New software idea, helping users find preferred applications.

[Erik Parmann]

sparkes wrote:

>
> Not to piss on your bonfire but before you think any further on this
> problem you really need to look at how HAL works.  HAL already has a
> database of hardware so that it knows how to work ;-)
>
>
Thanks for your comment, I did look some more at HAL today, and for me 
it seams like Bill will be "a layer up". Bill's main (and only 
assignment ) is _not_ to start the preferred application when a 
hardware-device is put in the computer, but the get the software needed 
to operate the hardware. It would then report back to HAL, and Hal would 
then start that application the next time the  hardware device is 
entered. I don't image Bill as a daemon, it would just be started when 
it was needed, do the one job and then shut down again. But your comment 
did make me think about something else, and that is how many hardware 
devices there is like Zen (witch made me think about Bill in the first 
place):
-Which don't work "out of the box" (not mass storage device)
-But only need user level software (or software witch work without 
further work than installing the package)
While HAL do start those applications needed to do a job(that is a file 
manager, cd player etc), it don't help the user install if (s)he lacks 
the application needed. That would be Bill's job. And off course the 
file type-thing, getting software needed to work on different file types 
when the GUI (user) request them.