"Software Sources" design (Re: An update repository for a custom distro?)

[Sebastian Heinlein]

Am Mittwoch, den 03.01.2007, 01:39 +0100 schrieb Gianmarco Leone:
> > 
> > 14. The final three checkboxes contradict each other in two ways.
> > 
> >      -   If I uncheck "Check for updates automatically", and check
> >          "Download updates automatically, but do not install them",
> >          updates apparently both will and won't be downloaded. This can
> >          be fixed by disabling the final two checkboxes when "Check for
> >          updates automatically" is turned off.
> > 
> >      -   If I check both "Download updates automatically, but do not
> >          install them" and "Install security updates without
> >          confirmation", security updates apparently both will and won't
> >          be installed automatically. This can be fixed by replacing the
> >          checkboxes with an "Install them automatically:" menu containing
> >          three options: "Never", "Security updates only", and "Always".
> > 
> 
> It is also not clear what is the exact result to be expected. Is
> checking the first option ("Download updates automatically, but do not
> install them") the only way to download automatically updates, or it is
> already done and this option prevents them to install? Not clear

Actually the configuration of the apt cron job allows to do many
sometimes perhaps strange things: e.g. you can disable to check for
updates automatically, but download updates automatically. 

But this has the been the major problem in all aspects of the
development of the new software-properties interface: breaking down the
freedom of configuration to some common and "useful" configuration sets.

So I made the following decision for the user, since I think that these
are the most common use cases.

- If automatic checking is disabled, also unattended updates and
automatic downloading will be disabled

- If unattended-updates are enabled, also automatic downloading of all
updates will be enabled

- If the user made a custom configuration I will use the inconsistent
state for the radio buttons.

Currently the configuration part works already. All I still need to
implement is the inconsistent state and the revert action. But these are
low hanging fruits.

Oh, and since everybody loves screenshots:

http://files.glatzor.de/updates.jpg

Cheers,

Sebastian