The Ubuntu Software Store revealed

Phoronix has recently published an article previewing The Ubuntu Software Store: a rather dull name for a project which is really triggering my hype.
If you read some of my past articles on Ubuntu and Linux in general, you probably know that I consider application distribution and handling (installation/remove) one of the major drawback and “keep out sign” of the desktop oriented Linux distributions.

It’s not that the Ubuntu installation environment isn’t good, on the contrary both synaptic and gdebi are fantastic and full of potentiality. The fact is that as it happens with most community driven things sometimes the spur of productivity has a counterproductive side effect. Diversification isn’t a drawback per se but there are times when concentration can serve better when the target is an important application or system part. This is surely the case of the software installation on Ubuntu. As far as it is right now I’ve no problem to say that the user experience is awful. Installing an application on Ubuntu (and I doesn’t consider the whole Linux based distros on purpose) means dealing with multiple processes plus other random perceived factors. And that’s frustrating at the least.
Just to make some examples each time I install a Ubuntu release I always and immediately install five applications which require five different installation processes:

• Miro player --> add repository to Synaptic packet manager then browse for Miro and install it via Synaptic

• Truecrypt cryptography software --> download the bin, open and execute, follow the instruction of the graphic installation application

• GoogleEarth geography app --> download the bin, open a terminal and mess with bash then follow the instructions provided by the graphic installation interface

• Ubuntuzilla Updater for Mozilla apps --> download the .deb file, install it with gdebi, open a terminal and mess with bash then follow the instructions provided by the graphic installation interface

• Flash player --> download the .deb file and install it with gdebi (painless double click -Windows reminder- operation)

These are just a sample because there are  several other cases where for example you must compile the software following obscure tutorials,  retrieving and install a bunch of other applications (each having its own peculiar process) to satisfy dependencies, etc…
In my opinion this is completely unacceptable.
You can imagine the smile on my face when I read that Canonical is working on a project to unify various graphical install applications in a single graphical interface.
The Ubuntu Software Store is being built on the basics of the Add/Remove Applications (which is another way, not mentioned before, to install and remove software). Surprisingly we will see the first “installment” of TUSS with limited functions shipped with the Karmic Koala October release. According to the TUSS wiki page the 1.0 version of TUSS will hit four goals:

• a graphically pleasing interface
• an improved use of apt: links to replace bash commands and standalone packages
• fine-tune the interface presented when software updates are available.
• involve Launchpad with the goal of acquiring better and up to date information about the applications

With the Ubuntu 10.04 release the TUSS team hope for their app to substitute Synaptic, gdebi, add/remove softwares, Software Sources and hopefully even the Update Manager,conveying all these systems in a common interface. Another very exciting feature which could be included in the early 2010 release is the possibility to manage non-graphical software (programming utilities, fonts, database software, etc) within the Store.
The roadmap goes until 2011 when, according to the plans, TUSS will be mature enough to include rich functions like "sharing and tracking of software, overviews of installed software by license, cost, or maintenance timetable, discovering software by what your friends have installed, visible history of past installations/removals/purchases, including the ability to undo specific changes, specialized interfaces for browsing and installing particular classes of package like fonts, screensavers, Windows applications, etc".
By reading the dedicated wiki page it’s clear that Canonical is fully aware that the way applications are handled right now it’s one of their greatest Achill’s talons. The way they are facing it it’s something that make me proud of running Ubuntu as my first and main operating system.
Despite all the smaller and bigger problems user constantly face (nearly all of them are caused by the scandalous and evil lack of support from hardware manufacturers) Ubuntu (as many other Linux distros) is capable of beam the user with a sense of pleasure in using it which is generated by the stability and safety you clearly perceive in everyday usage. More than that, the continuous improvements are introduced in each six month release and make you feel on the edge of technology and part of project that, because of its scope and vision, is good and brings welfare to the people who use it and mankind as a whole.
Having said that I'm really impatient to see the first release of The Ubuntu Software Store and review it. So stay tuned.

Images are from The Ubuntu Software Store wiki. One is an interface sketch and the other is one of the proposed logos. This one is by SebastianPorta