CLI experimental design
An experimental design for what the flatpak CLI could look like. There's a page that has a small amount of background research.
- Efficient information display
- Effectively structure information, including use of white space
- Avoid unnecessary visual noise
- Prioritise the most important information
- Don't show useless information
- Be succinct, but also try to speak like a human
- Follow standard English grammar and punctuation rules
- Be consistent:
- Consistent tone and terminology
- Consistent layouts
- Consistent information in output
- Play it straight - avoid gimmicks, use neutral language, stick to the point
- Anticipate errors and user intent. Be helpful.
Information shown about the app:
$ flatpak install flathub org.gnome.podcasts
ID: org.baedert.corebird Arch: x86_64 Version: stable Download: 16.2 MB
Permissions:
ipc network pulseaudio
wayland x11 dri
file access [1] dbus access [2] bus ownership [3]
[1] xdg-run/dconf, ~/.config/dconf:ro
[2] ca.desrt.dconf
[3] org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Podcasts
Proceed with installation? [Y/n] █
Progress feedback:
$ flatpak install flathub org.gnome.podcasts
ID: org.baedert.corebird Arch: x86_64 Version: stable Download: 16.2 MB
Permissions:
ipc network pulseaudio
wayland x11 dri
file access [1] dbus access [2] bus ownership [3]
[1] xdg-run/dconf, ~/.config/dconf:ro
[2] ca.desrt.dconf
[3] org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Podcasts
Downloading... [====================== ] 60% 5.1 MB/s 00:21
'Downloading...' changes to 'Installing...' when installing.
When installation is complete, the progress line is replaced by a status message and the command exits:
$ flatpak install flathub org.gnome.podcasts
ID: org.gnome.podcasts Arch: x86_64 Version: stable Download: 16.2 MB
Permissions:
ipc network pulseaudio
wayland x11 dri
file access [1] dbus access [2] bus ownership [3]
[1] xdg-run/dconf, ~/.config/dconf:ro
[2] ca.desrt.dconf
[3] org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Podcasts
Installation complete
$ █
List of things to be installed is presented, along with a confirmation step (column headings should be in bold):
$ flatpak install flathub org.gnome.podcasts
ID Arch Version Remote Download
org.gnome.Platform x86_64 3.26 flathub 294.7 MB
org.gnome.Platform.Locale x86_64 3.26 flathub 107.8 MB
org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Ambiance x86_64 3.22 flathub 1.5 MB
org.gnome.podcasts x86_64 stable flathub 7.3 MB
org.gnome.podcasts.Locale x86_64 stable flathub 96.0 kB
org.gnome.podcasts permissions:
ipc network pulseaudio
wayland x11 dri
file access [1] dbus access [2] bus ownership [3]
[1] xdg-run/dconf, ~/.config/dconf:ro
[2] ca.desrt.dconf
[3] org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Podcasts
Proceed with installation? [Y/n]: █
(It might not be necessary to show the remote here, since it's already in the command.)
Items in the list are ordered logically, so .Locale extensions follow the item they relate to.
Question defaults to Y, as indicated by the capitalisation. If proceed is selected, the confirmation is replaced by a line that shows progress. "Check marks" appear against each item, to indicate which ones have been installed. The box for the item that's being installed has a "spinner" next to it:
$ flatpak install flathub org.gnome.podcasts
ID Arch Version Remote Download
[+] org.gnome.Platform x86_64 3.26 flathub 294.7 MB
[+] org.gnome.Platform.Locale x86_64 3.26 flathub 107.8 MB
[/] org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Ambiance x86_64 3.22 flathub 1.5 MB
[ ] org.gnome.podcasts x86_64 stable flathub 7.3 MB
[ ] org.gnome.podcasts.Locale x86_64 stable flathub 96.0 kB
org.gnome.podcasts permissions:
ipc network pulseaudio
wayland x11 dri
file access [1] dbus access [2] bus ownership [3]
[1] xdg-run/dconf, ~/.config/dconf:ro
[2] ca.desrt.dconf
[3] org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Podcasts
Installing 3/5... [===== ] 60% 5.1 MB/s 00:21
If a new remote was specified, the user is asked whether to permanently add it:
$ flatpak install org.gnome.podcasts
ID Arch Version Remote Download
[+] org.gnome.Platform x86_64 3.26 flathub 294.7 MB
[+] org.gnome.Platform.Locale x86_64 3.26 flathub 107.8 MB
[+] org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Ambiance x86_64 3.22 flathub 1.5 MB
[+] org.gnome.podcasts x86_64 stable flathub 7.3 MB
[+] org.gnome.podcasts.Locale x86_64 stable flathub 96.0 kB
org.gnome.podcasts permissions:
ipc network pulseaudio
wayland x11 dri
file access [1] dbus access [2] bus ownership [3]
[1] xdg-run/dconf, ~/.config/dconf:ro
[2] ca.desrt.dconf
[3] org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Podcasts
org.gnome.podcasts installed
Permanently add remote 'flathub'? [Y/n]: █
If the answer is y, the confirmation prompt is replaced by a status message and the command exits:
$ flatpak install org.gnome.podcasts
ID Arch Version Remote Download
[+] org.gnome.Platform x86_64 3.26 flathub 294.7 MB
[+] org.gnome.Platform.Locale x86_64 3.26 flathub 107.8 MB
[+] org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Ambiance x86_64 3.22 flathub 1.5 MB
[+] org.gnome.podcasts x86_64 stable flathub 7.3 MB
[+] org.gnome.podcasts.Locale x86_64 stable flathub 96.0 kB
org.gnome.podcasts permissions:
ipc network pulseaudio
wayland x11 dri
file access [1] dbus access [2] bus ownership [3]
[1] xdg-run/dconf, ~/.config/dconf:ro
[2] ca.desrt.dconf
[3] org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Podcasts
org.gnome.podcasts installed
Remote 'flathub' permanently added
$ █
$ flatpak install meld
Found 'org.gnome.meld' in remote 'flathub'.
Proceed with installation? [Y/n]: █
$ flatpak install meld
Two matches found:
ID Arch Version Remote Download
1. org.gnome.meld x86_64 3.26 flathub 12 MB
2. org.melder.Melder x86_64 3.26 flathub 18 MB
Selection (0 to abort): █
$ flatpak uninstall org.baedert.corebird
ID: org.baedert.corebird Arch: x86_64 Version: stable
/ Uninstalling...
The thing next to the status message is a spinner. If the operation is quick, this might When installation is complete, the progress line is replaced by a status message and the command exits:
$ flatpak uninstall org.baedert.corebird
ID: org.baedert.corebird Arch: x86_64 Version: stable
Uninstall complete
$ █
List of items is shown, with "check marks" next to them and a spinner for the item that is currently being uninstalled:
$ flatpak uninstall org.baedert.corebird
ID Arch Version
[-] org.gnome.Platform x86_64 3.26
[-] org.gnome.Platform.Locale x86_64 3.22
[/] org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Ambiance x86_64 3.22
[ ] org.baedert.corebird x86_64 stable
[ ] org.baedert.corebird.Locale x86_64 stable
Uninstalling...
$ flatpak uninstall org.baedert.corebird
ID Arch Version
[-] org.gnome.Platform x86_64 3.26
[-] org.gnome.Platform.Locale x86_64 3.22
[-] org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Ambiance x86_64 3.22
[-] org.baedert.corebird x86_64 stable
[-] org.baedert.corebird.Locale x86_64 stable
Uninstall complete
$ █
search and info feature the user-facing app name and description, whereas other commands don't so much. This is because they are more exploratory and potentially useful for end-user cases.
Single result:
$ flatpak search corebird
Corebird - Native GTK Twitter client
ID: org.baedert.corebird Arch: x86_64 Version: stable Remote: flathub
$ █
Multiple results (column headers would be in bold):
$ flatpak search tux
Found in remote 'flathub' ID Arch Version
Extreme Tux - High speed arctic racing game based on Tux Racer Racernet.sourceforge.ExtremeTuxRacer x86_64 stable
Tuxpaint - A drawing program for children org.tuxpaint.Tuxpaint x86_64 stable
Tux Football - A great 2D soccer (sometimes called football) game net.sourceforge.TuxFootball x86_64 stable
$ █
$ flatpak remote-info flathub org.gimp.GIMP
GIMP - Create images and edit photographs
ID: org.gimp.GIMP
Ref: app/org.gimp.GIMP/x86_64/stable
Arch: x86_64
Branch: stable
Download: 47.2 MB
Installed: 127.2 MB
Runtime: org.gnome.Platform/x86_64/3.24
Commit: 7bda4b1cadf3d096f849e34f18c5934fa2e6dbe97b3269cabc2176e96e2a25fb
Parent: 64a5dae3bfa8ef3a5c7b7a4e2f497f3e0d5c297c496710998d98846ac3fafcc8
Subject: Build org.gimp.GIMP at 2f9a3362289727807db5b74d6ebf426d8a1f09a7
Date: 2017-10-17 16:39:40 +0000
$ █
$ flatpak remote-info flathub org.gimp.gimp
Remote 'flathub' does not contain 'org.gimp.gimp'. Did you mean:
org.gimp.GIMP
$ █
$ flatpak remote-indo flathub org.gimp.GIMP
'remote-indo' is not a flatpak command (see 'flatpak --help').
Did you mean:
remote-info
$ █
Visit flatpak.org for information on getting started, developer documentation and details of available applications and runtimes.