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Bug 348301

Summary: [ui] Install New Software Dialog is too large
Product: [Eclipse Project] Equinox Reporter: Tzvi <tzvi.ro>
Component: p2Assignee: Matthew Piggott <matthew>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: enhancement    
Priority: P3 CC: Ed.Merks, fong, gunnar, irbull, kopano.fedora, matthew, niels, pascal, remy.suen
Version: 4.5.0 Mars   
Target Milestone: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: All   
Whiteboard:
Attachments:
Description Flags
Screenshot showing the inaccessible list area
none
Eclipse 4.6M5 broken install software dialog window none

Description Tzvi CLA 2011-06-04 11:26:42 EDT 
Build Identifier: Eclipse 3.6/3.7/4.1

I am running Eclipse on a small 10" netbook.
All is fine except that I cannot install new software through the "Help > Install New Software" dialog since it's too tall.
This causes the list of packages (the list view, showing "Name | Version") to have zero height so I cannot see or select the packages.

There is apparently some wasted space at the bottom of the dialog, between the checkboxes and the buttons. Any chance this dialog can be refactored a little differently (or at least have some space reclaimed).

I'm running Ubuntu 10.10 so the only fixed element on the screen is the panel at the top (which consumes ~20 pixels of height). The resolution of a netbook is 1024x600.
I would really like that the user interface would be designed with these restrictions in mind, this will enable Eclipse to increase its number of usable platforms.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Install Eclipse on a netbook with 1024x600 resolution.
2. Go to the menu, select "Help" then "Install New Software"
3. Examine the "list" area. It's unsable.
Comment 1 Remy Suen CLA 2011-06-04 13:25:28 EDT 
Please attach a screenshot.
Comment 2 Tzvi CLA 2011-06-04 13:46:43 EDT 
Created attachment 197346 [details]
Screenshot showing the inaccessible list area

You can see in the screenshot the list area. It's obvious it is unusable in its current state.
Comment 3 DJ Houghton CLA 2011-06-06 10:21:48 EDT 
The code is in AvailableIUsPage. The software list should grow and shrink with the space changes, and the "view controls area" should be attached to the bottom of the page.
Comment 4 Matthew Piggott CLA 2011-06-06 10:24:56 EDT 
Pascal and I wondered if we might be able to put the options in an expandable section.  We could probably also balance the checkboxes better and save a line.
Comment 5 Thomas Watson CLA 2011-06-08 11:28:55 EDT 
Move all 3.8 bugs to Juno.
Comment 6 Pascal Rapicault CLA 2011-06-10 22:50:24 EDT 
*** Bug 331275 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 7 kopano mosweu CLA 2012-05-03 14:18:57 EDT 
It would seem this bug/problem is still not fixed, Please see details of my
configuration below:

Fedora Release 17 (BeefyMiracle) 64-bit
Kernel Linux 3.3.4-1.fc17.x86_64
GNOME 3.4.1
Intel® Core™ i3-2310M CPU @ 2.10GHz × 4
7.7 GiB

Eclipse Platform

Version: 4.2.0
Build id: I20120429-1800
Comment 8 Ian Bull CLA 2012-06-11 14:58:37 EDT 
Matt, feel free to put this on the Kepler plan, leave it as is, or kick it back to the inbox (add a helpwanted keyword if you kick it back).
Comment 9 Matthew Piggott CLA 2013-02-12 09:33:16 EST 
*** Bug 400524 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 10 Tzvi CLA 2013-02-12 10:08:58 EST 
Hi,

I'm the original reporter who opened that bug (nearly two years ago).
I'm now testing Eclipse 4.3M5a and I see that the bug hasn't been fixed yet.

Considering that the fix should be fairly simple, I feel my hopes that the bug would ever be fixed dissipate quickly and despair takes their place.

Apparently others have been bothered enough by this to actually report it as well, however this wasn't sufficient to convince any of Eclipse's developers to take on this bug.

I therefore appeal to you again to try and solve this for the greater good.
Pretty please.

Much obliged,
   Tzvi.
Comment 11 Tzvi CLA 2016-02-07 02:20:46 EST 
I've gotta say I'm terribly disappointed at the lack of progress with this bug.
On surface this appears to be a simple issue to fix, which will improve overall usability and probably be a correct layout design anyhow.

This bug was opened 5 years ago, others have experienced and reported it (like this one, who wasn't marked as a duplicate yet, Bug 400974) and no change was made to it yet.

You cannot use CDT or install any other features on a low resolution monitor. Not because there isn't enough screen real-estate, but because the layout creates large vacant unused empty spaces in the dialog.

This is still true for Eclipse 4.6M5 5 years later, making it quite unusable for such circumstances.

I've attached another screenshot for the most recent version of Eclipse.
Comment 12 Tzvi CLA 2016-02-07 02:22:33 EST 
Created attachment 259616 [details]
Eclipse 4.6M5 broken install software dialog window
Comment 13 Ed Merks CLA 2020-02-19 03:56:05 EST 
The dialog remembers the size.  The latest picture shows it's too small, but the bug title complains it's too big.   Maybe after the 500 other open bugs are triaged, this issue can be revisited.