Started work on the interface displayed when the webapp is started with no existing git-annex repository. All this needs to do is walk the user through setting up a repository, as simply as possible.

A tricky part of this is that most of git-annex runs in the Annex monad, which requires a git-annex repository. Luckily, much of the webapp does not run in Annex, and it was pretty easy to work around the parts that do. Dodged a bullet there.

There will, however, be a tricky transition from this first run webapp, to a normally fully running git-annex assistant and webapp. I think the first webapp will have to start up all the normal threads once it makes the repository, and then redirect the user's web browser to the full webapp.

Anyway, the UI I've made is very simple: A single prompt, for the directory where the repository should go. With, eventually, tab completion, sanity checking (putting the repository in "/" is not good, and making it all of "$HOME" is probably unwise).

Ideally most users will accept the default, which will be something like /home/username/Desktop/Annex, and be through this step in seconds.

Suggestions for a good default directory name appreciated.. Putting it on a folder that will appear on the desktop seems like a good idea, when there's a Desktop directory. I'm unsure if I should name it something specific like "GitAnnex", or something generic like "Synced".

Time for the first of probably many polls!

What should the default directory name used by the git-annex assistant be?

[[!poll open=no 19 "Annex" 7 "GitAnnex" 1 "~/git-annex/" 10 "Synced" 0 "AutoSynced" 1 "Shared" 10 "something lowercase!" 1 "CowboyNeal" 1 "Annexbox"]]

(Note: This is a wiki. You can edit this page to add your own poll options!)

Posted Tue Oct 9 19:44:14 2012 Tags: polls

Background: git-annex supports storing data in various special remotes. The git-annex assistant will make it easy to configure these, and easy configurators have already been built for a few: removable drives, rsync.net, locally paired systems, and remote servers with rsync.

Help me prioritize my work: What special remote would you most like to use with the git-annex assistant?

[[!poll open=yes 14 "Amazon S3 (done)" 9 "Amazon Glacier" 7 "Box.com" 54 "My phone (or MP3 player)" 7 "Tahoe-LAFS" 3 "OpenStack SWIFT" 16 "Google Drive"]]

This poll is ordered with the options I consider easiest to build listed first. Mostly because git-annex already supports them and they only need an easy configurator. The ones at the bottom are likely to need significant work. See cloud for detailed discussion.

Have another idea? Absolutely need two or more? Post comments..

Posted Tue Oct 9 19:44:14 2012
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