering around IT since the seventieth
@ waldo and hamburn, i honestly dont think that adding another option to configure how many packages are listed would impede the ease of use, such a feature is already in place for the reviews. and i know enough about linux to want such an option, yet i dont want to search google for “good packages”… i really just want to browse through, read descriptions and see what all my options are. it is ridiculous to imply that such an option to choose how many or a button to see the rest would make it harder for a noob user to use, such a feature is present in plenty of linux and windoze programs that noobs use every day.
@ Baffle-boy,
Praise your knowledge, but even you have been a newbie, your using “noobs” stops my will for a discussion. If you can find this abusive slang you know enough to find other packages (or even not).
To give that compliment back to you, if you could understand what Clem has written, you would have seen that his interest is for speed. To go through 30 000 lines is slow, very slow. Users have seen it, even newbies.
Clem has done it and it is done for good.
@ Baffle-boy,
I don’t think so. A button to show more packages or fetching more packages as you scrolling down would not make the newbie’s life harder at all.
500 packages enough in the most cases I agree. But in OS world is all about freedom, so in my philosophy people should be free to browse less popular packages too.
Mintinstall 7.1.4 clean install of system
john@john-desktop-linuxmint ~ $ mintinstall
add_categories took 18.060 ms
build_matched_packages took 0.402 ms
add_packages took 2372.635 ms
add_reviews took 0.087 ms
__init__ took 3058.092 ms
Overwriting reviews file in /home/john/.linuxmint/mintinstall/reviews.list
update_reviews took 4573.484 ms
Mintinstall 7.1.6 after installing updates
john@john-desktop-linuxmint ~ $ mintinstall
add_categories took 1.498 ms
build_matched_packages took 0.214 ms
add_packages took 1771.873 ms
add_reviews took 187.837 ms
__init__ took 2084.389 ms
This was with a AMD Phenom 9750 2.4ghz Quad core with 8gb ram.
I am trying to restore from a software selection backup made a couple of days ago. I have just done an install of Mint 9 64bit, but when I select the packages list all I get is an error message saying “An error occurred while accessing the file”
I am have managed to restore it using dpkg but I would have thought that MintBackup would have opened a file it created?
I found the Software Manager is an excellent tool and very fast. I would like also to browse all the packages that are available and learn about their existence. I believe Software Manager is the way to go and the tool for the future, however, a small button to show the next set of package would be very beneficial to all.
Linux Mint really rocks!!!
Hi, when I try to put in a usb. THE ICON DOES NOT APPEAR!!! Please fix this!
@ xazax, i think you misunderstood me, i was agreeing with what you said, the button doesn’t make things harder.
@hamburn, sorry if the word “noob” is offensive to you, i was definitely a newbie once and i kind of like the nickname… i dont believ the use of a colloquial term for new user should negate the validity of a discussion >.<
I don’t even look at the first 50 items on the list, maybe first 20… lists are boring, unless you want it for research, so limiting to the first 500 makes absolutely no difference to me. Except the speed up.
I’d probably have made less, like 250
A lot of people I give lists to read do the same thing, first 10, jump a long number around half the list, next 10 seen and then ignore the rest.
Point being that a good number of people would rather not shuffle through hundreds of records (let alone thousands). This is just about usability and necessity.
I can’t install gedit-plugins =( It’s weird, but after installation I see “Install” button instead of “Uninstall”, it seems like package hasn’t installed at all.
apt-get install gedit-plugins works fine.
A bit offtopic,but what is that main menu that Mint uses? I kinda like it. Pretty neat for a menu. Can I install that on Ubuntu? Is that a GnoMenu with a customized skin? Thanks! 😀
Today I’m very happy, I installed LM kde 8 on my friends laptop. He’s very happy with its performance compared to Windows 7. The boot speed was tremendously fast. Waiting for KDE 9…..
Clem,
I agree that it would be beneficial to add a button for “Next 500 Packages” or similar at the bottom of the list.
First of all, you can’t in good conscience call it “All Packages”, as it’s obviously not. If you’re going to keep the top-500-packages-only system, you should probably re-label the section.
Second, there are times when a newbie might actually want to see the less popular packages, and wouldn’t know what to do or where to look for them if the “all packages” section doesn’t show it.
Third, I also agree that this kind of button is not outside of the average Windows/newbie user experience. Personally, on my system (it’s newer, but not by any means a super-fast computer), it really didn’t take a huge amount of time to display the 30,000+ packages. But if it did on some systems, why is it bad to simply split up the entire list into 500-package sections?
As a more experienced Linux user, once you had made the change to showing all 30,000+ packages in the Software Manager, I was beginning to really enjoy using it to manage my software. It was nearly as functional as Synaptic, but had some extra really nice features that made it a great tool. But putting this limit makes it not nearly as appealing or useful as before.
Yes, I know your aim is to create tools that newbies can easily use, not power-user tools. But in my opinion, the best tools are ones that can adapt themselves to both situations, which is what the previous Software Manager version did.
Or here’s an idea… Make the older version available to install still for those who would rather use it (maybe call the package “mintinstall-old”).
Just a thought.
Gave LM 9 Isadora a spin on my oldest (11 yr old P3.450) machine. After a longish install, it is up and running. Seems a lot slower than Felicia that it replaced. I join the club who are shocked at Ubuntu releasing such shoddy work as a long term release. Clem, you and the team have done a wonderful job of taking Limping Lemur to a First-Aid Station and bandaging it up so it works. Waiting for the XFCE which should run better on the old hardware.
If Ubuntu fix their issues, will there ba a new ISO to download for Isadora? This might be worthwhile to avoid patches over slow lines.
I know the FireFox start page = revenue for LM. Does purchasing CD or DVD media via OS.Disc also contribute, and if so how much does it help?
I’ve tried Xubuntu on my old P4 machine with 1.5GB ram, after installing Ubuntu 10.04, and got surprised by the speed, it was impressing to see the desktop nearly after 10 seconds of pushing the button. I’m currently thinking about Linux Mint on one of my machines, I wonder if it’s lightweight distro, or something resource heavy like Ubuntu.
_beautiful OS.Cпасибо ребят,очень приятно пользоваться ^ ^