Bug 137243

Summary: WISH KDE4: You need XYZ, would you like to install it? (Integration between Apps and Package Managers)
Product: [Applications] Discover Reporter: Jeffrey <eljefedelito>
Component: discoverAssignee: Aleix Pol <aleixpol>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: wishlist CC: anonbuff, ben, diego.ml, eljefedelito, ricardo_0617
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Ubuntu   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Jeffrey 2006-11-12 16:50:14 UTC 
Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.5.5)
Installed from:    Ubuntu Packages
OS:                Linux

I would like it to be more clear and easy for all users to know what needs to be installed for a specific action/feature to function.  Offers to install these packages would be based in each application.  If Amarok cannot read my MP3s, it *Does* offer to install the package; this is what they all could be doing.

For example, this morning I wanted to use file sharing on my network.  In the Kubuntu System Settings, it told me that I needed SMB installed.  I understand this, even though I had to install 4 packages before I got the correct one.  Many users might not understand this; What is SMB?  How do I install it?  etc.

If the KDE Network Sharing configuration had a button that offered to install the correct packages, life would have been easier for me.

If K3B cannot burn my MP3s, it should offer to install the correct package.

During build time for distro people, KDE should have a flag to "incorporate package installations" into the applications.  Debian and Kubuntu could be built to incorporate Apt; SuSE could be build for YAST; Gentoo wouldn't include this build time flag (and the "Add This Function" buttons wouldn't be there).

Hope this is clear and interests people.
Comment 1 Clifford Fell 2008-06-29 22:27:22 UTC 
Package management has always been reserved for the distribution you are using. With the large amount of package managers out there it would be hard for KDE to implement it all while keeping up with the latest changes. Interesting idea, but perhaps it should be implemented on the distribution or system level and not the Desktop level.
Comment 2 Stephan Kulow 2008-07-15 07:57:57 UTC 
packagekit is there to fill this gap. Give it a year or two though
Comment 3 Jeffrey 2008-07-15 16:14:09 UTC 
> packagekit is there to fill this gap. Give it a year or two though

That is fantastic news -- kind of like Phonon (sound frontend) but for package management on KDE.
Comment 4 Jordi Polo 2008-11-27 07:21:24 UTC 
From 138352 marked duplicate of this bug:
The Control Center of KDE should offer the posibility of download and install automatically other languages. 

It is very possible to do once there is an API for packagekit
Comment 5 Jordi Polo 2008-11-27 07:21:32 UTC 
*** Bug 138352 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 6 Jeffrey 2009-10-09 16:14:15 UTC 
This looks like it has been implemented in Gnome on Ubuntu, at least for NTP:

http://unixlab.blogspot.com/2009/10/time-synchronization-using-ntp-on.html

I would think it could be written as a basic front-end and the distro people could then use those APIs to tie the package management in with the desktop functionality that we're requesting.

How is PackageKit coming along?  I'll have to look into that.
Comment 8 Ben Creasy 2018-03-03 16:44:23 UTC 
It's been a few  years and PackageKit is more mature - not sure how much progress there's been.

I also suspect this could get more attention over at Discover. I'm going to move it there. Please move it back if that's a mistake.
Comment 9 Aleix Pol 2018-03-04 01:42:31 UTC 
Most of these things are already being done.

For starters we have appstream urls, so any application can easily trigger a url that will show the software center with the relevant package to install.

Also GStreamer has had a similar system for packages.

In any case, I suggest opening issues for every issue: we have mechanisms to do that, if this should be done anywhere, let's look into the issue.