Upload/Download Status Information

[dobey]

We need to provide the user with status information for uploads and downloads. This should let the user see what the progress for the transfer is, and if we are transferring data, or sitting idle. This mostly depends on having the sync daemon working, so that we can pull the information from there.

[Elliot Murphy (statik)]

after talking with rodney, we've already got emblems, partial files, and a spinning applet icon for beta1. while we may have additional status information, it's not a blocker for beta1.

[Facundo Batista (facundo)]

I think it's very important to have this.

I put a big file to upload, the ubuntu wheel started to spin... and nothing happens on the other side. Ok, the wheel is still spinning, but how can I know that it's uploading the file or just hung? Faith?

Providing information about the process advance is a way to show that the system is working, and a *very good* way to keep users happy. If you upload stuff at high speeds, but users can't see it, they will be unhappy. If you work slowly, but show progress, users will be ok (of course, we should upload at high speeds and show the progress, :p ).

[Fernando Miguel (fernandomiguel)]

just a me too, for adding remaning time and speed of transfer

[Alan Bell (alanbell)]

maybe an option to bring up a window containing tail -f ~/.cache/ubuntuone/log/syncdaemon.log would help, at least as a temporary thing

[RIco (rico-rootscore-deactivatedaccount)]

i think bringing up a window will just clutter the desktop.

The best way is to have the indicator on the icon, as it is now.. but to have it up to date. Because now if i put a large file.. the file just disappears while uploading, or reappears if i refresh the nautilus window, sometimes with the upload icon, sometimes with the file icon...it's a bit of a mess (beta of course...).

More detailed info could be displayed on nautilus status bar.

[Aditya Bhatt (adityabhatt1991)]

Possibly use a simple tooltip to notify ? or maybe pop up notify-osd at regular intervals ? But that looks good only if you are uploading one file.

Consider this : a drawer-like panel applet. When the user click on the applet's icon, it should draw out (like a drawer), a list of progressbars stacked one above the other, with the transfer details written ON the progressbar.

Just an idea.

[Rodrigo de Avila (rodrigo.avila)]

let me use a Dropbox example:

If I do a right click in the icon, I have the information: "All files up to date". When I copy a file to a Drobox folder, and the file starts be uploaded to the server, I have in the icon's right click the information "Uploading 1 file", followed of the time remaining and transfer speed. I think that information is all we need.

See the image attached for an example.

[Marcelo Bonatto (marcelobonatto)]

A sugestion to this: in Ubuntu One folder, in list mode, can shows a progress bar with percentage. And includes an icon in each file, same Tortoise SVN Client in Windows: an icon with check and green color to indicate sincronized; other icon, with X and red color to indicate problem; and an icon with a left arrow and right arrow with blue color to indicate sincronizing. With this, the sincronizing will better, because today I don't know how files was sincronized, how files have problems and how files is sincronizing.

[Martin Albisetti (beuno)]

This is #1 on my list.
In my head, this is coupled with the fact that the applet now says "Working..." most of the time, which is meaningless.
Do we need a separate bug to figure out what's failing?

[Elliot Murphy (statik)]

On 07/30/2009 08:40 PM, Martin Albisetti wrote:
> This is #1 on my list.

That is very valuable feedback, and I think we should prioritize this
work in line with your assessment.

However, I'd like to ask that we all use the tag karmic-blocker or ask
the person working on a bug to commit to doing it by a given milestone
rather than marking bugs as 'critical'. Critical has a very specific
meaning, which is that I will call people in the middle of the night and
wake them up to work on a critical bug, and we continue working on it
around the clock until it the problem is mitigated enough that the bug
can be downgraded to 'high'. Critical means a bug that is so bad we may
have to turn the servers off until the fix is deployed, and that we may
need to file an incident report about it.

Separately, we have the security related flag, which is also used very
sparingly for security related issues. Security and critical bugs trump
everything else including schedules and vacations, which makes it almost
impossible to use those flags to indicate bugs that should be fixed by a
specific deadline.

[John Lenton (chipaca)]

If you are working on this, please set it to "in progress". If you are not, why not? Is it not critical? If so, please adjust it. If it *is* critical, fix it!

Thanks,

[gomez (gomez-jinrin)]

perhaps its a little late,
as i think that file syncs are not syncronous, how about something like that? (if the transfer is less than 10 else a standard status bar with overall status and active file transfered, like in aptitude downloader)

greets

[Kurt Jon Ulmer (kurtjonulmer)]

Solid before Flashy

UbuntuOne (current beta version in 9.10) gives a user status information in a few places:
- the panel applet
- the menus and rollover message from the panel applet
- in Nautilus, in the bar above the Ubuntu One folder pane and the folder & file list
- transitory notification signs
- finally, the web browser at one.ubuntu.com

But... from my in/experience:

What does the '!' mean? Needs attention? What does the nice puffy cloud mean?
Did it say, 'Finished updating 1 file?' Did I miss it?
'Files are up to date' appears when I know it's a lie, and whether I've even connected or not. (Update Manager shares this little fib...)
'Connect' and 'Disconnect' buttons often don't work, and the one in Nautilus can be opposite that under the applet, even after a reload.
Etcetera...
...making me unable to believe in it!
                                                        Which is a little important.

My suggestion is that the applet is unnecessary, and should be replaced with ONE program window that gathers all status information, reports it, and refreshes itself in an understandable way. What's happening? Bring up the window! Open the arrow to show Details (as in Synaptic) and at least progress I can't understand looks like progress.

Gradually adding file transfer rates and percentages and other great information things, okay. But not until the basics are true. Nautilus doesn't need a 'Connect' button or even green arrows, (though they're nice if true) nor any other burden. Just a list of the current files. Later, an applet, maybe, but it must agree with the program window. (What could lightning signify? Hmmm.)

This wonderful application must be the devil to debug without at least such a window as I'm asking for.

I've closed my UbuntuOne account, but I'm keen to try again in Lucid Lynx.

Cheers,
Kurt

[Alain Perez (alaintxu)]

I'm using Ubuntu 10.10 (I supose that it doesn't mather but I have Ubuntu One Indicator installed).
I have this little problem, all the folders have the uploading symbol (the two arrows symbol) even when the files inside them are uploaded. Shouldn't them have the uploaded icon (the one with the 'tick' like the files inside)?

[Thibault Lemaitre (thibault.lemaitre)]

@alaintxu.p : I suppose you're talking about the symbol in nautilus. I'm also using Ubuntu 10.10 and I have the opposite problem : the folder have always the uploaded icon (the green tick), even if there is file not yet synchronized in.