[Bug 847508] [NEW] Option to only show packages of user's architecture.

[Anthony Harrington]

Public bug reported:

Firstly, Synaptic Package Manager is great! I use the 64bit version of ubuntu, and have noticed that in Oneiric, for the majority of packages, synaptic displays both architecture types now - i'm pretty sure that wasn't available in Natty?
So, when i'm looking for a package e.g. "3dchess", i can now download 3dchess or just beneath it is "3dchess:i386".  

Correct me if i'm wrong, but before the days of html5, when 64bit flash
versions were scarce or non-existent (!), it meant doing a messy
workaround with nspluginwrapper to get the 32bit flash working on your
64bit browser, or downloading a 32bit version of your webbrowser - this
was a problem because in synaptic, it would give you the browser version
suited to your computer's architecture, and the only way to get a 32bit
version would be to go to their website etc

While this is a great addition to synaptic, and i imagine very helpful to those of us testing/using programs under a different architecture, it does mean that to the regular user, the package lists are considerably longer and there's more to wade through. 
So i have 2 questions:

1) Do 32bit oneiric users see something like "3dchess:amd64" i.e. do
they get to see/download 64bit programs or was this change for 64bit
users, for reasons conjectured above?

2) (I don't think this option exists?) Could you please add an option
somewhere (maybe a tick box) to "Only show packages of my architecture"
under "Settings-> Preferences -> Files" or "Settings -> Preferences ->
General"  Something like that? Something that will make this new
behaviour optional?

I don't really mind this change because it does more good than not but
when i'm looking for packages in the list, the lists are of course
longer and when i think i've missed ticking something important, it's
actually the same package but i386!

Thanks for your time :)

** Affects: synaptic (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: Opinion

** Changed in: synaptic (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Opinion

** Summary changed:

- Option to only show user's architecture.
+ Option to only show packages of user's architecture.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to synaptic in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/847508

Title:
  Option to only show packages of user's architecture.

Status in “synaptic” package in Ubuntu:
  Opinion

Bug description:
  Firstly, Synaptic Package Manager is great! I use the 64bit version of ubuntu, and have noticed that in Oneiric, for the majority of packages, synaptic displays both architecture types now - i'm pretty sure that wasn't available in Natty?
  So, when i'm looking for a package e.g. "3dchess", i can now download 3dchess or just beneath it is "3dchess:i386".  

  Correct me if i'm wrong, but before the days of html5, when 64bit
  flash versions were scarce or non-existent (!), it meant doing a messy
  workaround with nspluginwrapper to get the 32bit flash working on your
  64bit browser, or downloading a 32bit version of your webbrowser -
  this was a problem because in synaptic, it would give you the browser
  version suited to your computer's architecture, and the only way to
  get a 32bit version would be to go to their website etc

  While this is a great addition to synaptic, and i imagine very helpful to those of us testing/using programs under a different architecture, it does mean that to the regular user, the package lists are considerably longer and there's more to wade through. 
  So i have 2 questions:

  1) Do 32bit oneiric users see something like "3dchess:amd64" i.e. do
  they get to see/download 64bit programs or was this change for 64bit
  users, for reasons conjectured above?

  2) (I don't think this option exists?) Could you please add an option
  somewhere (maybe a tick box) to "Only show packages of my
  architecture"  under "Settings-> Preferences -> Files" or "Settings ->
  Preferences -> General"  Something like that? Something that will make
  this new behaviour optional?

  I don't really mind this change because it does more good than not but
  when i'm looking for packages in the list, the lists are of course
  longer and when i think i've missed ticking something important, it's
  actually the same package but i386!

  Thanks for your time :)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/synaptic/+bug/847508/+subscriptions