Fedora template Gnome Software installation

ng0177 · July 19, 2022, 2:28pm

When going through “Gnome Software” installation which is a default menu entry for the Fedora template, no software such as “wxmaxima” or “stellarium” can be installed. How to use that default menu entry?

fsflover · July 19, 2022, 2:47pm

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

Graphical Package Manager Support

opened 10:20AM - 26 Dec 20 UTC

deeplow

T: enhancement C: core C: templates P: major ux

**The problem you're addressing (if any)** The fedora template "Software" gra…phical installer does not work out of the box, despite being one of the default template shortcuts. This leads to [terrible advice like enabling internet access to the TemplateVM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=348&v=0BZFPh-mR9g). The current way of installing software is through the terminal, which constitutes a terrible user experience, especially for someone just coming from a windows background. **Describe the solution you'd like** To solve this problem, a graphical software installer like fedora's "software" or debian's synapse or other alternative ones and allow them to connect to the internet through the updates proxy, for exmaple. **Where is the value to a user, and who might that user be?** Software installation is something users can't do without. And for people without IT or linux background it's a big usability challenge they will have to overcome. Even if later on they end up learning to use the terminal, it is important that they can do basic stuff like installing software, without having to learn to use the terminal. **Describe alternatives you've considered** Fedora's software, debian's synapse. But there are probably many other software "stores". But there is a problem with fedora's "software" program in the sense that is is not just a wrapper to DNF. It gets things like images and software description probably from redhat's servers, I would imagine. **Additional context** Discussion stemmed from the forum: [GUI-only software installation: Thoughts? (fedora)](https://qubes-os.discourse.group/t/gui-only-software-installation-thoughts-fedora/1944/11) The following picture is what the user sees if they open the default "software" application on the fedora template. As you can see, it fails to fetch software because it can't reach the internet. ![874a5c52b598d5e1366f721863932b54abb5fc9f](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/47065258/103149681-9447cd00-4763-11eb-86ba-33898be5c669.png) On the picture bellow you can see what the user sees after enabling internet connection on the TemplateVM ![b4f5a5e0e2706dbc2fcf2af487110908d1cbaa17](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/47065258/103149700-c9ecb600-4763-11eb-9ba2-5c492c905b04.png) Contrast this with the daunting experience of opening a terminal for the first time and typing commands. **Relevant [documentation](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/) you've consulted** * removal of mention of software installer from the docs: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc/commit/4202598824031b9ff3e025bc5ed6113dcaf8f98c **Related, [non-duplicate](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/reporting-bugs/#new-issues-should-not-be-duplicates-of-existing-issues) issues**

Also:

ng0177 · July 19, 2022, 3:49pm

Fine. An easy solution is using the terminal, I found.

wxmaxima does not start up after adding it to the Applications menu, stellarium does. If run from the terminal, it works and and issues this messages:

[user@personal ~]$ wxmaxima

(wxmaxima:1787): Gdk-CRITICAL **: 17:43:07.861: gdk_atom_intern: assertion 'atom_name != NULL' failed

(wxmaxima:1787): Gdk-CRITICAL **: 17:43:07.862: gdk_atom_intern: assertion 'atom_name != NULL' failed

Is it possible to reproduce and fix this issue?