UX issues in "Ubuntu Software" and related applications

[Chris Graham]

I think it's important to have a look at the high level user experience around software updating in Ubuntu. This is all tested on the latest Ubuntu 19 (installed a few days ago).

Apologies if this is the wrong place to post, and that I'm bundling a couple of things together. These issues go across "Ubuntu Software", "Software Updater" and "Software & Updates", and I didn't want to spam ya'll with multiple small disjointed issues. On the other hand I think this stuff is super-important for user experience and needs discussing in a bug context, not a support context.

1) Searching for "software" under "Show Applications", produces a screen with these options:
"Ubuntu Softw..."
"Software & Up..."
"Software Upd..."
This is a poor experience. There's no way for a new user to tell these 3 things apart, and for a real newbie it's not even obvious when opening them. For example, my initial thought with "Ubuntu Software" is perhaps it is just for installing snaps, that's the kind of unexpected confusion that can happen when there's multiple similar-sounding options on a menu.

My suggestion would be to only have "Ubuntu Software". Remove the .desktop files for the other options, but make them available from within "Ubuntu Software".

2) "Software & Updates" has CD/DVD options, which is (a) antiquated and (b) unclear how it works. I understand it likely works by standardized mount paths, but most users nowadays will be installing with a USB stick which has no support. Imagine a new user who needs to install custom broadlink drivers from USB stick, but there's no way to easily configure the package manager to do it. That was my situation, I ended up finding the .deb file on the USB manually. I think you should just rework all this as an "Installation Media" option, and search all mounted paths for an Ubuntu signature.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for your bug report, feedback which isn't a specific bug/improvement report is better sent on https://discourse.ubuntu.com/

Some comments though

> There's no way for a new user to tell these 3 things apart,

one part of the issue is https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-shell/merge_requests/109 if that's fixed then at least the titles wouldn't be cut

> "Software & Updates" has CD/DVD options

That would be a valid report to do on software-properties

[Chris Graham (chrisgraham)]

Thanks for bringing up the Discourse site. I actually have a lot more I want to talk about that is general and this seems to be the perfect place.

I really want to contribute there but I don't seem to have posting permission on the Discourse. Username chrisgraham.

There's no post topic button for me under Desktop. I can get one if I do the 'infinite scrolling' all the way to the bottom, but I think when it gives me one there it's a permissions bug because it will give me an access error when I actually follow through and post.

[Will Cooke (willcooke)]

Hi Chris, I've up'd your user level, you should be able to post now.