[Wylug-discuss] Linux GUI design

[Roger Leigh]

Dave Fisher <davef at gbdirect.co.uk> writes:

> On Fri, Feb 27, 2004 at 10:51:38AM +0000, James Holden (WYLUG) wrote:
>> So I'm not the only one who thinks CUPS is a shoddy pile of rubbish:
>>
>> http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/cups-horror.html
>>
>> Seriously though. I've always said that printing on Linux is seriously
>> lacking, and needs addressing if we're ever going to achieve world
>> domination. It makes me wish I had the time to make some serious
>> contributions in this area.
>
> Clearly, Eric Raymond's point was not that CUPS and Linux printing in
> general are pants ... although they clearly are.

His criticisms were mainly at the config tool, which is not CUPS
itself.  CUPS itself is generally very good--now the major issues have
been ironed out, I've not had trouble in years.

Printing is a difficult thing to simplify--there are so many different
pieces that fit together.  But CUPS does make this much more managable
than LPD ever did.  The configuration is still not entirely automated
though (and being a Debian guy, I don't particularly care for it to
be).

What ESR missed was simply altering ServerName in
/etc/cups/client.conf, which would have given him instant access to
all the queues on the other machine without any messing with a local
cupsd.  Alternatively, he could have enabled browsing on the server,
so clients could receive broadcast queue information, which tools like
kprinter (and the local cupsd) can listen to.

> I think his main points were that:
>
> 1. Almost all Linux GUI design is poor because it doesn't deliver the
> things that GUIs are supposed to deliver.

I believe this to be because being a great programmer doesn't
automatically make one a great UI expert.  I've been doing a bit of UI
work recently (Gtkmm), and I've started to appreciate these issues a
great deal more.  Creating a good UI takes some effort.  Creating a
great UI takes a great deal more.

> 3. Linux will never get any serious traction in desktop computing until
> its developers treat 'dumb end-users' seriously, and develop software
> from the perspective of said users.

I think "dumb end users" are being taken seriously today.  Much of the
current desktop development is geared to making them more accessible.
Have you had a look at GNOME 2.4?

I don't think that the major problem is in not treating end-users
seriously, but rather is a problem with many, if not most, developers
failing to appreciate the finer points of UI design (or in several
cases, even the most basic points!).

The GNOME HIG (Human Interface Guidelines) are required reading for
anyone doing and UI work today (irrespective of which UI library one
is using).  It covers all the considerations needed for producing a
usable, friendly and consistent interface.  I've certainly benefitted
greatly from them--without them I'd no doubt be producing the type of
dog's breakfast that is under criticism.  [www.gnome.org]


(I'll just note that a great deal of Windows programs are produced
with no thought to usability either.  VB makes it far too easy to
create absolute horrors.  I sincerely hope the HIG spreads wider than
GNOME and GTK+ development, since it has very real benefits.)


Regards,
Roger

--
Roger Leigh

                Printing on GNU/Linux?  http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/
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