Bug 436932 - Provide a better placeholder message when no app-backends are available
Summary: Provide a better placeholder message when no app-backends are available
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: Discover
Classification: Applications
Component: discover (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 5.21.4
Platform: Fedora RPMs Linux
: NOR minor
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen
URL:
Keywords: usability
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2021-05-11 15:13 UTC by Alex
Modified: 2023-01-12 17:52 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
Screenshot of error message (39.36 KB, image/png)
2021-05-11 15:13 UTC, Alex
Details
No apps backend (49.65 KB, image/png)
2021-05-24 01:25 UTC, Aleix Pol
Details
Even worse now (221.28 KB, image/jpeg)
2023-01-12 17:52 UTC, Nate Graham
Details

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Description Alex 2021-05-11 15:13:58 UTC
Created attachment 138344 [details]
Screenshot of error message

See https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=436722#c5

You can reproduce this by running Discover like so:

plasma-discover --backends fwupd-backend

For whatever reason, it fails due to this error:

org.kde.plasma.libdiscover: Couldn't find a category for  "fwupd-backend"

...despite fwupd.service being active and running on my system. This bug is about the resultant error message though, which tells me to "Please verify Internet connectivity", when my internet connection is perfectly fine.
Comment 1 Aleix Pol 2021-05-17 23:18:12 UTC
I consider not having any apps backend a distribution's bug.

This message just reflects what it means when no backend offers apps.
Comment 2 Nate Graham 2021-05-18 19:07:17 UTC
The fact that we allow Discover to be packaged and run with no backends means it's a legitimate use. You could use Discover purely for firmware updates and KNS content downloading+updating, for example.

If we want this to be an invalid usage, I think we need to require at least one app backend in the code itself, so it's impossible for distros to package it contrary to our wishes without manual patching.

If we're not willing to do that, we probably need to do as the bug reporter requests and improve the error message.
Comment 3 Aleix Pol 2021-05-24 01:25:14 UTC
Created attachment 138729 [details]
No apps backend

This behaviour only happens when you run with --backends.

What are you trying to achieve exactly?
Comment 4 Nate Graham 2023-01-12 17:52:18 UTC
Created attachment 155244 [details]
Even worse now

Urgh, it's even worse now. See screenshot.