DSL Ideas and Suggestions :: Suggetion List

Here is a list of things that I have noticed that could be improved upon (note how small it is?) If you can already do that or has already been discussed and refuted, let me know :). Feel free to add your thoughts and wishes too! :)

1) The control pannel good be redone to offer more options and better look and feel.

2) The MyDSL Gui should be redone. An idea might be to have a server that keeps a list of all the MyDSL files and the MyDSL Gui queries it. This would allow for MyDSL extensions that aren't on the main server to be shared. The interface defiently has to be redone for the MyDSL Gui to offer all the neat information that the date.html does. This is my biggest pet peve! Also have it so that the GUI checks to see which DSL's you have installed so that it changes the "get" button to remove (easier extension management!! Woot! Also helps you from downloading the same file twice!) Anyhow, I am just nit-picking now... but if you choose one of my whishes to grant, pick this one!

3) Fix sndconfig. My sound card worked before I used it (I had to reinstall to get it to work again!). :)

4) Continue to develop hardware support. So far everything on my box works (had to replace the network card though).

5) Could there be a HD install edition of DSL. An ISO that is a bit bigger. I really enjoy the fact that DSL is small so nothing more 100mb. I could care less if you do this or not, it's just an "idea". Somethings that this bigger ISO could have includes: Common MyDSL files (such as gcc1.dsl, iptables.dsl, maybe a few extra games, goodies, more documentation, ect.) This ISO would move more towards an ISO replacement (I use DSL as a replacement anyways).

6) I know I said that I would keep this small but ideas keep a flowing :) What if we had a GUI login screen? :D It would make DSL feel more like home (maybe this would be a good for the HD ISO??)

7) I promise I won't go over ten :D But... What about Windows ICS. I haven't actually tried to use it yet beucase I am short a network card (My 3Com EtherLink III doesn't work (but then again it isn't supported by Windows XP either!)) but I would so love support for this! Infact, I would marry DSL if it did :) If it is already support, then consider us hitched :)

8) Documentation is a bit sketchy. I would love to maybe help get some solid documentation writen up :) I promise I am a better writer when I am not using links and have a spell checker :).

9) This is just nit picking now... What if DSL came with a better ssh and telnet client? (Ie. Putty!)

10) Easier managment of desktop icons and startmenu! This is another pet peve! If you decide to do two or three of my wishes, pickt this one :)

There... I filled my quota. I love this distro and I want to help out as much as possible. I have coding experince and have the coding concepts down pat, so maybe I'll learn C, python, or other languages that could be assistive ^_^

I want to say more to show that I really want to help with this distro and that I'll be around for a while, but I am pretty dry now So I will say good bye :)

Good Bye

~me :)

1) No. Its great. you should have been around before it cam about. besides, if it was made to look nicer, it would take up too much space.

2) It already does this. It will automatically list all the .dsl on ibiblio's server, which is the primary DSL mirror.

3) sndcardconfig is only for people who have soundcards that aren't auto-detected. If your soundcard works, don't use sndcardconfig. Simple.

4) Once again, you should have been around in the old days. Hardware detection is much improved. Except for the not auto-detection Broadcom NICs that use the b44.o module, there aren't any major problems.

5) You can do a HD install of DSL and add extensions to your heart's content. The 50 MB limit will NEVER be broken. John has said so many times.

6) Don't count on it. Size restrictions, remember. besides, terminal login is teh win.

7)I'm not sure what ICS, and google is no help for once. Please explain this.

8) In progress, you're talking to the "writer of thefaq" here. i'll start posting it piece by piece over the next few weeks/months. college is killing my time right now.

9) never. the ones that are in DSL are the industry standard baseline. again, size restrictions.

10) you can search the forum archive for how to do this. it's not that hard.

-J.P.
SaidinUnleashed

Quote

5) Could there be a HD install edition of DSL. An ISO that is a bit bigger

As far as I understand it - and I could be utterly mistaken, as i've not had a chance to use mydsl yet - you could just build your own DSL iso with the necessary extensions there, ready to load. I'm certainly going to give this a shot, as for the meantime the laptop I've installed dsl on is 'all alone'

At least I remember reading something on that in the forums somewhere...

Quote

8) Documentation is a bit sketchy

*cough* Yes, well this may be true :laugh:

but it's good to exercise your mind sometimes, and let's be fair: noone really likes writing docs. In all honesty, anything 'dsl specific' you can pretty much find here on the forums (or so it seems) and you can patch a lot together from the knoppix/debian documentation.

somerville32 :

1. The control panel is continuously being revised and improved. There have been additions and changes with each release..
If your speaking of eye candy, with <50MB to play with, it's not a priority.. but feel free to offer improvements..
What would suggest to add to it ?

2. ibiblio is limited in what "server" we can run for this.
While 30-60 days ago, when there were 1/4th the amount of extensions that there are today,
categorizing was not even a neccessity.. This is work in progress..

As far as a "remove" tool, this gets into "package management".
DSL does not wish to be engaged in package management at this time..
The myDSL system, and the myDSLgui is simply a way to add
and retain snapshots of an apt-get package normally installed to a Hard Drive..

The myDSLgui does see your extensions loaded to a directory called " /optional " ,
as well as the extensions in the main repository ..
The extensions in the "testing" area will never be available thru the myDSLgui, since they aren't "tested" yet.
As they are "approved" to be safe and stable, with users having success with using them, they are moved from the testing area to the main repository.
They will then "appear" in the myDSLgui ..

3. The sndconfig package IS in need of an upgrade..

4. Over the last year, this area has improved vastly, and has
seen the most time and effort of any other area in DSL.

5. Nope.. 50MB is it.. Officially ..
Now the beauty of myDSL is that you can easily make
your own LiveCD's which contain any extensions
you want in them. Have it your way..

6. It would simply eat up more space which could be for more
autodetected hardware support..

7. Sharing your windows connection with DSL is not an issue.
Setting up windows to be a net server can be a challenge.

8. Check with Saiden. No need to duplicate efforts here..

9. Please feel free to make a putty extension
to share with us all, but the fact remains that if your
running a 486 box with 32MB ram, you want the leanest
apps you can get + the 50MB limit we're working with here.
While there are a lot of "upgraded" apps in the repository,
DSL will always have the leanest,meanest in the 50MB .iso .
We see so many folks, especially in other parts of the world,
that need the lighter,faster, less bloated apps to operate
with any sanity.. It's super easy to ADD apps, but it's hard
to get started with limited connectivity, hardware, etc..
when your dealing with fat apps and bloatware..

10. The menu is a one-file operation.. ~/.fluxbox/menu
It's super light and easy to edit/add to ..
Same with icons, they are in the ~/.xtdesktop directory.
Feel free to edit and/or replace them at will..

73
ke4nt

Thank you so much for the responces :) I now understand why somethings are the way they are, which is gone. Now I will respond to your questions and comments.

1) I am not really looking for the eye candy, just more functionality and better organization.
A) Use Icons or atleast less cryptic names.
B) Add function to edit desktop and menu
C) Add function to display hardware
D) Add function to show network information
E) Etc. Etc. A major part is just to add the "links" in the control pannel to access the application. Ie. Xsetup
Maybe I could draw something out?

2) I think package managment is important, maybe add it in the future?

3) Agreed... the printer setup program is very interactive but doesn't work the best (ref. my post in the printer forum)

4) I don't have a problem with hardware support, it's just something that always needs to be worked on. I did have to replace a network card but that ok becuase XP doesn't even support it (ie. It old!) but maybe that's what linux is partialy about? It would have been nice to be able to use all three networks and not be short one but oh well, I bought another network the otherday, I'll just go pick up another one of those becuase it's cheap and works excellent (Ie. It worked on 98, 98se, XP, and DSL)

5) It was just an "idea". I see you guys have your hearts set on less then 50mb, and expansion is very easy once your on the net :)

6) I really like this idea, but it defiently isn't needed. Maybe it could be an MyDSL expansion?

7) If I just use the Internet Connection Sharing in WinXP Pro, will it work? If you don't have an answer, I'll try it out as soon as I buy a new network card and report my findings back here :)

8) Ok, :)

9) I feel putty is an excellent client that included telnet, ssh, raw, and rlogin and it is very very small. I will try my hand at making a MyDSL file for putty and report my findings back :) You also make a very very very valid point, ke4nt1.

10) Thank You :)

I am not one to complain and not help myself. So I will do some research and see how maybe we could implement some of these ideas in the specifications and limitations that you have provided me.

Thanks,

~Me

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