How many would be interested in a "real" App Store?

[Botspot]

I'm thinking about creating a Raspberry Pi app store.
All deb packages will be listed, and members of the community will contribute to provide screenshots.

Additionally (IMO this would be the coolest feature), there would be a sort-by popularity feature.
Installed a 3d game that made your Pi crash? Give it a thumbs-down or write a review! Future users will thank you.

Seeing a package's popularity would be very helpful. For example if I needed to install a webcam utility, I go to synaptic and see an overwhelming number of options:

• fswebcam
• webcamoid
• webcamd
• cameramonitor
• cheese
• kamerka
• kamoso
• luvcview
• vgrabbj
• setpwc
• etc...

Well which one? Many, like cheese, are not HW accelerated. Others do a sloppy job decoding the video feed. Very few would get the job done well.
If users could rate packages, the best option would become evident.

Am I the only one who feels this way, or do many of you guys agree such a program would be helpful?

[jamesh]

That's less of an app store, more of an app review site. Which would still be useful.

We did have an online store a few years ago, it was not popular.

[Botspot]

That's less of an app store, more of a app review site. Which would still be useful.

True, it would emphasize the reviews and ratings, but within the software there would certainly be install buttons.
Anyone having trouble picturing it? Check out the Chrome Web Store - that's what I plan to model if enough people are interested.

[W. H. Heydt]

I've seen the Android App Store. I am less than impressed with the idea.

On the other hand, a site offering reviews of various bits of software *might* be useful.

[jamesh]

To me, a list of tested stuff from the repos, with a description of what it does, would be useful. Even a simple works/doesn't work which currently we do not have. - stuff compiles but a lot of it is never tested (for obvious reasons!)

[DougieLawson]

That's less of an app store, more of an app review site. Which would still be useful.

We did have an online store a few years ago, it was not popular.

The demise of the extremely unpopular app store was also not helped by Indiecity (who ran that Raspberry Pi stuff) going belly up in June 2015 (after limping along through late 2014 with little in the way of software that anyone wanted). The stuff folks wanted was mostly included in plain Raspbian at that time.

[epoch1970]

I’ve never seen one successful Linux store. Over the years there were many, many attempts.

Something that tracks popularity (by platform) and useful online resources related to a package (official docs, official project guides, github projects, forum threads...) could perhaps be useful.
I’m sure it represents quite a lot of work, but I’m unsure users would see enough value.

[scruss]

My preferred option wasn't there: grep through apt-cache or apropos information and find the packages from there. Google only knows what words I want to see, not what I want it to do.

An app store would require a colossal effort to maintain. Too much, likely, for volunteers.

[Heater]

Where is the "Hell no, that is a really bad idea option?"

Raspbian already has a means of installing applications: "apt-get install bla-bla" Curated by thousands of people who care about what they do.

If you mean "real App Store" like Android has I say no way! Most of that is infested with malware and spyware. Good grief.

[hippy]

I'm thinking about creating a Raspberry Pi app store.
All deb packages will be listed, and members of the community will contribute to provide screenshots.

Something which allows users to see what's available for a particular task or purpose in one place and what it looks like, how well recommended it is, could be useful. It could save a lot of effort of having to trawl through Google and elsewhere, which still leaves one having to download and try each until one finds the something one likes.

I would say go for it; if you think you can and want to do it then why not.

The only thing I would caution against is using download counts as an indicator of popularity or usefulness. I've downloaded a whole lot of stuff in my time which has near instantly been deleted.

[Heater]

I did not get the "screen shot" idea.

Most of what I need to use on Linux has no GUI. Screen shots would be very boring.

That which does is already famous. Like Chrome, VS Code, Gimp, Inkskape etc.

[neilgl]

No thanks.

[tpylkko]

I believe that there are software out there that does something almost like this already. For example, GNOME software has software classified on use basis and ratings by users, I believe Ubuntu has something similar. I realize that these don't include rpi specific software, but I am not mentioning this to say that the idea is dumb, but that perhaps it might be easier to adapt something that already exists and simply extend it?

[Moonmarch]

A Raspbian OS app store similar to the Microsoft store where you can see screen shots of programs, you will see the user reviews, shows the system requirements, you will be able to launch installed programs using this app store program, etc., there is a website called Snapcraft which is a website that contains Linux apps that can be installed on any supported Linux OS which includes Raspbian, I do not use this website at all the available software is packaged which means installing software should be trouble free if you follow all of the instructions, well my recommendation for anyone interested in installing software on Raspbian OS would be to use either Google search or the Debian website to search for software that you can install on a RPI computer, here is a link to the Snapcraft store:

Snapcraft
https://snapcraft.io/

Here is a link to the Debian website:

Debian
https://www.debian.org/

Let's say a person was searching for a music player for Raspbian OS you would use a search engine to find your software, actually using a app store is relatively the same idea you type in the search inquiry then you search for the software from the list of programs to choose from.

[fruitoftheloom]

Synaptc Package Manger already has the basics of s Software Repository.

Hate the word "Apps" as that is generally associated with Android / iOS

[bensimmo]

My kids liked the App Store or whatever it was called Raspbian had before. They where a bit gutted when we couldn't find it again. They found some nice thing in it.
These were/are children.
That was a month or so before it was pulled. So B+era, to 2B era or possibly Zero original, I can't remember.

So I vote yes, where are many many more users now and certainly many many more children.
It would be nice to see the official supported 'RPF' programs in it, the current setup is nice but from a beginner point of view the have no idea what they are in the Recommended and using the other Software one, the mind just boggles at figuring out what anything is. Very much legacy Linux style and not modern App/Google/Microsoft/Amazon/Steam style.
Get it like than and it will be useful.

If someone wants to edit images, there are no hint in what to use. For a started Tux Paint should be everywhere

Go for for it. See what happens.

[openflight]

What might be more useful in the Pi world is a comprehensive catalog of pre-built images. I suspect that there are all kinds of Pi-based "appliance" images out there: routers, NASs, IoT controllers, IP PBXs, ADS-B receivers, 3D printer controllers, etc. It would be great if there was a single place to go to find them, review them, etc.

[Imperf3kt]

I've found many useful Android apps simply by browsing the google play store, apps I would not have known existed had I not.

While apt get install blah blah works, it only gives you what you want, which may not be the best or even appropriate application.

I like this idea, as long as the upload process is simpler than Google's (all apps are manually reviewed and can take up to three days to be listed or updated. There is also a massive form to fill out that literally takes hours to do. Spyware and malware can creep in, but it is quickly weeded out.)

[Botspot]

I like this idea, as long as the upload process is simpler than Google's

I plan to have this app store only deal with .deb packages on the official repos. Similar to Synaptic but users make an informed decision on which package.

[DougieLawson]

I like this idea, as long as the upload process is simpler than Google's

I plan to have this app store only deal with .deb packages on the official repos. Similar to Synaptic but users make an informed decision on which package.

So what's your unique selling point? Why would I want to use your stuff rather than plain old apt or aptitude or synaptic? What are you going to do differently?

[Botspot]

So what's your unique selling point? Why would I want to use your stuff rather than plain old apt or aptitude or synaptic?

I've tried to explain it already... In a nutshell, my program will be similar to synaptic EXCEPT for the rating functionalities. What's unique? You can look at each package's ratings/reviews, then make an informed decision. See my first post for a good example.

[Heater]

Is that "informed" like the reviews on Amazon? Hardly helpful.

[DougieLawson]

So what's your unique selling point? Why would I want to use your stuff rather than plain old apt or aptitude or synaptic?

I've tried to explain it already... In a nutshell, my program will be similar to synaptic EXCEPT for the rating functionalities. What's unique? You can look at each package's ratings/reviews, then make an informed decision. See my first post for a good example.

OK. I won't need that. I install things based on need to do the process they offer not on some internet keyboard warrior's opinion. Best of luck with your project.

[Heater]

You mean "internet mouse warrior". Like, like, like...

[davidcoton]

You mean "internet mouse warrior". Like, like, like...

No. They only review cheese.