[Bug 61808] kde applications should detect the right path and install themselves into it

[Iztok Kobal]

I am apologizing to post this on the kdevelop-devel maillist and not on 
the kdevelop's bugzilla.

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>------- Additional Comments From tnagy at eleve.emn.fr  2003-07-30 01:49 -------
>In fact I know how to do to make it work. I just want to point out a usability
>problem which is annoying to everybody except us - the developers.
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>** Most linux distributions do not set QTDIR and KDEDIR, and this feature is not
>advertised much.
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Because QT and KDE have basically nothing to do with the Linux. Again - 
Linux has basically nothing to do with the graphics except maybe the 
Xwindows layer. Please, do not get upset immediately - just read and 
learn the UNIX history good and remember why UNIX is better than WIN32.

If anything should put these enviroment variables it is not up to 
operating system mechanisms but up to the application that uses it. And 
that is KDE through the rc.d start-up mechanisms. What about GNOME users 
? Do they need KDEDIR ?

>** The readme very seldom contains a notice "please type export
>KDEDIR=`kde-config --prefix` before ./configure;make;make install"
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Many build mechanisms exist in the *N*X world and only one of them is 
using autotools. The user of the autotools is in the first row 
developer. The end user should have ready-made and interactive 
installation shell program (*NOT in graphics since the graphic is not 
needed for *N*X) ) which would suggest and accept the needed 
installation parameters.

>** Why couldn't ./configure detect itself KDEDIR ? Isn't that what ./configure
>is supposed to do ? detect the best paths for installation ?
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No it is not. Configure is meant only to hide and resolve differences 
between different *N*X versions. And KDE is not part of *N*X - it is 
program pased on Qt which again is based on Xwindows which is adopted 
and not de-facto standard for graphics on *N*X - though we all are using 
it, it is not part of *N*X.

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>** It is deliberately pushing the users into the pitfall : it does not warn that
>the program is not being installed in the standard distro path and that the
>pixmaps will perhaps not appear properly in the program.
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Which kind of user ? There are three kinds of users - secretaries (they 
get ready-to-use desktop from their sysadmins and do not change 
anything); laic tryer - he needs above mentioned interactive 
installation script; and finally developer - he should know about 
configure --help by himself or else he is not developer !

>** Generally speaking "./configure --prefix `kde-config --prefix` " is more
>complicated than "./configure", I doubt that it adds more value to the
>installation process.
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Speaking for the WIN32 users but not for *N*X users ! Again - *N*X (and 
therefore Linux) is command line based OS ! No graphics basically ! And 
yes - it adds more value since *N*X user (not speaking about the 
secretaries layer of *N*X "users") is by default system administrator in 
much higher level than the WIN32 user for the simple fact - *N*X machine 
is server by default - and everybody that knows root plssword more than 
probably knows why is so !

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>Try to think a little bit more about the end-users !! How could the kde desktop
>be more user-friendly and still rely on obscure commands for the installation of
>the kde programs ?!?!?
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Again - KDE is an application on the top of the OS and not its integral 
part like with the WIN32 - please do not get yourself confused by the 
Bill Gates' perverted policies ! The end user willingly and with full 
responsibility decides to use KDE and other programs which are build-up 
out of different pieces of the software with different requirements. To 
build the super-configure or super-intuitive-installer tool is at least 
enourmously difficult task. And the KDE programs are just like all 
others - they are using a little of the kdelibs, more of the qt and a 
little more of the POSIX. So, people - ability to control is the power, 
see what happend with the WIN32. Learn and you become better people. The 
computer is for the computer people - others consider it like it was a 
hammer or a sewing machine.

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>Put a "WONTFIX VERY SOON" on this bug/wish, but do not ignore it please !
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I hope somebody would seriously consider the implications behid the idea 
and jump head-ahead into it !

I know that some of you will tear me down. What I want with my comments 
is just to make some of you who obviously came from the WIN32 users camp 
to think the right way or at least think a little bit more before 
dropping the chance to learn and control !


Iztok