Re: Poor Yum User Download Experience

On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 5:12 PM, Joshua D. Drake <jd(at)commandprompt(dot)com> wrote:
> On Wed, 2010-06-30 at 16:47 -0400, Robert Haas wrote:
>
>> 1. The download page has three links to yum.pgsqlrpms.org.  Two of
>> those links have a look and feel that is similar to postgresql.org.
>> The other one redirects to a commandprompt.com web site with a
>> completely different look and feel, which asks you to click through to
>> another commandprompt.com web site with a third look and feel.  There
>> should really be just one look and feel here, not three (and useless
>> click-through manual redirects).
>
> This is the case with both the main external projects for downloads (see
> the one click installer for example)

Uhm, no it isn't. I'm not talking about the fact that you have
CommandPrompt branding on your pages; I'm talking about the fact that
you have multiple links that go to pages with different branding. On
this page:

http://www.postgresql.org/download/linux

For the one-click installers, the only link is to
http://www.enterprisedb.com/products/pgdownload.do

For the RPMs, there are links to:

http://yum.pgsqlrpms.org/
http://yum.pgsqlrpms.org/news-packagelist.php
http://yum.pgsqlrpms.org/howtoyum.php

The first of these links has a different look and feel than the other two.

>> 2. https://public.commandprompt.com/projects/pgcore/wiki (which is
>> where you eventually get from http://yum.pgsqlrpms.org/)
>
> This has been fixed. If you go to yum.pgsqlrpms.org it takes you
> directly to the project page now.

Looks better.

>> links to
>> https://public.commandprompt.com/projects/pgcore/wiki/Configure_Yum,
>> while the download page has a link to a separate YUM HOWTO at
>> http://yum.pgsqlrpms.org/howtoyum.php; if we need two links to the
>> information on configuration YUM, both should go to the same place.
>
> I am not sure where you see that. Configure_Yum has no external links to
> a howotoyum.php ???. It has a 3 step process and a single exception.

You need to back up a step and look at the download page on
postgresql.org. That is where the link to howtoyum.php is located.

>> 3. Both YUM HOWTOs claim that they will take you to a page where you
>> can choose your operating system version and preferred PostgreSQL
>> version, but both in fact go to
>
> Again, not sure where you see two (please provide more info)

Again, there's one on http://www.postgresql.org/download/linux
pointing to http://yum.pgsqlrpms.org/howtoyum.php and one on
https://public.commandprompt.com/projects/pgcore/wiki going to
https://public.commandprompt.com/projects/pgcore/wiki/Configure_Yum

>> http://yum.pgsqlrpms.org/reporpms/repoview/letter_p.group.html which
>> claims to be specifically 9.0 packages.
>
> What? Oh I see this:
>
> pgdg-centos - PostgreSQL 9.0.X PGDG RPMs for CentOS - Yum Repository
>
> I will see about getting the 9.0.X removed from that.

That would definitely be less confusing. Also, the page that points
you there should say - first choose your architecture - then you'll
get another page where you can pick your PG version.

>> Only after clicking into one
>> of these packages do you realize that older versions are also
>> available.
>
> That isn't true, the list is right there on the page and is explained on
> the Configure_Yum page.

Well, it appears to be true, because of the 9.0.X bit.

--
Robert Haas
EnterpriseDB: http://www.enterprisedb.com
The Enterprise Postgres Company