No option to (de)select add ons upon installation

[Goth Queen]

With the Gnome Software Center (gnome-software 3.20.1+git20160426.1.a976144-ubuntu-xenial-0ubuntu1) the option to select or deselect certain additions disappears (as compared to the earlier Ubuntu Software Centre). Example of this would be additional gstreamer plugins with a media player install.

This can lead to more bug reports due to less transparency (user has no clue what is being installed, main install fails because essential elements are missing) and potential bloat (software centre installs everything and the kitchen sink to make sure the install works).

A return of an interface with choice options as with the earlier Ubuntu Software Centre seems preferrable.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Matthias Klumpp (ximion)]

I discovered the reason for missing addons in GNOME Software by accident a few weeks back.

Apply those two patches to appstream-glib in Xenial, and the addons should appear:

https://github.com/hughsie/appstream-glib/commit/ea8b160c8f05ae018dcf54181204cc5740c2aa1c
https://github.com/hughsie/appstream-glib/commit/2c479053850958575c8de50fbee4433ec05019d3

(this only applies to AddOns which have AppStream metadata though)

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

I tried the new appstream-glib (when it was released) with yakkety's gnome-software and the addon feature works poorly with multiple UI issues. I'm guessing the buggy apt plugin is part of the problem.

Although it's a bug fix, we should check whether the UI change works well before introducing it to an LTS. (Sorry I didn't get around to filing LP bugs about the issues yet.)

[Matthias Klumpp (ximion)]

Switching to PackageKit might be an option for Yakkety, but PK comes with its own set of bugs (mainly due to the aptcc PK backend being "undermaintained" for a few years). The PK issues are documented in the PackageKit bugtracker though and are just waiting for a brave person to fix them ;-)

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

Yes, 3.21.90 with PK has bugs but they are different bugs (I am tired of the xenial bugs!) and perhaps the bugs are less severe.

I figured it's too late to switch gnome-software to PK for yakkety without someone really dedicated to fixing some of the new bugs and making sure Ubuntu's customizations don't get lost in the transition. It would need a Feature Freeze Exception and if not in place within a week, a UI freeze exception too.