Pnd Manager

[juniorm33]

What sort of facilities would you like to see in a PND Manager GUI,
Here's some things I can think of.

• Ability to check if you have the most recent version, and ability to update if you want it to.
• Deletion/Copy/Move of just PND, PND with associated configuration files, just associated configuration files
• Maintain a local list of what PNDS are on which SD card (which could also be used to check for updates)
• Syncing of save states, user data etc
• Ability to set overides in PND configuration (how ever this is supposed to be done)

Just throw in any ideas that may come to you no matter how crazy it may seem. As this is just a brainstorming session to see if something like this would be useful nice for some people.

 

[Dunny]

What sort of facilities would you like to see in a PND Manager GUI,
Here's some things I can think of.

• Ability to check if you have the most recent version, and ability to update if you want it to.
• Deletion/Copy/Move of just PND, PND with associated configuration files, just associated configuration files
• Maintain a local list of what PNDS are on which SD card (which could also be used to check for updates)
• Syncing of save states, user data etc
• Ability to set overides in PND configuration (how ever this is supposed to be done)

Just through in any ideas that may come to you no matter how crazy it may seem. As this is just a brainstorming session to see if something like this would be useful nice for some people.

Two things I want -

1. Runs on Windows or Linux.
2. If it runs on the Pandora, it runs without any dependencies on xfce. I have no intention of using a desktop environment on my Pandora.

D.

 

[frefol]

It would be cool if it had a mode that looked like a file manager with a left pane that showed the PND files; and when you clicked on one it would show the appdata directory in the right pane.

 

[skeezix]

Dunny -- you don't really have to worry about XFCE demands; its more .. most apps need X or work on framebufgfer; X is (currently) always up, and using the /ev/fnb while X is up is okay; SDL apps woudl work without X anyway. An app can request that it needs X or not, and some other tricks, but that is rarely used. An app will have whatever dependancies it needs, but almost certainly not XFCE -- ie: if an app uses gtk or a gnome lib to do something, it'll work fine in minimenu or xfce or whatever. A pnd is a pnd, it works equally well in minimenu or whatever, unless the dev goes out of his way to make it otherwise.

ie: quake3 is an opengl or gles app (depending), and works fine in minimenu or xfce; SDL games work fine in minimenu or xfce, with either windowed or fullscreen. A x11 GUI app (gtk, qt, whatever) works fine in minimenu and xfce -- in minimenus case, there is a very plain window manager running (With nothing else), so that an app that needs a window doesn't get weird.

I think peopel threw some fear into you, but it was unfounded

jeff

 

[Dunny]

I think peopel threw some fear into you, but it was unfounded

Thanks Jeff. It was a worry - I'm trying to look upon this as a newbie to linux in general, and yes, there's some FUD being thrown around. I've come from a GP2X/DS handheld background, and stuff like window managers weren't needed - everything runs fullscreen. I'll try and keep my paranoia to a minimum in future

BTW, can we have some way of making modules load on-demand? I'm not comfortable that stuff like Wifi is loaded at startup. It would be far better for things to load in as an app demands them. Not sure if this is feasible with a hotfix in future?

D.

 

[Aninhumer]

BTW, can we have some way of making modules load on-demand? I'm not comfortable that stuff like Wifi is loaded at startup. It would be far better for things to load in as an app demands them. Not sure if this is feasible with a hotfix in future?

I'm not certain, but I don't believe just loading the module for the WiFi makes much difference on its own.
It's only when NetworkManager gets going that it scans.

 

[juniorm33]

1. Runs on Windows or Linux.

I was thinking of something running on the Pandora, so it never even occurred to me to have something that could run on Windows etc.
I've got Pandora fixsation! :lol:

 

[juniorm33]

Thanks Jeff. It was a worry - I'm trying to look upon this as a newbie to linux in general, and yes, there's some FUD being thrown around. I've come from a GP2X/DS handheld background, and stuff like window managers weren't needed - everything runs fullscreen. I'll try and keep my paranoia to a minimum in future

And this is what I want, so no need to manage your paranoia in this thread.

 

[Dunny]

Thanks Jeff. It was a worry - I'm trying to look upon this as a newbie to linux in general, and yes, there's some FUD being thrown around. I've come from a GP2X/DS handheld background, and stuff like window managers weren't needed - everything runs fullscreen. I'll try and keep my paranoia to a minimum in future

And this is what I want, so no need to manage your paranoia in this thread.

In which case, what I want is to be able to navigate (in theory, I've not used minimenu yet!) to say, a settings menu, open up "PND Manager" and get a nice fullscreen UI which allows me to work with files inside the PND (avoiding using the touchscreen if possible, I have no intention of using that), set configs etc... and that's if I have to run it on the Pandora. I'd rather do system maintenance tasks on the desktop via a USB connection though.

I like your idea, we are really going to need this.

Edit: OOOOH! A PND PXML validator! So it can warn us why a PND may not be recognised by the system, and give a chance to fix known/common issues. Want that.

D.

 

[skeezix]

ED created a bunch of Settings jobs; you can run a job from the menu in xfce or minimenu (with hotfix #2), to default wifi on or off, for instance; theres anothr entry (in xfce, or minimenu hf#2) to toggle wifi on or off 'right now'. A lot of stuff can be set like that -- so you can tailor your environment.

hotfix #3 or #4 will be removing a pile of stuff, to improve overall startup time and reduce system load; theres not too much fluff (compared to ubuntu etc , but theres a few things we don't need really, on by default.

Making a pnd executabnle by Windows is doable, vbut a bit of work; ie: right now the PXML descriptor inside a pnd can name an executabnle; no reason we can't also put in a line so it can say 'platform', so we could say 'heres the executable for OSX, but here is the executable for pandora', that sort of thing. The trick then, is how to do 'pnd magic' -- show the pnd in the start menu, redirect writebacks out to an appdata somewhere (user hgome directory + folder name, just like we do appdata now.), + actually run it from the pnd.

jeff

 

[juniorm33]

A drop down to say which menu's the PND should appear in. (I think this would move the pnd to the different locations)

Edit:
App Data cleaner (deleted any that doesn't have an associated PND?)

 

[Trip]

I'd rather have PND management handled by the App Store and a small Desktop extension myself.

PND updates should all be possible through your account in the Official Pandora App Store.
A simple Desktop extension should be able to take care of all the rest

 

[laurencevde]

1: setting up an sd-card.
2: "app-store" -integration: finding apps in the store, "installing" and updating apps etc. Basically the same functions as a package-manager.
3: running pnd-s from the manager.

 

[juniorm33]

Easy way to manage PNDs from within launchers/minimal menu without having to go into full desktop mode

 

[juniorm33]

Sorry for the bump, but just curious if anyone has had any more ideas?