[Cooker] rpmsrate & task-kde discussion: default KDE desktop

[Frederik Himpe]

I did a Cooker installation last week (both KDE and Gnome desktops), and I 
have some comments about the choice of applications which were installed by 
default. I have strongly the impression that rpmsrate does need some serious 
clean-up, to reflect the state of applications today.

Anyway, here are my comments about KDE applications which were installed by 
default.

1. In a default KDE applications, there are at least 3 different picture 
viewers installed (4 if you also count Digikam/Showfoto). This is really too 
much:
kdegraphics-kuickshow (task-kde)
kdegraphics-kview (rpmsrate)
gwenview (rpmsrate)
digikam (rpmsrate: digikamimageplugins kipi-plugins)

Please only keep gwenview and digikam: they are the only ones which are being 
actively maintained, and have the best features and user interfaces.

Reported also in Bugzilla: http://qa.mandriva.com/show_bug.cgi?id=27179

2. kdenetwork-ksirc (dependency of task-kde): the development of this 
IRC-client seems halted for some years already, and does not have the best 
interfaces/features. Please drop it from the default install. If an IRC 
client has to be installed, install konversation (which should be moved to 
main).

3. kover (rpmsrate): application is dead for about 3 years, and is not rated 
very high (http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=9968). People are 
better of using something like Scribus, Karbon or OOo Draw to make their cd 
covers (e.g. http://www.kde-files.org/content/show.php?content=24223 - 
http://www.kde-files.org/content/show.php?content=25107)

4. kdegames & kdetoys: They were installed, although I did not choose the 
games category. Maybe because in CAT_DEVELOPMENT there is libkdegames1-devel 
with priority 5 or because of Suggests tag in task-kde package. Please make 
sure games are not installed if I don't choose games in the installer.

5. kdepim-kpilot (rpmsrate in CAT_KDE, but don't forget 
libkdepim2-kpilot-devel in CAT_DEVELOPMENT): I do not have a Palm Pilot 
(probably like the majority of people). Don't install it by default, but only 
if one is detected.

6. kdebase-kdeprintfax and kdegraphics-kfax (rpmsrate : I do not have a fax on 
my computer (probably like majority of people): please install it only if 
such a device is found.

7. kdeutils-kdf (rpmsrate): is this still really useful? Disk usage can be 
seen easily from Konqueror, while mounting is done automatically.

8. kdeaccessibility: while this program can be useful, even necessary, for 
some people, it is not to lots of other people. As the same problem happens 
in Gnome, I would propose to create a seperate category in the installer, 
which the user can check or uncheck, depending on his needs.

So, these are my most imporant comments. I have similar comments about the 
default Gnome installation, and other desktop-irrelevant packages, but these 
will have to wait tomorrow.

-- 
Frederik Himpe