Amber Feature

= Amber Client =

Summary
The Amber client is a feature that will allow users to search for, browse, comment on, and rate software applications available for Fedora and potentially other Linux distributions and repositories. In the long run, this application could be extended to allow users installing the application.

Owner

 * Name: Grady Laksmono


 * Email: 

Current status

 * Targeted release:
 * Last updated: (DATE)
 * Percentage of completion: XX%

Detailed Description
The Amber project is a web application and client side program designed to allow users to search for, browse, comment on, and rate software applications available for Fedora and potentially other Linux distributions and repositories. In the long run, this application could be extended to allow users installing the application. In this case, we're specifically concern on the client program to be included as part of the feature for Fedora 12.

Web application
The web application is the main backbone of the application the Amber. As mentioned, the web application allows the user to search, browse, comment, and rate software application for Fedora and potentially other Linux distribution. The application is accessed through a web browser.

Client program
In addition of the functionality of the web application, the client program will allow the user to run the application in a single click from Fedora desktop or menu icon. Initially, the user will be presented with the username and password box requiring them to use the FAS or potentially OpenID, and remember their username and password such that they don't need to type them again, the user could also decide to run the application on the start-up. In addition, it may be not desirable to have a tab on the menu bar, instead, this client program will hide itself on the task-bar.

Benefit to Fedora
The Amber project will benefit the Fedora users by informing them about a certain applications. When a user is new to Linux, especially Fedora, it is difficult for them to find a substitution for a proprietary software. When they use Google to find the application that may best suits them, Google will gives so many open source applications. The user may want to look through the application forum, other blog comments about the software, etc. This task is very tedious and could be wrap into one place, which is the idea behind the Amber project itself.

Scope

 * Client User Interface
 * Client database communication
 * Data sync with Fedora package database, comps.xml, and .desktop files
 * TurboGears based web application
 * Browse applications
 * Search for applications
 * Rate applications
 * Comment on applications

How To Test

 * 1) Run Amber Client
 * 2) Search for an application to your needs by keywords
 * 3) Select one of the search result application
 * 4) Comment on the application
 * 5) Rate the application

User Experience

 * 1) Users should find it easier to find an application according to their needs
 * 2) Users should find it easier to find better recommended applications
 * 3) Users should find it easier to install applications to Fedora

Packages

 * TurboGears
 * PyGTK
 * Python

Processes

 * Getting amber approved by infrastructure to be run on fedora hosted servers

Contingency Plan

 * Re-attempt for the next Fedora release
 * Don't deploy, it won't affect any other processes

Documentation

 * Definition
 * Trac
 * Scope

Release Notes
The client program allows users with the FAS to search for applications, rate application, comment on applications. The program validates the users FAS in order to use the full functionality of the application.

Comments and Discussion

 * See Talk:Features/Amber Client