c-n-f should be able offer to install missing programs (preference)

[Thomas van der Burgt]

Binary package hint: gnome-terminal

Instead of saying:
The program 'x' is currently not installed. You can install it by typing:
sudo apt-get install x
bash: x: command not found

It should promt me to install it like:

The program 'x' is currently not installed. Would you like to install it now [Y]?:

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Apr 30 17:08:56 2008
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 8.04
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/gnome-terminal
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: gnome-terminal 2.22.1-0ubuntu2
PackageArchitecture: i386
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: gnome-terminal
Uname: Linux 2.6.24-16-generic i686

[Ralph Corderoy (ralph-inputplus)]

I don't think this is such a good idea. I often mistype a command. By chance, it's found in some package I've not heard of. Meanwhile, while the search was on-going, I've realised my mistake and entered the correct command before continuing to type ahead. If that corrected command was consumed as the answer to `would you like to install it now?' then my later commands may have problems, e.g. the `cd' was consumed and the `rm' was acting somewhere other than intended.

[Sean Stoops (brutimus)]

I fully agree with Ralph. I don't want to have to answer a question every time I mistype a command.

[Zygmunt Krynicki (zyga)]

This functionality is coming in 0.4.x alpha (as a preference)

[Zygmunt Krynicki (zyga)]

Committed in revision 113 of lp:command-not-found

[Sean Stoops (brutimus)]

I was just looking over "revision 113 of lp:command-not-found" to see how this feature was implemented. The one thing that concerns me is that the "ask" appears to be the default value. In other words, if I type in a non-existent command, if it matches a known command, it will force me to answer 'y' or 'n'.

My first question, how will a user come to find out how to turn this off. I certainly don't want this feature as I spend 90% of my day in the shell and am a horrible typer. :-) I'm not saying "ask" shouldn't be the default value, but I would like to see a very simple way to turn it off, even if it's a message on the first occurrence of something like: "To turn this feature off, change X value in Y config file"

Thoughts?

[kevin (keg)]

I agree with what others are saying. Having a default action waiting for input on a mistype would be very annoying.

[Zygmunt Krynicki (zyga)]

I have created a PPA with this feature, I will upload the package this evening.
I think you have to use it for a moment first to decide if we should keep 'ask' as default.
The one major factor is that the question is offered *only* if you type exact command name that is available.
It does not trigger on spelling suggestion. It does not trigger when command is in multiple packages.
I think it actually makes sense to offer that question in the case when the user had intended to run the comma d anyway.

If mvo pushes this to lucid we can get wider feedback

[Anton Yakutovich (dr-akulavich)]

It works! I like this feature. Thank you, Zygmunt!
Could you add snaphot for Maverick in PPA?

[Serhiy (xintx-ua)]

I just found this bug in process of getting to bug #880616
Zygmunt, did you mean
http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~command-not-found-developers/command-not-found/trunk/revision/113 revision ? There is no code for this, so I assume I missed something.
And I agree with Sean that it should be configurable. Are there any configuration file for c-n-f? I didn't see them in package.