RFC: On-demand package installation API in kdelibs

[Stephen Kelly]

Sune Vuorela wrote:

> On 2010-07-28, Lubos Lunak <l.lunak at suse.cz> wrote:
>>  I'd like to add API somewhere to kdelibs that would make it easy for
>> applications to install additional packages if they find out some
>> functionality is missing. The 11.3 release of openSUSE already has this
>> feature, you can read about it at [1].
> 
> I am really against this kind of features.  Random applications should
> not ask to install other applications.
> 
> Installing applications usually requires priviledged access, and just
> because a user starts amarok, 'stuff' shouldn't request priviledged
> access.
> 
> It is okay to just gently say "You requested to do something, which
> currently can't be done with $app, please go to package manager and
> install $application|$plugin",
> but any magic to try to install it should not happen.
> 
> magic that installs random things, and magic that randomly pops up
> asking for priviledged access is what they do in redmond OS, and not
> something we should have here, or in any way support the creation of.

Redmond does something worse. Every time I boot windows a java thing in my 
systray asks permission to phone home to check for updates. If I do not 
allow it to check for updates the systray puts up a message saying "Updates 
are available. Click here to install". That of course makes Windows ask for 
permission to check again.

I'm in favour of Lubos' feature if pesterware like that is not going to be 
much easier with it.

Steve.

> 
> /Sune