Include a pre-configuration Kodi?
#1
Brick 
Hello,

Why Kodi team does not develop a "basic" tool to pre-configure?

So the setting is easy by any person it. (no need to have an engineering degree to get there)

This is essential: to create a very simple programming interface for installing and configuring the "basic" features !!!

This tool can be done with a partnership or not.
This tool can be integrated directly into Kodi or be an external tool referenced on the official website Kodi.

00- Provide recovery after setting a migration.

1- Choose a skin.

2. Enable the management movies
   2.1- Set the directory containing movies
   2.2 Defining the directory of the model (Year \ Movie Title, or Year - Movie Title or Title of the film)
   2.2- Where is saved the Movies Fanart (hard disk or a database: specify the storage location)

3- Enable music management
   3.1 Setting the directory containing the music
   3.1 Defining the directory of the model (Artist \ Album or Artist - Album)
   3.2 Where the Artist will be saved Fanart (hard disk or a database: specify the storage location)

4. Enable the weather management
   4.1- Set country and place

5. Enable image management (slide show)
   5.1- Set the directory of the model (Year \ Movie Title, or Year - Movie Title or Title of the film)
   5.2- Defining the type of slideshow (fade, carousel ...)

6. Enable Live TV management
     6.1- Set the directory containing the recording of the tv / Timeshifting
     6.2- Set Encoding to apply for registration

=> After the setup, kodi installs and configures what is going well.

Steps directs the user and it does not ask specific knowledge:
- Download pluggin: what pluggin or find why the one and why not another
- Set the pluggin: what is this setting, why all these parameters

Some pluggins are developed by anyone and does not perform support. (response to clear question, bug fix, update pluggin to always be running, track changes ...)


Why not let the expert mode for graduate engineer lol

If this is not possible, tell me why please and is the orientation of the kodi team on a pre-configuration of the software?
Reply
#2
because any tool that you need to use a program is plain wrong. Our priority is to make it more user friendly and not create some dumb configure wizard which won't help the user at all
Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting, read this first
Interested in seeing some YouTube videos about Kodi? Go here and subscribe
Reply
#3
Our settings already have all of these options. The aim is to make those settings easier to use and to follow, rather than put a layer on top of that.

The biggest thing I think that is missing from our normal settings area is having somewhere that consolidates all library sources. Using "files" to manage sources has a lot of downsides, like having to hunt for what folders have content set, or having phantom sources. However, there are ideas in the pipeline to address even this.

Although, I don't oppose the idea of having more obvious prompts for the user, especially on a fresh install.

I also think the entire process of adding a library source could be more "guided", either in the forum of multiple windows, or a single window with some help description area or other guide text.
Reply
#4
Petpito is suggesting a workflow. I some ways not at all a bad idea.
I am suprised that Martijn appears to be slagging the idea down.
Many software packages comes with an initial install menu where you do the configuration and by the end you know you have given attention to all the elements of the software (and either accepted the suggested standard settings or ammended it to your own settings).

Example: why do I have to go to Appearance, Skin, Settings for some basic menu sttings? Or when I have arrived at this point, why do I so many change options, even in standard setting, let allow advanced, that I am starting to be almost "dazzled" (you know I am exaggerating quite a bit of course, but this is to make the point). Maybe it is a kind of "Dummy" setting to add to advanced and standard.

If KODI is going to be going to an even wider public the user friendlyness (in addition to the wonderful configuration and flexibility) is of the essence!!
Reply
#5
That's exactly right "sattekop."

The team develops kodi few things to set easily kodi on basic features, such as described above.

Kodi's great, it's a lot of things but we can not exploit kodi without setting it for hours. (Everyone is not computer technician or developer)
And if we stick to kodi without setting, both take a program like VLC or windows media center.

This is very useful for userfriendly, and even indispensable!

Thank you.
Reply
#6
I think Kodi team should meet to talk about "officialy" to make a decision.

I do not think the idea was rejected. The idea is very good especially if kodi want to gain market share and "conquer the world".

The software to be the better of the world, it is not readily usable / configurable, it will not give anything.

I am not able to quantify the development time and cost, but I'm sure it can allow kodi going forward.

I am developer of business in France and when I talk to my colleagues in xbmc / kodi, we have exactly the same feeling.
Reply
#7
I said we first need to clean up our whole settings and configurations make that easier. Some random wizard will just cover up a design flaw and having that will help absolutely not.
When that is done then there could perhaps be a place for a quick config window
Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting, read this first
Interested in seeing some YouTube videos about Kodi? Go here and subscribe
Reply
#8
Like I said, that is our aim. We are already trying to streamline such things. Making something "easy" to use is actually really hard, especially when you balance it with the need to be highly customizable (which is a fundamental pillar of the program).

Here's my personal take on it:

We could be more simple and streamlined in order to have an easier set-up achieved sooner than our current pace, but that's not what the group wants to do. We don't want to be a VLC or a Windows Media Center. Our aim is not going after the wider non-technical users. We are not one-size-fits all, and honestly, we don't "need" to expand to more users. We're not a company who has to meet a certain growth rate. As it is right now, with our technical set up, we're still growing in users. For the people who work on the software, the priority is being easy to use first, then we work on easy to set up. Anyone in my family can use Kodi, because I've set it up.

Kodi is a multitool for building a media center.

All that being said, of course we are still going to improve things. We will always aim to make things easier to set up, but not at the expense of sacrificing the features that make Kodi what it is today. I think we will eventually get there, but it takes time.

Yes, having a better workflow is part of this, and going into that detail would be the best direction for this thread. You don't have to convince us to try to improve things.
Reply
#9
(2014-12-24, 15:20)Martijn Wrote: I said we first need to clean up our whole settings and configurations make that easier. Some random wizard will just cover up a design flaw and having that will help absolutely not.
When that is done then there could perhaps be a place for a quick config window

I don't think there is a need to "wait", I just don't think anyone on Team Kodi is interested in working on a wizard. Add-ons can already interface with nearly all settings, so if someone outside of the team wanted to make a quick configuration window/wizard, there wouldn't be anything stopping them.

I would love to see a webserver add-on for settings. Not necessarily to be "noobie friendly", but actually to make things easier for all users, both new and power users alike. Maybe someone could kill two birds with one stone that way?
Reply
#10
That's true. However i think the goal should be to invest to a better inside configuration instead of some outside addon eating away effort. No one stopping them though
Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting, read this first
Interested in seeing some YouTube videos about Kodi? Go here and subscribe
Reply
#11
Yes why not rethink the settings window.

With a beginner mode with lots of pre-populate the default setting.

Moreover, it would propose pluggins with their settings for the basic features: music and movies fanart fanart

Almost everything should be set in kodi and pluggins MUST resume settings entered in kodi.

=> I do not want an extra layer to handle this.


I know xbmc since 3/4 years, the setting was a little better but not enough and I enttends often commented on the complexity of the setup.

Is (overhaul) deeply rework kodi setting is the agenda?
Reply
#12
A plugin is good but you do not control anything.

It can be developed by anyone.
He can not work overnight, it takes the hotfix.
It can not be maintained overnight.
It can be linked to one and only one version of kodi.
One can find x plugins doing the same thing, which one to choose, who does what?
Reply
#13
Maybe this is not possible, but I see things like this (example) :

kodi lists all the settings.
   music library path
     path storage music fanart

   video library path (movies, series)
     path storage movies fanart

Enable the "get fanart" via fanart.tv / themoviedb

Additional plugins downloaded should be based on what has been set in kodi. (path, option)
They allow expert settings and point to other repository that fanart.tv / themoviedb
Reply

Logout Mark Read Team Forum Stats Members Help
Include a pre-configuration Kodi?2