Duncan Mac-Vicar Prett write:

Here is the list of improvements I would like to see in a future (after release) iteration. Some of them may have bugs already, others may not. I would like to get some feedback before making bugs reports. I hope also that we get more priority to make the core product great to use instead of the old- classic "add a module to configure foobar" (which is something ISVs should better do)

*) System services:

* collectd working... (running) start stop status * cron working... (running) start stop status * dbus working... (running) start stop status ... ...

Isn't that too much to read?

- I suggest to use a small icon to show if running or not), may be a slightly animated heartbeat (soft to the eyes). - Start and stop do not need to be separated, you can't have stop if it is not started, they can use the same state (toggle) so the text switches to stop after you start. - I did not understand the "status" link, for me it looks more than a "refresh" of the "running" text. This can be done by either having just one refresh link for all, or just poll the server for changes using ajax.

*) Registration

The text "regcode-sles". IIRC this is a limitation of the current stack because this text comes from suseRegister. So it can be fixed in the future and now is a known limitation and not a usability bug.

*) Time

The two comboboxes could be replaced with an interactive worldmap + a textbox to freewrite with autocompletion so you can either use mouse or keyboard. The textbox can also not be present at all.

Also, I think for entering the date we should have a calendar input. We had one, but I see it is not longer there.

It is bug, it should work (maybe related to broken date format).

*) Network

A common problem of system managements applications is to accidentally expose the configuration file format :-) an example:

Name servers : [_____________________]

What I am suppose to enter there? It asks with plural, there is a single field. What is "prefixlen"?

Also, I think this is reported, if you click next, settings are saved, if you are using DHCP your ip changes and^^^NO CARRIER

Another issue that may apply to other modules too is to make the difference between the value that is retrieved from a textfield, to the value that is displayed when it is empty. The user may not know the meaning of an empty field. For example if using DHCP one could fill the nameservers field with "Will be auto discovered". This is also valid for fields that are not disabled, where a text for the empty state helps the user to make a meaning of the text being empty

*) Mail settings

If security is disabled, then username/password should be disabled. If the server is not configured, then even the security checkbox can be disabled too.

*) Administrator password

The 3 save buttons is confusing. IIRC kkaempf already reported this. It is confusing because this module has the ability of doing instant apply before clicking next, while network saves at "next" clicking time.

"Forward mail to", what goes there? an email address? How the user guess that? he needs to think, which is what we want to avoid. Here it may useful to enter an example greyed text that dissapears when focus is on the field (the field value still could evaluate to empty)

*) General

- Maintainer easter-egg I have asked 150 times in irc "who is doing the X module?", therefore I suggest a easter egg keyboard shortcut that once pressed a hidden <div> at the bottom emerges, with a gravatar and name/login of the maintainer/s :-) plus a report bug link

I agree especially I see in last few days that very huge amount of bugs is assigned to me :) -- Josef Reidinger YaST team maintainer of perl-Bootloader, YaST2-Repair, webyast (language,time,basesystem,ntp) -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: yast-devel+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: yast-devel+help@opensuse.org

Hi Duncan! Thanks for your suggestions! As you already pointed out, some of your ideas are already submitted into bugzilla for further discussion/fix:

*) System services: - I suggest to use a small icon to show if running or not), may be a slightly animated heartbeat (soft to the eyes). - Start and stop do not need to be separated, you can't have stop if it is not started, they can use the same state (toggle) so the text switches to stop after you start. - I did not understand the "status" link, for me it looks more than a "refresh" of the "running" text. This can be done by either having just one refresh link for all, or just poll the server for changes using ajax.

https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=546842 https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=546846

*) Time The two comboboxes could be replaced with an interactive worldmap + a textbox to freewrite with autocompletion so you can either use mouse or keyboard. The textbox can also not be present at all.

Another idea would be: https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=556108

*) Network

A common problem of system managements applications is to accidentally expose the configuration file format :-) an example:

I think, we should use entry aids for every form field. https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=556854

What I am suppose to enter there? It asks with plural, there is a single field. What is "prefixlen"?

AFAIK it is used for IPv6 and is something like a subnet mask. But maybe some of the experts can comment that better :-)

Another issue that may apply to other modules too is to make the difference between the value that is retrieved from a textfield, to the value that is displayed when it is empty. The user may not know the meaning of an empty field. For example if using DHCP one could fill the nameservers field with "Will be auto discovered".

IMHO a better solution would be to present the detected values (e.g. IP address without the possibility to change them): https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=546852

*) Mail settings

If security is disabled, then username/password should be disabled. If the server is not configured, then even the security checkbox can be disabled too.

Isn`t TLS independent of username/password?

*) Administrator password

The 3 save buttons is confusing. IIRC kkaempf already reported this. It is confusing because this module has the ability of doing instant apply before clicking next, while network saves at "next" clicking time.

I am sorry, but I have to be able to run the first boot wizard myself before I can verify that. Currently I am still fighting with virtualbox :-(

"Forward mail to", what goes there? an email address? How the user guess that? he needs to think, which is what we want to avoid. Here it may useful to enter an example greyed text that dissapears when focus is on the field (the field value still could evaluate to empty)

Good point! https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=556851 Thanks again for your input! Best regards, Martin -- Martin Schmidkunz User Experience Specialist martin.schmidkunz@novell.com +49 (0) 911 740 53-346 ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, GF: Markus Rex, HRB 16746 (AG Nürnberg) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Novell, Inc. SUSE® Linux Enterprise 10 Your Linux is ready http://www.novell.com/linux -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: yast-devel+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: yast-devel+help@opensuse.org