https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=445559
Bug ID: 445559
Summary: Add "minimal" mode showing only essential options
Product: systemsettings
Version: unspecified
Platform: Other
OS: Linux
Status: REPORTED
Severity: wishlist
Priority: NOR
Component: general
Assignee: plasma-b...@kde.org
Reporter: tobi.goerg...@gmail.com
Target Milestone: ---
SUMMARY
Hey there,
as I noticed, what's loved about desktop environments like GNOME is it's
simplicity and that it's not fearing users by the shear number of available
settings. To make KDE more appealing to new users, KDE should feature a
"minimal mode", where only essential options are shown. While this takes
flexibility from the user, it adds simplicity that's desired by not few users.
This option should e.g. only show one "theme" setting, that only changes the
global theme, as this is the only essential option in this category, every
other theme option is set when changing the global theme. Everything else
should be hidden in this mode from the user (though the "extended" mode showing
all options can always be activated ofc)
This should be applied to every settings category, really questioning if the
shown setting is essential to a new user or if actions can be simplified and
more obvious what they actually change. The general scheme of the settings
should not be changed, as this might confuse users, if they activate the
"extended mode" and all settings are at a different place.
For example, there should still be settings to configure which applications
show notifications, but maybe not exactly, which notifications of an
application will come through. Or hiding the setting for the position of the
notification completely and showing it always next to the notification icon.
Another example might be the compositor setting: would your grandma know what
this setting is for and wouldn't be feared to change it? Mine would be, she
wouldn't know what it is and also not care, so why show it to hear and frighten
her.
This mode should in a next step also be included in KDE applications respecting
this setting, only making the really necessary configurable and everything else
rely on defaults, This could e.g. mean that the position of the dock might be
changeable, but not how tall it is or how transparent it is.
This could also have the effect that applications make sure that their defaults
are user-friendly and the application is easily usable at first start without
the user having to fiddle around, making the desktop more polished and removing
papercuts, making our all lives easier.
The drawback of course is that the dev has to care about the defaults, though
that should be the case anyway.
I don't think that an argument like "it's hiding functionality from the user"
is applicable here, as a) that's the intention of this option and b) it's only
optional.
For example, every application could feature a prominent option to switch to
"minimal mode" / "extended mode" instantaneously. Also, a "welcome app" is
currently in the works, that could ask at first start "Hey, are you a new user?
Use this simple mode making your life easier. Are you an experienced user? Use
the extended mode with more functionality"
This mode could also mean that the system monitor hides the "processes" page in
minimal mode, making sure the user doesn't accidentally closes system processes
but shows the applications page listing the open applications. Or Dolphin not
showing hidden folders starting with a dot, as these folders mostly contain
folders and inexperienced users probably don't need to access them. If they
still do, they can easily enable the "extended mode" and bam, there's an option
to show hidden folders. Or they google, find the hint to press ctrl+h to show
them. What should dolphin do? Show a prompt saying "Hey, you're trying to show
hidden folders. To do this, you have to enter the extended mode. Are you sure?"
Inexperienced users will then know that what they do doesn't seem to be trivial
and will think about this again. But whey still have the choice to still show
it.
All in all, with this setting we protect the system from the user, as it's not
that easily possible to do something harmful anymore and the user is protected
from the system, as he's not overwhelmed by the amount of available settings.
The applications will get saner defaults with a better focus on usability
out-of-the-box, while also making Plasma more accessible to new users who can
get to know plasma's features, power and flexibility step-by-step.
Any thoughts, critics or recommendations are always welcome!
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