Too many popups during normal operation

[matatk]

Though this is a GUI tool designed to make updating easy, It can actually be more complex to use than the command-line approach. The current version represents a very good start on the usability front, but I feel that there are some big (and fairly simple) improvements that could be made.

I reported a blueprint on the usability issues with the way update-manager currently works on the 17th of September and received positive initial feedback within a few weeks. Since then, however, I have tried to get a developer to give the blueprint the go-ahead (by using the comments system) but I have not heard anything for a couple of months.

I tried contacting the driver of the project, then the bugs contact, then the ubuntu-core dev team but none have replied. I was then given the impression that blueprints are only given attention when they fix a known bug, so am reporting these usability problems as a bug :-).

Please read the blueprint at https://blueprints.launchpad.net/update-manager/+spec/reduce-popups for more information.

Thanks for your time.

[gmaniac (gman1ac)]

I agree.
Haven't read the blueprint but something must be done about this.
When I click the update the whole thing should hide. I mean who watches the progress of the updates? I just want to confirm the updates and be done with it.If I want to see the progress then by clicking the icon again (which should be enabled and allow only on instance [1] ) the update-manager should appear.
If the system requires an action from me then the notifications (about system/application restart etc) are enough.
This way there should be minimal changes in code.

[1] Graying out the notification doesn't work. I double/triple click-it allot by mistake and i end up with matching number of windows.

[Michael Stephenson (mickstephenson)]

I would consider the update manager opening more than 1 instance as a bug that should be treated as very high importance. I know as much as I try to stop myself I always double click the tray icon and load up 2 instances, and I imagine this is true of many users. Its the kind of bug that is highly visible to new users and gives a shoddy impression of the distribution as a whole.

[matatk (matatk)]

It seems to me that there are two separate issues here: the serious bug where many instances are launched and the slightly-less-serious-but-still important-imho usability bug where too many child windows of update-manager are launched.

If people agree with this, then we really need two separate bug reports. I'm not sure if, as a mortal user, I am able to ``split'' this one up, but I reckon the devs will be able to.

Speaking of the developers, I really would like to know their opinion on my blueprint -- it doesn't seem to be attracting much attention. Is that because I am expected to come up with a patch before it will be looked at? I gathered that the normal procedure is for the blueprint to be approved before implementation work begins.

[matatk (matatk)]

You may well believe this to be an invalid bug report -- and I may
well agree -- but I *implore* you to look at the blueprint I submitted
on this issue because I really feel that it is a usability stumbling
block and that there are very simple ways it can be fixed. I put
effort into the blueprint and have tried many times to seek feedback
on it but never got a response. I would appreciate it if you could
provide some feedback on the blueprint. Apologies that I had to take
this route to get your attention but I really have been trying for
some time to get the blueprint looked at :-).

https://blueprints.launchpad.net/update-manager/+spec/reduce-popups

--
Matthew Tylee Atkinson
http://mta.agrip.org.uk/

[XXXXXXX (yddraiggoch)]

I'll mark this a duplicate of bug #215126 as that is marked as Confirmed/Wishlist.