The menu entry is currently non-functional, but once we have an icon we’ll shove it in the Utilities folder so it’s not in the root of your menu. Running bazaar from the CLI works for now.
The search function is bound to Ctrl- Alt - \, which is the key above enter. The idea there is you can have a quickbind to search when you want to install an application.
Note that this project is very new, less than two weeks old, just to manage expectations. Apps queue and install very quickly. This is why I immediately was drawn to this app! Just having a gui that can install apps this fast is already worth it to me. They even queue up, etc. so it’s easy to pile up a bunch of them. The ecosystem has needed a flathub-first option for a very long time so this is looking quite nice so far!
We have a flatpak in progress but for now we’re just adding it to the 42 images for now. We are set to build new versions on demand so if you are on stable-daily or latest you’ll be getting the freshest build, stable will get whatever is freshest when that weekly update runs.
The UI looks pretty good for 2 weeks of work. Thanks for pointing the project youth out.
While you have the author’s ear, I would like to specify which repo(s) to install from (including --user) and have it install with --user somehow if that is my preference.
But not everything, just the stuff I install that does not come with the system.
I don’t expect the software to manage my policy for me. Just give me the option to select which repo(s) to search through. And separately whether to install with --user or not (selectable when I click install - not app preferences).
I have tested this little bit, launching bazaar from terminal.
When app displays “Search” and “Browse” button. Why not just load “browse” like and get rid of this first dialog. When clicked on Browse button, empty screen appears.
Clicked on Search and Bazaar currently does not recognizes currently installed flatpaks. For example type in Firefox and on right side Firefox “Install” button appears, but Firefox is already installed. Also tested for few other flatpaks, but all get “Install” button instead of info that app is already installed.
In Browse I miss some grouping… There are displayed few hundreds apps in menu and some basic filtering is required to start searching the app.
I may be old fashioned, but I don’t like to be disturbed by some background animation. It would be better app to full screen the GUI when maximize button is pressed.
If I click on image for particular program external image view is displayed, clicking on multiple pictures and there are multiple views. It would be nice application has its on zoom display instead of external app.
It looks to me this app is in very early stage… but what I do like is app is very responsive and fast, that is the feature I miss using other software stores in Linux.
EDIT:
Thinking little bit more… Do we really need some special app to install software. What about to have something like webapp of flathub.org web site. I just see flathub.org web site as very good design.
Comments by @red11 fully cover my experience as well.
I could write a long story about unpolished UI elements, but I doubt if that’s constructive at this moment.
@j0rge announced this app with the statement of the authors having some great ideas. I couldn’t read it back on the project page and I miss the problem that this app is trying to solve. Why do I need another app store for Gnome? In my opinion, it is too early to call for testing and to pull this into stable images. Please tell us more about those underlying ideas and take us along.
@j0rge in video says "Imagine you click Ctrl+Alt+\ and this comes up… (“this” is Bazzar in video)… But I am wondering why do we need another shortkey when we already have Super key which is there and working well?
What I imagine:
I use Super key a lot to launch or install new apps with keyboard.
I type in just few letters like: “lor” and at bottom appears “Software” section, that takes few seconds to appear
This is nice, but what I would like to see next is when I mouse hover on “Lorem” I don’t want new application (e.g. Software or Bazaar) starts up. I would like to get bellow like dialog:
What I see on this computer I don’t have this app installed yet, just click on “Install” button and app is installed.
If I want more info I click on “> more” and additional info is displayed just bellow without launching new application store. If I move mouse away, then “grey” bubble collapses automatically.
I don’t know if this is easy to be done. But when some application store is launched it should be just inside this dialog and when start typing in now only “Software” section is displayed.
Am I too extreme now? We are used this Super key is just a launcher for other system apps. But what if Super key is just a way to manage your apps right away.
Huh, what about FlatPost ?
That seems to be a bit more of a finished product and honestly a bit nicer as well. I thought Flatpost would replace Gnome Software in Bluefin and Bazzite.
It’s even a Flatpak by itself. Why reinvent the wheel?
Actually, I think Bazzite is going to have Flatpost. The bluefin guys like Bazaar though and it makes sense to try out different paths.
There‘s also plans to distribute Bazaar as a flatpak obviously, tulip made an experimental manifest (reminder to myself to try that out!)
Fair enough but also a little strange. What is the reasoning behind choosing either one of those two? I’m curious.
Especially when Bazaar is still being tested, but has already been selected anyway for Bluefin? Same confusion for Flatpost in Bazzite btw.
Shouldn’t it be the other way around especially for Bluefin which is supposed to be “for the 96%” ?
Don’t you want to test both first to see which one is best for Bluefin?
I’m just curious to understand the process when selecting/replacing the defaults.
I don’t think any decision has been made. j0rge just brought up that the Bazaar software exists and the original version was written in 2 weeks. It has a long way to go though.
But they do need to pick one - the one in which they are going to spend energy integrating with, install by default as “the” app store.
But I like that Flatpost defaults to installing with --user. That aligns with how I like to work.
I’m going to have to clone that repo and try it. I’ll have to fix the Makefile first though …
Note I do not see it in flathub from within bluefin-dx. Hmmm…
Do you guys see it in Bazzite?
EDIT: I see this issue. Does not seem to be a flatpak yet …
I have seen the Jorge’s video again, I just forgot what were the arguments. To recap Jorge’s arguments:
Current Software application or in fact all of the GUI install apps on Linux are slow, user need to wait for spinning clock. The reason why are slow is because they need to deal with all kind of install features under the hood like updating operating system (that in Blufin is made completely separate with bootc) and need to support all kind of different package managers (deb, dnf,…) and Software is based on PackageKit that has the same slowness issue.
Software and similar apps do not have Donate button there at the top, so users can donate quickly.
New app should have like CTRL+ALT+\ keyboard shortcut to launch. Don’t know why so complicated key combinations, for example in my keyboard I need to press RightAlt key and Q to get to “\” character, so I don’t know how even type CTRL+ALT+\ like CTRL+ALT+RightAlt+Q, don’t know if I have enough fingers. In video itself was “debate” where “\” key is located on different keyboards.
I never really though Software is so bad… But that is probably because I very rarely use Software. I just go to the Flathub.org that has in my humble opinion quite good apps grouping search for the app, then install it from terminal. In wast majority of cases I just skip Software app. What I really miss is some better grouping. Like to have sub groups or something… I get to Utilities and there are so many different apps there that I rarely see anything in common.
Also from the video is about search. Search is for those that really know the app name, but Software like app should be for the ones that do not know which app to choose. It should be some app feature that should help you to choose between similar apps in the category, like I am choosing two phones and I need to compare them, before I select one. When I am searching for any kind of software there should not be sorted (at least not by default) by application name, but by carefully suggested order of which users may be the most satisfied to use, like recommendations or something.
Probably application like Software shouldn’t do on-line search for apps every time someone types something in input field. It should just update application list like two times per day in the background and then every search should be lightning fast.
About donate button. Which solution to choose from that will work worldwide and to be simple to use. Should donate be integrated in app, or should it point you to some web site (that you need to register, set accounts etc)?
EDIT:
This is problem of software stored also in Bazaar, I am looking for password manager and when typed in “password s” I expected to get “Password Safe”, but all kind of software nothing to have in common are displayed, just look to the bellow list (don’t know how this search works, but I just expect program names should be listed first if they math what I am writing in):
Thanks a lot!
I totally agree Software is not great at all. The search button is way on the left. For a long time I didn’t see it and thought it didn’t have a search feature. I thought it was another one of those weird over the top minimalist farts of the Gnome team.
And it’s not just slow installing, there is no proper indication of progress.
It’s def in need of replacement!
What I like about FlatPost: search works (my main issue with Gnome Software).
Also, it replaces both Gnome Software and Flatseal!
I never understood why a separate app was needed to manage permissions. You just want 1 simple app to find, install, manage and update apps.
I haven’t tried Bazaar yet. Sounds like they need to fix Search at least. But I hope it can also replace Flatseal.
It does seem like Flatpost is simply further developed because it exists longer. Bazaar development really just started.
Totally agree Software is in desperate need of replacement!
@zilexa Flatpost does seem quite further along, but it is not.
Bazaar is in pre-alpha stage. Be patient and wait 6 months. It will be in better shape.
And I am not interested in anything trying to replace Flatseal. It is absolutely needed to do sophisticated configuration with flatpak. j0rge pointed out Pins as a lighter weight app to do the most common things. But it is not a Flatseal replacement; just a good complement to it.
After what I admitted above, I am not sure I am the best person to ask about an app store.
However, the Flatpost code base shows sign of - shall we say - lack of experience. There is a lot wrong with it. For example, I spent about 30 mins just rewriting the Makefile so it could be installed locally. Why is a Python project using a Makefile? Where is the pyproject.toml?
I personally think this whole thing could use a rewrite.
And it is quite normal for an idea to be prototyped and end up in a shape like what I am seeing. But it needs to be rewritten to address the architecture -ilities - maintainability, extensability, etc.
So Flatpost looks like a fun hobby project. Just not something I would depend on for my system integrity / security.
Looks like I’ll be staying on the command line with red11 for the time being.
In video itself was “debate” where “\” key is located on different keyboards.