In this case, it’s not the same inconsistency I mentioned before, because it’s not a non-app in the list of apps in QM. “Qube Settings” is actually an app (but it runs in dom0 rather than the domU), so it’s not out of place in the Applications Menu.
FWIW, I’ve been using Qubes for years, and I had no clue what that “Start” entry did until this thread prompted me to investigate. Whenever I saw it, my thought was, “Wtf is ‘Start’? Is that some kind of basic Linux tool I’ve never heard of?! Oh well, no time to figure it out right now.”
The only reason users expect something to appear is because that’s what literally every other app entry does. Hence why this one is out of place.
I’ve never heard of anyone being surprised that the “Start qube” button doesn’t cause anything to appear. (Well, it causes that VM to get a green dot in QM, so it actually does provide visual feedback within the same window.)
Yeah, definitely don’t do this.
But “not uncommon” doesn’t entail good. There are a lot of dark UX patterns that have become established by mainstream OSes. That doesn’t necessarily mean we should follow in their footsteps.
Something along these lines might work. Maybe this will get picked up in one of Nina’s user studies.