Synaptic should display "popularity contest" information

[Bryn Hughes]

Binary package hint: synaptic

This is more of a UI feature request than a bug, but it strikes me as kind of odd that Synaptic can't let you sort packages by their "popularity-contest" data...

Lots of users have popularity-contest turned on, but commonly used tools like Synaptic don't have a method to display that information. Users are probably looking for more commonly-used pieces of software rather than some of the more esoteric and specialized packages out there. If you already know what you are looking to install, Synaptic provides a fine interface for finding what you need. When you are just looking for "something new" however it doesn't do so well.

Examples:

Bob wants to try a different music player on Ubuntu because he isn't completely happy with Rhythmbox. He searches in Synaptic for "iPod" and gets 40+ results, sorted alphabetically. He's a new user to Ubuntu and has no idea about things like KDE and Gnome, or what GTK is. He really is looking for the most commonly installed tools since they will also be easier for him to get help with.

Mary is looking through the "Games" listings in Synaptic. She just wants to quicky find something "Fun" and finds over 900 packages listed under "Games and Amusements (universe)". She gets part way through "a" before she gives up.

[Filipus Klutiero (ido)]

severity 334361 important
tags 334361 + patch
severity 346010 wishlist
severity 345707 wishlist
user <email address hidden>
usertag 346385 + nonfree-doc gfdl
thanks

[Bryn Hughes (linux-nashira)]

Binary package hint: synaptic

This is more of a feature request than a bug, but it strikes me as kind of odd that Synaptic can't let you sort packages by their "popularity-contest" data...

Lots of users have popularity-contest turned on, so that data is going somewhere. Now, when any given user goes to install a package, there's a VERY good chance that the package they are looking for will be near the top of the list.

Examples:

Bob wants to try a different music player on Ubuntu because he isn't completely happy with Rhythmbox. He searches in Synaptic for "iPod" and gets 40+ results, sorted alphabetically. He's a new user to Ubuntu and has no idea about things like KDE and Gnome, or what GTK is. He really is looking for the most commonly installed tools since they will also be easier for him to get help with

Mary is looking through the "Games" listings in Synaptic. She just wants to quicky find something "Fun" and finds over 900 packages listed under "Games and Amusements (universe)". She gets part way through "a" before she gives up

[James Westby (james-w)]

Hi,

Thanks for the bug report. I have confirmed it as a wishlist item.

Thanks,

James

[Sergei Andreev (seajey)]

This would be a really nice feature.

[shawnlandden (shawnlandden)]

see upstream http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=345707 (been sitting for 3 years)

[moli (f-launchpad-moli-hu)]

this is not simply "would be good", this is needed.