Thanks and really nice having the chrome one button installer, rates right up there with slice bread 
Thanks that would be great!
Success! 
Welcome now scales based on the font DPI. You won’t be needing a magnify glass any more. 
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Hello again folks. Those who like transparency and control over what is installed on their system will be pleased to see this new field for each application:
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I’ve just read the whole thread and lets see if I got it right (this has to do with Software Boutique particularly).
1 The Boutique will use PPAs directly from the software maker and not through Ubuntu repositories (so it’s independent of the official repositories).
2 The programs available will be Mate’s team choice.
3 Mate’s team will guarantee the programs are clean/stable.
4 The programs installed through the Boutique will be automatically updated/upgraded (if we subscribe to Welcome updates ?)
Thanks
@Joss, your answers, also FAQs:
The Boutique will use PPAs directly from the software maker and not through Ubuntu repositories (so it’s independent of the official repositories).
For a wide range of software, yes. Although, some software will stick to Ubuntu’s repositories and a handful may use a trusted third party one.
The programs available will be Mate’s team choice.
Yep. These have been described as the “best in class and as they integrate well with the MATE Desktop.”
Mate’s team will guarantee the programs are clean/stable.
Yep, @Wimpy has been approving them. Applications only appear based on the current distribution version and architecture. For instance:
- VirtualBox is currently unlisted for Xenial because Oracle do not have a 16.04 source yet.
- VirtualBox is unlisted on the Raspberry Pi or PowerPC as it is not compatible.
The programs installed through the Boutique will be automatically updated/upgraded (if we subscribe to Welcome updates ?)
No. Welcome updates literally only keeps the Welcome / Boutique program up-to-date. That includes the latest software listings (and PPA changes!), translations and documentation.
- As described previously, this is because it’s faster to push out an update to a PPA then review/approval by upstream Ubuntu.
- Applications are subject to updates as usual Software Updater either by the PPA the Boutique adds (if applicable) or if a new package is released in the Ubuntu repository.
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Uhhhh… VirtualBox for xenial is in the Ubuntu repository.
Here is how I get the system specifics for the Apple PowerPC systems. Maybe you can use these hints to populate the Welcome Screens’s System Specifications panel for the PowerPC.
HW_CPU_MHZ=$(grep "clock" /proc/cpuinfo | cut -f 2 -d ":")
MODEL_NAME=$(grep "cpu" /proc/cpuinfo | cut -f 2 -d ":")
grep "model" /proc/cpuinfo | cut -f 2 -d ":"
echo " S/N:"
cat /proc/device-tree/serial-number
echo "</li><li><em><strong>CHASSIS:</strong></em>"
grep "pmac-generation" /proc/cpuinfo | cut -f 2 -d ":"
echo "</li><li><em><strong>MOTHERBOARD:</strong></em>"
grep "motherboard" /proc/cpuinfo | cut -f 2 -d ":"
echo "</li><li><em><strong>REVISION:</strong></em>"
grep "revision" /proc/cpuinfo | cut -f 2 -d ":"
echo "</li>"
echo "<li><em><strong>CPU:</strong></em> Motorola PowerPC <u><strong>$MODEL_NAME</strong></u> $HW_CPU_MHZ</li>"
liWrapper.func "" "/usr/bin/lscpu"SYSTEM: PowerMac6,1 S/N: xxxxxxxx
CHASSIS: NewWorld
MOTHERBOARD: PowerMac6,1 MacRISC3 Power Macintosh
REVISION: 3.3 (pvr 8001 0303)
CPU: Motorola PowerPC 7455, altivec supported 999.999997MHz
Architecture: ppc
CPU op-mode(s): 32-bit
Byte Order: Big Endian
CPU(s): 1
On-line CPU(s) list: 0
Thread(s) per core: 1
Core(s) per socket: 1
Socket(s): 1
Model: PowerMac6,1
BogoMIPS: 66.56
L1d cache: 32K
L1i cache: 32K
L2 cache: 256K
The Boutique uses Oracle’s VirtualBox, not the open source version from the Ubuntu repositories (they conflict with one another). Oracle’s version also has the advantage of having updates quicker.
Thanks as well @Dave_Barnes for the PowerPC information. I take it you see “Could not retrieve data” on some (or all) of the fields.
I always install Oracle’s latest version from their website and have done for some time for the reasons you mention lah7.
Welcome @zap12344. You’re using the Ubuntu MATE 15.10 version of Welcome there, which is very old when it comes to design and functionality.
You can upgrade to the new version (as featured in 16.04) by entering these commands in a terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-mate-dev/welcome
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-mate-welcome(which will upgrade it)
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Hello @zap12344 Welcome to our community
You are using Ubuntu MATE 15.10. Welcome looks different and have much more polish look in 16.04, manly thanks to @lah7 and maybe few others! It also has a lot more features and informations for new users. It actually looks different in Live cd/usb mode and can help you with info about how to install it on your system.
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Thanks for those links Luke, it reminded me that I could install in on my actual system 
and also made me realise I don't have right setting for DPi as I would need 
to read in Welcome!
Trough that bring me to another small problem, when clicking on links in Software, especially first icon some text is missing now. Other don't have such problem, maybe just a little bit more space between the green icon and text.
Looking at the photo now I really like that it's now written that you are subscribed and which version it is. 
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It looks like some optimisation will be needed when using the program when things get larger. From your screenshot, I can see it’s between DPI 116 - 122 (Zoom Level 1.3).
You are close, but I use one level smaller (had to check). It’s 113, so according to your list 1.2. Thanks for detailed explanations Learned something new again. 
@lah7 Just discovered a small issue.
After clicking either Welcome "Subscribe to Welcome updates", or Software Boutique "Retrieve the latest software listings.", if one doesn't enter a password when asked, after closing the usual warning message (seen below)
though no password was entered, ppa.launchpad.net/git-core/ppa/ubuntu is added to Other Software, and the option to subscribe or retrieve updates disappears until this ppa is removed.
If one has previously clicked subscribe/retrieve, entered a password, but later decided to delete the ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mate-dev/welcome/ubuntu from Other Software.
Then performs the steps outlined above, the ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mate-dev/welcome/ubuntu is added again even though no password was entered.
Furthermore, after clicking subscribe/retrieve, then clicking Cancel on the Updating Cache pop-up, the ppa is still added.
I will test this later.
For the future, would it help design/layout if Welcome and Software Boutique were presented as the same size?
Please understand this is in no way a criticism, far from it, just a simple question. 
Greatly appreciate all the hard work that has gone into Welcome/Software Boutique, thank you!
One thought from this afternoon...
Would it help new users understand the relationship between Welcome and Software Boutique if both showed similar Subscribe/Retrieve information, users will then realise both will be updated even if only Subscribe or Retrieve has been activated?
For example.
Or
Slightly shorter alternatives
[quote]Receive Welcome (+ Software Boutique) updates
Receive Software Boutique (+ Welcome) updates[/quote]
Thanks.
1 Like