Proposing Transmission BitTorrent client as default

[Jo-Erlend Schinstad]

On 10/01/2008, Martin Ahnelöv <operagasten at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> tor 2008-01-10 klockan 03:47 +0100 skrev Jo-Erlend Schinstad:
> > Hello,
> >
> > On 08/01/2008, Flávio Martins <xhaker at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >  "Transmission is a fast, easy, and free multi-platform BitTorrent client
> > > with a focus on being lightweight yet feature-filled."
> > >
> > > I propose we replace, in the default installation, the packages
> > > gnome-btdownload with transmission-gtk.
> >
> > I'm all for it.
> >
> > > I think Transmission is very user friendly, and currently is the perfect
> > > choice of BitTorrent client for the Gnome Desktop.
> > > The Gtk+ client has a well-designed and simple user interface.
> >
> > Yes, it's perfect for the Gnome Desktop, providing the feeling users
> > are looking for in a bit torrent application, while not complicating
> > things.
> [snip]
> > We do need something better than
> > gnome-btdownload and this is by far the best candidate I've seen.
>
> I would actually argue that if we would replace gnome-btdownload, it
> should be with Deluge [1], and not Transmission.
>
> Why?
> 1. It's developed in Python with PyGTK.
> 2. it's aimed intended to
> be The Choice of bittorrent client on the gnome desktop, and follows
> the gnome HIG.
> 3. Very active and fast development. Monthly release cycle.
> 4. Deluge is very modular, and every feature is it's own plugin: You can
> have something very simple that "just works", or you could use a
> fullblown feature-set that's almost comparable to Azureus.
>
> [1] http://deluge-torrent.org/
>
> But just for the record, I don't think we need anything else than
> gnome-btdownload.
>
> Gasten

Well, I do see your point. However, the number of features isn't the
most important aspect, I think. Many of the more modern clients have
alot of different settings, that people also doesn't use. What I liked
best about Transmission, was the small number of sensible
configuration options. Deluge, for instance, uses configuration GUI
space to ask if you want to password protect the system tray icon. Who
uses that? It's just annoying. Fine, if people want those advanced
options, nothing is keeping them from installing Azureus or something
like that, but they certainly aren't normal users.

One question I can't find an answer to in this discussion, is why we
want to have gnome-btdownload. Because it's there? We could use that
as a point in any argument; We don't have to fix this.. People have
always managed without it.

Jo-Erlend Schinstad