Debian bug report logs - #1555 suggestion for dselect Package: dpkg ; Reported by: Michael E. Deisher ; 25 days old. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Mon Oct 9 19:40:44 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t2UcV-000DsLC; Mon, 9 Oct 95 19:40 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA02470 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Mon, 9 Oct 1995 19:40:17 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t2UcL-000BzfC; Tue, 10 Oct 95 03:40 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Tue, 10 Oct 95 03:08 BST Message-Id: Date: Tue, 10 Oct 95 03:08 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect In-Reply-To: <9510091556.AA07466@ganges> References: <9510091556.AA07466@ganges> Michael E. Deisher writes ("Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > On Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST, Ian Jackson said: > > Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > >> the keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a > >> matter of personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its > >> keybindings from a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? > > > > There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a > > mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this > > will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been > > laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully > > be informative. > > Just curious... Why did you decide to lay them out manually? The > help screen is scrollable, isn't it? No, it isn't. It *just* fits on a 24x80 screen. I decided it would be better to have a well-laid-out and well organised help screen than one that was worse but scrollable. I don't think it's possible to do both perfectly - there's a tradeoff here, and I think making it against supporting very small screens (and against using large ones to their full potential) is worthwhile. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU!deisher Mon Oct 9 15:43:24 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t2Qup-000HnuC; Mon, 9 Oct 95 15:43 PDT Received: from asuvax.EAS.ASU.EDU by pixar.com with SMTP id AA19331 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Mon, 9 Oct 1995 15:43:01 -0700 Received: from ganges (enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU) by asuvax.eas.asu.edu with SMTP id AA19522 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4); Mon, 9 Oct 1995 14:59:32 -0700 Received: by ganges (5.x/SMI-SVR4) id AA07466; Mon, 9 Oct 1995 08:56:03 -0700 Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 08:56:03 -0700 Message-Id: <9510091556.AA07466@ganges> From: Michael E. Deisher To: iwj10@cus.cam.ac.uk, debian-bugs@pixar.com Cc: debian-bugs@pixar.com In-Reply-To: (message from Ian Jackson on Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST) Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect On Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST, Ian Jackson said: > Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): >> the keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a >> matter of personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its >> keybindings from a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? > There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a > mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this > will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been > laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully > be informative. Just curious... Why did you decide to lay them out manually? The help screen is scrollable, isn't it? --Mike ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Michael E. Deisher : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:56:45 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1c7y-000Hs0C; Sat, 7 Oct 95 09:29 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA29264 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 08:44:26 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1bQZ-000BzQC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > On Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:46 PDT, mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) said: > > One thing which could help the dselect keybinding clumsiness might > > be to work around the condition which forces dse;ect to have two > > different keybindings for down, two for up, etc. for the two > > different (main and the info) portions of the split-screen. Perhaps > > some notion of the current focus area, the ability to refocus > > between the main screen area and the info screen area, with the up, > > down, etc. keys remaining consistent and affecting whichever is the > > current area of focus. > > I think this is an *excellent* suggestion! It would reduce the number > of commands the user has to remember. The usual key for switching the > area of focus (in that other so-called OS) is TAB. It would be great > to be able just to use PGUP and PGDN for both the package description > and the package list while changing the area of focus using TAB. It > would certainly help flatten the dselect learning curve for Linux > converts (from that other so-called OS). I think you're probably right; I'll see what I can do. How should I indicate which half of the screen has the focus ? Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:52:52 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1bQh-000Ho6C; Sat, 7 Oct 95 08:44 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA29264 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 08:44:26 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1bQZ-000BzQC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > On Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:46 PDT, mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) said: > > One thing which could help the dselect keybinding clumsiness might > > be to work around the condition which forces dse;ect to have two > > different keybindings for down, two for up, etc. for the two > > different (main and the info) portions of the split-screen. Perhaps > > some notion of the current focus area, the ability to refocus > > between the main screen area and the info screen area, with the up, > > down, etc. keys remaining consistent and affecting whichever is the > > current area of focus. > > I think this is an *excellent* suggestion! It would reduce the number > of commands the user has to remember. The usual key for switching the > area of focus (in that other so-called OS) is TAB. It would be great > to be able just to use PGUP and PGDN for both the package description > and the package list while changing the area of focus using TAB. It > would certainly help flatten the dselect learning curve for Linux > converts (from that other so-called OS). I think you're probably right; I'll see what I can do. How should I indicate which half of the screen has the focus ? Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:49:31 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1bFJ-000Hk7C; Sat, 7 Oct 95 08:33 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:43:11 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1b1T-000HkyC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 08:18 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:42:32 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1aWJ-000HgnC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 07:46 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 23:14:58 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1Zmj-000HZLC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 06:59 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 23:12:05 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1Zgo-000HYlC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 06:53 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 09:35:46 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1cDx-000HsHC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 09:35 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:56:36 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1c2W-000HryC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 09:23 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:53:39 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1bVA-000HobC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 08:49 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:53:24 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1btU-000HqcC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 09:14 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA29264 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 08:44:26 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1bQZ-000BzQC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > On Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:46 PDT, mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) said: > > One thing which could help the dselect keybinding clumsiness might > > be to work around the condition which forces dse;ect to have two > > different keybindings for down, two for up, etc. for the two > > different (main and the info) portions of the split-screen. Perhaps > > some notion of the current focus area, the ability to refocus > > between the main screen area and the info screen area, with the up, > > down, etc. keys remaining consistent and affecting whichever is the > > current area of focus. > > I think this is an *excellent* suggestion! It would reduce the number > of commands the user has to remember. The usual key for switching the > area of focus (in that other so-called OS) is TAB. It would be great > to be able just to use PGUP and PGDN for both the package description > and the package list while changing the area of focus using TAB. It > would certainly help flatten the dselect learning curve for Linux > converts (from that other so-called OS). I think you're probably right; I'll see what I can do. How should I indicate which half of the screen has the focus ? Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:52:38 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1bmV-000HqJC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 09:07 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:49:25 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1beq-000HpQC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 08:59 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA29264 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 08:44:26 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1bQZ-000BzQC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > On Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:46 PDT, mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) said: > > One thing which could help the dselect keybinding clumsiness might > > be to work around the condition which forces dse;ect to have two > > different keybindings for down, two for up, etc. for the two > > different (main and the info) portions of the split-screen. Perhaps > > some notion of the current focus area, the ability to refocus > > between the main screen area and the info screen area, with the up, > > down, etc. keys remaining consistent and affecting whichever is the > > current area of focus. > > I think this is an *excellent* suggestion! It would reduce the number > of commands the user has to remember. The usual key for switching the > area of focus (in that other so-called OS) is TAB. It would be great > to be able just to use PGUP and PGDN for both the package description > and the package list while changing the area of focus using TAB. It > would certainly help flatten the dselect learning curve for Linux > converts (from that other so-called OS). I think you're probably right; I'll see what I can do. How should I indicate which half of the screen has the focus ? Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:41:33 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1amV-000HZzC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 08:03 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:40:56 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1aGc-000HfcC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 07:30 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 17:39:42 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1a1x-000HbdC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 07:15 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA26451 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 06:53:00 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1Zgi-000BzMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:53 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 14:34 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > Package: dpkg > Version: 1.0 > > This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this > suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. > > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? There is a problem with this: the help screens. I did have a mechanism for substituting keybindings into the help texts, but this will be much harder to do now because the help screens have been laid out manually to make them fit on the screen but still hopefully be informative. I'll see if I can think of a way to do this, but don't hold your breath. I'll leave this bug report open until I actually do it, or come to the conclusion that it can't be done sensibly. Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU!deisher Sat Oct 7 16:40:17 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1iqn-000BXyC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:40 PDT Received: from asuvax.EAS.ASU.EDU by pixar.com with SMTP id AA11332 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 16:39:55 -0700 Received: from ganges (enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU) by asuvax.eas.asu.edu with SMTP id AA20530 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for debian-bugs@pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 16:34:27 -0700 Received: by ganges (5.x/SMI-SVR4) id AA01912; Sat, 7 Oct 1995 16:40:04 -0700 Date: Sat, 7 Oct 1995 16:40:04 -0700 Message-Id: <9510072340.AA01912@ganges> From: Michael E. Deisher To: mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com, debian-bugs@pixar.com Cc: iwj10@cus.cam.ac.uk, debian-bugs@pixar.com In-Reply-To: <9510071747.AA25980@bb29c.mdd.comm.mot.com> (mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com) Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect On Sat, 7 Oct 95 10:47:32 PDT, mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) said: > Ian Jackson , debian-bugs@pixar.com >> How should I indicate which half of the screen has the focus ? > One offhand suggestion, based on 30 seconds looking at dselect [S] > screens with TERM=linux for color and TERM=vt100 for mono. > 1. On the cursor line in the main select area, bold the text. This > will help the mono display, I think. > 2. When you refocus to the info area, remove the select area cursor > line but leave the current package line bolded. Also, possibly, > bold all the text in the info area when it's focused. > 3. Treat dependency screens the same as the selection area (cursor > line with bolded text). > This is a shoot-from-the-hip suggestion based on a quick look. It > can probably be improved. This is approximately what I had in mind, too. Sounds good. --Mike ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Michael E. Deisher : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From mdd.comm.mot.com!mitchell Sat Oct 7 10:47:41 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1dLY-000BBIC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 10:47 PDT Received: from motgate.mot.com by pixar.com with SMTP id AA02336 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 10:47:19 -0700 Received: from pobox.mot.com (pobox.mot.com [129.188.137.100]) by motgate.mot.com (8.6.11/8.6.10/MOT-3.8) with ESMTP id MAA14927; Sat, 7 Oct 1995 12:47:37 -0500 Received: from mdd.comm.mot.com (mdisea.mdd.comm.mot.com [138.242.64.201]) by pobox.mot.com (8.6.11/8.6.10/MOT-3.8) with SMTP id MAA05978; Sat, 7 Oct 1995 12:47:36 -0500 Received: from bb29c.mdd.comm.mot.com by mdd.comm.mot.com (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA01811; Sat, 7 Oct 95 10:47:35 PDT Received: by bb29c.mdd.comm.mot.com (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA25980; Sat, 7 Oct 95 10:47:32 PDT Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 10:47:32 PDT From: mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) Message-Id: <9510071747.AA25980@bb29c.mdd.comm.mot.com> To: iwj10@cus.cam.ac.uk, debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Ian Jackson , debian-bugs@pixar.com > How should I indicate which half of the screen has the focus ? One offhand suggestion, based on 30 seconds looking at dselect [S] screens with TERM=linux for color and TERM=vt100 for mono. 1. On the cursor line in the main select area, bold the text. This will help the mono display, I think. 2. When you refocus to the info area, remove the select area cursor line but leave the current package line bolded. Also, possibly, bold all the text in the info area when it's focused. 3. Treat dependency screens the same as the selection area (cursor line with bolded text). This is a shoot-from-the-hip suggestion based on a quick look. It can probably be improved. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From cus.cam.ac.uk!iwj10 Sat Oct 7 09:44:26 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1cMM-000HuMC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 09:44 PDT Received: from bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk by pixar.com with SMTP id AA29264 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Sat, 7 Oct 1995 08:44:26 -0700 Received: by bootes.cus.cam.ac.uk (Smail-3.1.29.0 #36) id m0t1bQZ-000BzQC; Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Received: by chiark id (Debian /\oo/\ Smail3.1.29.1 #29.33); Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST Message-Id: Date: Sat, 7 Oct 95 16:44 BST From: Ian Jackson To: debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect Michael E. Deisher writes ("Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect"): > On Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:46 PDT, mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) said: > > One thing which could help the dselect keybinding clumsiness might > > be to work around the condition which forces dse;ect to have two > > different keybindings for down, two for up, etc. for the two > > different (main and the info) portions of the split-screen. Perhaps > > some notion of the current focus area, the ability to refocus > > between the main screen area and the info screen area, with the up, > > down, etc. keys remaining consistent and affecting whichever is the > > current area of focus. > > I think this is an *excellent* suggestion! It would reduce the number > of commands the user has to remember. The usual key for switching the > area of focus (in that other so-called OS) is TAB. It would be great > to be able just to use PGUP and PGDN for both the package description > and the package list while changing the area of focus using TAB. It > would certainly help flatten the dselect learning curve for Linux > converts (from that other so-called OS). I think you're probably right; I'll see what I can do. How should I indicate which half of the screen has the focus ? Ian. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Ian Jackson : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU!deisher Fri Oct 6 10:17:53 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1GPB-000BYEC; Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:17 PDT Received: from asuvax.EAS.ASU.EDU by pixar.com with SMTP id AA00795 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Fri, 6 Oct 1995 10:17:29 -0700 Received: from ganges (enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU) by asuvax.eas.asu.edu with SMTP id AA15142 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for debian-bugs@Pixar.com); Fri, 6 Oct 1995 10:11:59 -0700 Received: by ganges (5.x/SMI-SVR4) id AA22061; Fri, 6 Oct 1995 10:17:39 -0700 Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 10:17:39 -0700 Message-Id: <9510061717.AA22061@ganges> From: Michael E. Deisher To: mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com Cc: debian-bugs@Pixar.com, debian-bugs@pixar.com In-Reply-To: <9510061704.AA24393@bb29c.mdd.comm.mot.com> (mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com) Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect On Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:46 PDT, mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) said: > One thing which could help the dselect keybinding clumsiness might > be to work around the condition which forces dse;ect to have two > different keybindings for down, two for up, etc. for the two > different (main and the info) portions of the split-screen. Perhaps > some notion of the current focus area, the ability to refocus > between the main screen area and the info screen area, with the up, > down, etc. keys remaining consistent and affecting whichever is the > current area of focus. I think this is an *excellent* suggestion! It would reduce the number of commands the user has to remember. The usual key for switching the area of focus (in that other so-called OS) is TAB. It would be great to be able just to use PGUP and PGDN for both the package description and the package list while changing the area of focus using TAB. It would certainly help flatten the dselect learning curve for Linux converts (from that other so-called OS). --Mike ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Michael E. Deisher : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From mdd.comm.mot.com!mitchell Fri Oct 6 10:05:07 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1GCp-000B7HC; Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:05 PDT Received: from motgate.mot.com by pixar.com with SMTP id AA29876 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Fri, 6 Oct 1995 10:04:44 -0700 Received: from pobox.mot.com (pobox.mot.com [129.188.137.100]) by motgate.mot.com (8.6.11/8.6.10/MOT-3.8) with ESMTP id MAA26380; Fri, 6 Oct 1995 12:05:02 -0500 Received: from mdd.comm.mot.com (mdisea.mdd.comm.mot.com [138.242.64.201]) by pobox.mot.com (8.6.11/8.6.10/MOT-3.8) with SMTP id MAA09141; Fri, 6 Oct 1995 12:05:01 -0500 Received: from bb29c.mdd.comm.mot.com by mdd.comm.mot.com (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA19864; Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:59 PDT Received: by bb29c.mdd.comm.mot.com (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA24393; Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:46 PDT Date: Fri, 6 Oct 95 10:04:46 PDT From: mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) Message-Id: <9510061704.AA24393@bb29c.mdd.comm.mot.com> To: debian-bugs@Pixar.com, deisher@enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU, debian-bugs@pixar.com Subject: Re: Bug#1555: suggestion for dselect "Michael E. Deisher" > I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the > keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of > personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from > a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? I also have had a problem with the dselect user interface from day 1. After being derided for early suggestions, I put a muzzle on most dselect user interface comments/suggestions. This isn't an easy area to do well. Two programs which do a pretty good job are pine and git. I'd rate both of those user interfaces better than dselect's (not that either would necessarily be a good fit with dselect's user interface needs), but I still do find both pine and git to be a bit user-clumsy -- just less user-clumsy than dselect. One thing which could help the dselect keybinding clumsiness might be to work around the condition which forces dse;ect to have two different keybindings for down, two for up, etc. for the two different (main and the info) portions of the split-screen. Perhaps some notion of the current focus area, the ability to refocus between the main screen area and the info screen area, with the up, down, etc. keys remaining consistent and affecting whichever is the current area of focus. However, it's easier to make shoot-from-the-hip suggestions about user interface issues than it is to implement an effective user interface which seamlessly balances all the sometimes conflicting needs. Dselect user interface details have changed several times, and I get the feeling that Ian J. has been trying alternatives, looking for a good solution. Good user interface solutions are difficult to identify, and even more difficult to implement maintainably. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to mitchell@mdd.comm.mot.com (Bill Mitchell) : Extra info received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Information forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message received at debian-bugs: From enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU!deisher Fri Oct 6 08:45:11 1995 Return-Path: Received: from pixar.com by mongo.pixar.com with smtp (Smail3.1.28.1 #15) id m0t1ExT-000B5LC; Fri, 6 Oct 95 08:45 PDT Received: from asuvax.EAS.ASU.EDU by pixar.com with SMTP id AA24486 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for debian-bugs-pipe@mongo.pixar.com); Fri, 6 Oct 1995 08:44:50 -0700 Received: from ganges (enws428.EAS.ASU.EDU) by asuvax.eas.asu.edu with SMTP id AA11655 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for debian-bugs@Pixar.com); Fri, 6 Oct 1995 08:39:28 -0700 Received: by ganges (5.x/SMI-SVR4) id AA21144; Fri, 6 Oct 1995 08:45:08 -0700 Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 08:45:08 -0700 Message-Id: <9510061545.AA21144@ganges> From: Michael E. Deisher To: debian-bugs@Pixar.com Subject: suggestion for dselect Package: dpkg Version: 1.0 This isn't exactly a bug report. However, I didn't want this suggestion to get lost in the shuffle. I've just done my third installation using dselect and still find the keybindings to be awkward. Since this is probably just a matter of personal taste, could dselect be modified to get its keybindings from a config file (e.g., /etc/dpkg/keybindings)??? --Mike ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Acknowledgement sent to Michael E. Deisher : New bug report received and forwarded. Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Report forwarded to debian-devel@pixar.com : Bug#1555 ; Package dpkg . Full text available. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ian Jackson / iwj10@thor.cam.ac.uk , with the debian-bugs tracking mechanism This page last modified 07:43:01 GMT Wed 01 Nov