I hope someone else can code this application!
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What it is supposed to do:
Show kernel messages when plugging in a device. Not only storage devices, HIDs etc. too.
It should contain a filter - we don't want all the kernel messages in one popup.
It should contain a settings panel - for changing the filter (and the buttons
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Why a yellow popup and not the standard kdialog popup?
I like this popup more, but that is off course personal. The standard KDE kdialog popup would also work.
Update: I made a 'shot' of the standard KDE popup too.
Ratings & Comments
26 Comments
I changed to linux, because M$ has a question for absolutely everything that could could be asked (E.g.:"You choose "quit"- do you REALLY want to quit ?" - if you now click the "OK" button, you'll recieve another question :"If you quit now, you'll absolutely finsihed with this program ! Do you REALLY, REALLY want to quit ???", and if you click on the "YES, really, really quit !!"-Button, you'll recieve a confirmation window like :"Program finished, click OK to continue"). Aaaaaaarggghhhhh.....! So, please let me know: if your Hardware Icon on the desktop changes from "disabled" to "enabled", who in heavens name need a tamagotchi-like window that must be clicked ????
This is very easy to code by yourself. Personally, I created a simple Bash script that listens for HAL events. For example, when I plug in a USB memory stick, it will automatically show a balloon saying: "New device detected: Kingston DataTraveler, 512 MB storage space." Also, it automatically mounts the device and shows the contents in a new Konqueror window. When I plugin my digital camera, it also displays a message and automatically synchronises the images with my DigiKam photo collection. If I'm not mistaken, KDE 3.5 has a similar HAL-based feature built in.
Nice. But for graphic I would prefer something closer to kde4 mockups instead of windows baloons or kde 3.5 boxes. Look at kdeartists for some idea :-)
http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=10361
http://growl.info/
This is great. But the notifications should be somewhat cleaned as they shouldn't show direct kernel output.
if you use Ivman, there is an option to use knotify to show msgs about HW changes. BTW, knotify doesn't steal focus.
These kind of system messages too advanced and not mean for everyone. Why don't you make them simple and more readable.
The yellow popup is also a kdialog popup. (kdialog --passivepopup).
Sorry thought the work is quality, I'm forced to spend all day trying to type into documents and windows on windows. When every 20 seconds another one of these stupid little windows pops up with totally useless messages like "Found new hardware....(then after 2 minutes) It's a USB mass storage device each and every bloody one of them stealing focus and demanding I acknowledge it. NO thank you. I'd prefer to rip it out and stomp it into oblivion. Now if this is an opt in package. OK, however I've a really neat way of telling things. If I've plugged in my mouse, and I wiggle it and the cursor moves. I don't need son of clippy telling me that I plugged in a USB mouse! I know where my hand goes and I watched it do it. I wiggled the mouse and the cursor moved, don't need the pop up! Same for other USB devices. If I plug them in and the icon appears on the desktop... they worked..... if it doesn't appear.... I need to check my logs .... Sorry I applaud the effort just boo the result.
I agree with you in many ways. I would hate to have something come up every time something changes on my computer. But if it were an optional feature it would be quite nice. I do like to know when I plug my removable drive in whether it has initialized or not and whether it's going to mount itself.. Things like that can be useful, but it's nice to have the ability to control what's popping up...
Would be easy, use knotify. http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=22276 A really simple script I wrote that uses knotify to notify on track change in amaroK.
This is one among many greate ideas useful for Linux users. But I don't see why all this info about "new blaha using blaha on adress X" acctually needs to be shown to the average user. As allways that could be an option how you want the info to be displayed. I've been running graphical Linux for a couple of years now and that info just tells me jack accept when I'm really interested in knowing it... Instead there could be a, to the hardware, related icon displayed together with the info like what the hardware is, it's vendor (just as it is right now), link to a FAQ telling the user how to handle it etc.... The possibilitys are many just thinking userfriendly. Just some thoughts //Logge
Hey, try to show more simplistic messages inside the buble. Many users can be confused with detailed messages. For example, a simple message like "Found a USB mouse connected, click for details..." will be more compreensive for new users.
Something similar can be done using ivman (ivman.sourceforge.net) and dcop messages (not in a bubble style, but very similar).
I think this is a great idea, even though your popup reminds me of windows far more than I want to be. Suse implements a similar idea, suseplugger or something, but it would be much better if it was done through KDE. For consistency, would it not be best to go through knotify or whatever, what all the standard apps use like kmail, kopete etc? Still, the knotify (or whatever it is actually called) is ugly, maybe someday someone will make some themes or the likes for it.
FYI: This sort of thing will be implemented in KDE 4. Of course, a substitution 'til that one's ready would be nice. :)
To implement the messages is easy (at least on linux), just look at hotplug. It launches an executable with the relevant parameters when something happens. Hotplug sends events which indicates that usb devices with is connected, and then after a while it sends an event that indicates that a new disk (partition) is connected. The problem is to manage abstraction (of devices) and permissions, e.g. mounting requires root etc.
but imho it would be better to just fade it out. having to click ok will get annoying I guess. maybe it could stay on if you click it?! the idea is great tho! :)
I love this idea. I think you should submit it to KDE bugs as a suggestion. I'm sure loads of people would vote for it.
6thpink: dito I think its will be easer worked with a kdialog pop up. I feels like Windows :/
Hi, The idea of notification for new hardware is nice, but this is quite intrusive. Why not make a passive popup? In these popups you can make hyperlinks so you can still request Details if you want to. Clicking OK for everytime you plug something in/out is quite tiresome in my opinion. Reminds me of Windows XP with it's annoying balloons which stay on screen until you click on it.
The only reason I prefer the yellow balloon is that I like it more :) The upside of an OK button is that you can read the whole content of the balloon before it dissapears. There should be an option to disable the OK button.
This would be better if it could also do some basic parsing of the logs and display it a bit fancier-something to work on I guess. Good job.
Can't imagine how nobody thought of this before. Right now I spend the half of my time doing dmesg's when something seems not to work correctly to be sure the thing was plugged in by the kernel. Nice, simple (kdialog/dmesg I suppose??) and functional. Keep the work :)