Ubuntu Mate - Software Package Quality

Thoughts & Feedback
#1

I took a few moments to look through the Software app on Ubuntu Mate tonight, - looking for a potential alternative to Thunderbird, so I just decided to select All and browse through the items.

I'm genuinely curious as to the below items (the first 7 icons going left to right), and whether any real quality-checks are made in terms of whether they're useful or appropriate for inclusion, more so given some of the icons.. (QHaveDate is especially odd.) Should this really be in Ubuntu Mate? I'm really not sure..

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#2

@BrokenCanoe What software app? Which version of MATE? I’ve never seen anything like what you’ve posted here…

#3

Ubuntu Mate 17.04 ;

I believe it picks it up directly from the Ubuntu repositories, so it's not directly an issue with Ubuntu Mate, - usually I'd use the Boutique, but I thought I'd install a software app for a wider range of items. (I think I'll stick to the Boutique in future, at least it's curated for quality :slight_smile: )

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#4

Aha! I suspected that this might be the case shortly after I posted. Thanks.

#5

On a wider note, do Canonical undertake any vetting for the applications in their repositories? The ones I picked up on, beyond being broken and dysfunctional based on the feedback ratings, are also incredibly poor in quality and taste. Perhaps a discussion more for Canonical as a whole…

#6

Curated? That’s funny. I haven’t used something like “About Software” since 7.04 and then only to see if the software was listed. Google would probably be a better source for an email replacement.

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#7

Figured as much. :slight_smile: I settled on Evolution in the end, - it’s markedly improved from the app I remember from a decade ago, and works perfectly with Gmail accounts. (Contacts, calendar, mail, all sync without issue bi-directionally).

#8

What appears in Software depends on which repositories you have enabled on your system. I haven’t come across any packages I had to question. :thinking:

As far as I know, packages need to be reviewed & approved before they are accepted into the Ubuntu archives: main, universe and multiverse. It’s one reason why versions in official archives may be behind when upstream release a new version.

Of course, some inheritance comes from Debian.

If you check Software & Updates, do you have any “Other Software” enabled? I’m thinking Canonical’s partner repository or a dodgy PPA could be why you’re seeing these apps.

#9

All I have is a standard install of Ubuntu Mate. Nothing else added other than the standard repos ;

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Was just somewhat surprising to see these items in the Ubuntu repos.. Oddly they're listed directly on Ubuntu's site ; https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/applications/quantal/weboob-qt/

#10

Interesting set of apps. They’re in universe, and the oddly worded name stands for “Web Outside Of Browsers” (http://weboob.org)

I was searching Synaptic in 16.04, and found they’re provided in the weboob-qt package.

But… I guess with first impressions, these are a little questionable.

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#11

Interesting is one way of putting it :slight_smile: Thanks for the info.

#12

But why do all of those odd apps in the GNOME software store have Q in the beginning? Are those Qt apps which would require a shedload of KDE-related libs to make useful?

#13

I’m not sure what that all are but the Qsstv one is an amateur Radio app that is used for transmitting and receiving slow scan tv signal on the Ham Bands. I’ve use it before and it works quite well.
I suspect that they are all QT lib apps also. But they will still work on Gtk machines.

#14

Yep i was really querying the ones other than QMPDClient and QSSTV :slight_smile: Qsstv sounds interesting! I didn’t know TV signals could be used on Ham, I always thought it was purely audio, unless I misunderstood…

#15

Slow Scan TV is quite old now. Don’t know many still using it since there are many faster ways to send pictures via Digital modes now. But some may still use it. It was first introduce back in the 1970’s Back then it was quite a task to send a picture over the radio. Now the following modes have displaced much of the sstv stuff.
PSK31.
RTTY (Radio Teletype)
MFSK.
PACKET.
THROB.
OLIVIA.
JT6M.

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#16

Well there’s still a good chance it’ll be of use for when the zombie apocalypse kicks in. :wink:
Thanks for the fascinating reply!

#17

I have never seen such as you have posted and I am using Ubuntu Mate exclusively for the past 10 months. I will say though, that I have tried various Email clients besides Thunderbird and always come back to Thunderbird. IMO, it is the best by far, rivaling even Outlook once you install the add-in called “Sunshine”. Thunderbird combined with Sunshine, give you a great email reader as well as a superb calendar and tasks application all in one GUI.

#18

Ubuntu Software Center is the first, and often the only place I download apps from. The venting and quality of the apps is good. There will always be some that are better/worse than others.

#19

QHaveDate is especially odd.
Well, if you are looking for a “Mate”…

#20

Puns at Dad-Level and rising… :joy:

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