Focal regression: poor discoverability for search in Ubuntu Software Center

[Dan Dascalescu]

I wanted to install a new package. Launched Ubuntu Software and... how do I search for anything?

Search is a key function. It should be front and center. I couldn't see it.

That was annoying enough that I wanted to file a bug against it. In the process I did notice the lens icon in the top left, but seriously - does that look easily discoverable to anyone? There's usually nothing in that cornerl so users don't look there, and the contrast is poor, which makes it very easy to not notice.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please report the issue to the developers at:

  https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-software/-/issues

and then tell us the new issue ID.

[Dan Dascalescu (ddascalescu+launchpad)]

https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-software/-/issues/986

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thanks, why do you state it's a regression? The search was the same way in previous cycles

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Compared to bionic?

[Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987)]

On the front page, just start typing and searching works, you don't have to first show the search field.

The empty space in the middle of the front page of gnome-software is bug #1873060.

[Dan Dascalescu (ddascalescu+launchpad)]

@seb128: Maybe I didn't notice the search being this undiscoverable, or maybe I was using another theme that made it more obvious

@amr: "just start typing" is not a discoverability UX hint. Users don't randomly start typing in dialogs without inputs. MAYBE the keyboard fanatics will try '?', but those use apt directly. IMO gnome-software should be as friendly as possible to people new to Ubuntu.

[Nederhoed (nederhoed)]

Hi Dan, I second your opinion and will also second your issue added to the Gnome project.

As a 15+ year Ubuntu user it has always surpriosed me that in Software the search was hidden; the only reason I open Software, is to find some program to install.

Since I know my way, it never bothered me enough to actually file a ticket. Until today, as it should be my responsibility too, to contribute to the open source projects.

Cheers, Robert

[Bruno Duyé (brunetton-gmail)]

+1000

Just installed Ubuntu for my mother today, and I learned her yesterday how to install a software. We were both confused (I'm a developer and I'm very confused about this "feature" too) about the fact that the search bar is hidden until we type some text on the keyboard.

Today she called me trying to install a software (not listed in the featured softwares in the main page), and she didn't remember how to search for a particular software by name.

Last month I installed Ubuntu for friends (30 years old, daly users of Android phone so used to softwares) and same thing: they called me 2 times to ask how to search for a software ? "is it possible to install another software than those that are listed in the main page ?"

I've seen in Gnome's issues that Gnome devs thinks that this is a typical Gnome behavior; okay maybe; I hate Nautilus and most of Gnome apps for their "simple designs". But this is definitively not a typical Ubuntu design: when we display the "magical search bar" that appears after pressing super key, we see the search bar, really well highlighted in the center. I really think that software search bar should be obvious to find.