Ubuntu's disorganized behaviour

[NoOp]

On 06/12/2008 11:56 PM, Young wrote:
> I used synaptic to install MyPassWordSafe.
> 
> 1)
> It did not add MyPassWordSafe to any menu.
> Whether or not Ubuntu's Add/Remove or Synaptic adds a new program to a 
> menu seems in my experience to be something that is entirely arbitrary.
> 
> A***Why any program would not be added to a menu upon installation is 
> beyond me.***
> 
> 2)
> In order to test the program I first tried to search for it. No evidence 
> of its existence could be found using a search tool. I assumed that 
> something had gone wrong, and went back to Synaptic to check, but there 
> it showed installed. A look at properties > installed files showed where 
> the files were, and sure enough Nautilus found them. I found the 
> executable and tested the program. If I had liked it and wanted to keep 
> it I could have made a link and...
> But, the ability to make a link to the executable was unavailable.
> 
> B***Why the ability to make a link, for something which I can execute by 
> double clicking, should be limited, is incomprehensible.***

A few points:

1. MyPassWordSafe is "MyPasswordSafe" so if you didn't mind the caps
when you tried to run from the terminal, or try to locate the program it
won't work.

2. MyPasswordSafe is from the Ubuntu Universe repository. Please review:
http://www.ubuntu.com/community/ubuntustory/components
and you will find:

<quote>
"universe" component

The universe component is a snapshot of the free, open source, and Linux
world. In universe you can find almost every piece of open source
software, and software available under a variety of less open licences,
all built automatically from a variety of public sources. All of this
software is compiled against the libraries and using the tools that form
part of main, so it should install and work well with the software in
main, but it comes with no guarantee of security fixes and support. The
universe component includes thousands of pieces of software. Through
universe, users are able to have the diversity and flexibility offered
by the vast open source world on top of a stable Ubuntu core.

Canonical does not provide a guarantee of regular security updates for
software found in universe but will provide these where they are made
available by the community. Users should understand the risk inherent in
using packages from the universe component.

Popular or well supported pieces of software will move from universe
into main if they are backed by maintainers willing to meet the
standards set for main by the Ubuntu team.
</quote>

This also might be helpful/interesting reading:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories

3. It is up to whoever provides, or maintains the package to provide a
menu item if desired. I understand, in this case, that MyPasswordSafe
_does_ provide a Debian menu entry. If you want to create an entry in
some other menu, then you can easily add it yourself by right clicking
'Applications' and 'Edit Menus'. To locate the package you can either
look in Synaptics (right click the package) and find where the package
is installed, or from a terminal enter:

locate <packagenameusingpropernameandcaps>

For packages (odd term but...) you can generally find out who, what,
where, and bugs by searching for the package in:

http://packages.ubuntu.com

In this case you'll find:
http://packages.ubuntu.com/hardy/mypasswordsafe

>From that you can find the homepage:
http://www.semanticgap.com/myps/
which tells you:
<quote>
Starting MyPasswordSafe

Starting MyPasswordSafe is just like any other program, you just need to
run it. If you copied the binary into your PATH, all you need to is type
MyPasswordSafe. Otherwise you need to either change to the directory
where the binary is or include that in the command line. Adding an icon
to your favorite launcher may also be desired.
</quote>

You'll also find where to report the bugs for the package: right side,
click on "Bug Reports", who the maintainer is for the package: right
side Ubuntu MOTU etc., a link for filing a bug: "Please consider filing
a bug... where "filing a bug" is a direct link to
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mypasswordsafe/+filebug

With a little practice you'll soon find that it's not all that difficult
to file a bug and/or find your way around the package basics.

One final comment: How would you have filed a bug with Microsoft for
"PassWordSafe on Windows"? Would you even have had the opportunity to
file with Microsoft, or use their bug reporting system (do they have one
for users?)? Or would you have filed with
http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/ ?
At least with Ubuntu, if the package is from the Ubuntu repositories you
have the opportunity to file, view, edit bugs/issues/wishlist etc., in a
central location. If the maintainer of the package can't resolve it
locally they will generally sent the issue upstream to the package
developer. Try that with MS... :-)