Package screenshots concerns

[Dylan McCall]

Hello!


Software Centre makes package screenshots (via screenshots.debian.org)
extremely prominent, which is wonderful. Before I dive in, I think this
really improves how packages are presented and I would never want to go
back. Having said that, I think the screenshots stuff is currently
problematic.


First of all, some of these just don't look right. At the moment every
screenshot seems to have a different desktop environment, theme,
application font, or something. The Ubuntu Manual people use a nice
little app, called Quickshot, to solve this kind of thing.
( http://ubuntu-manual.org/quickshot ). Is anyone working on that? There
is the unfortunate issue that Debian doesn't really aim for a special
cohesive look, whereas Ubuntu does…


More importantly, many of these screenshots are outdated! The screenshot
for Miro is from version 1. Its current major version is 3, which has
some very big changes that are visible in the UI. Screenshot uploaders
can (but aren't required to) specify version numbers. Unfortunately, as
far as I can tell, there is no way to retrieve a screenshot based on
package name + version. As a result,
http://screenshots.debian.net/screenshot/anjuta , and by extension
Software Centre, shows the shot for Anjuta version 2.4.2-1+lenny1, even
though there is a screenshot for 2.28.1.0-1 available.


Another thing worries me a little: screenshots.debian.net does not
accept screenshots for non-free packages. Software Centre, on the other
hand, probably shouldn't be that picky. The new specification
foundations-m-software-center-screenshots-for-third-parties[1] suggests
package meta-data that points at a screenshot, not far from the existing
Homepage field, as an “alternative solution.” I think it would be worth
discussing that as THE solution, where the Debian Screenshots service
kicks in as a fallback from that in all cases. (It's still excellent for
any package that is specific to Debian or lacks a stable web presence).
[1]
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/foundations-m-software-center-screenshots-for-third-parties


I'm concerned that, if the problems aren't addressed, we'll end up with
a lot of screenshots being catalogued insufficiently. Later on, that
could lead to either wasted effort or cruft. I also get the impression
that this service detaches the presentation of an application from its
respective maintainer, and from its original developer. If I make a
game, for example, and I'm really proud of it, and it's in the
repositories, I would want my own screenshot attached to it and I would
be Really Irritated if some random person uploaded anything else.



Thanks,
Dylan