Confusing Message for Uninstalling PI

phossler · 04-07-2021, 09:55 PM

I wanted to uninstall a PI

Filtered by "Installed"

Highlighted the PI

The main button was still labeled [Install]

Finally figured the right-click and did what needed to be done

1. Changing the button caption depending on the action might eliminate some confusion. If an Installed PI is selected, then [Uninstall]. If an Uninstalled PI is selected, then [Install]

2. [Customize] is disabled (dim) when an uninstalled PI is selected (good), but is always enabled if an installed PI is selected, even though Calibre knows that there is no customization available. Maybe it should always be disabled unless there are customizations available

kovidgoyal · 04-07-2021, 10:03 PM

The canonical way to uninstall plugins is via Preferences->Plugins->Choose the plugin and click the remove plugin button.

phossler · 04-07-2021, 10:22 PM

Well, sure -- that's one way

It appears that 'worker' PIs that are part of the main PI can be disabled. I don't know if that's a good thing. The KFX input and output PI each have helpers that can be individually disabled

However, I still think that the UI for [Get Plugins to enhance calibre] should be internally consistent: [Uninstall] or [Install] as appropriate, [Customize] enabled if available

kovidgoyal · 04-07-2021, 10:24 PM

I agree, however, given that code is kiwidude's, me doing surgery on it is rahter more work than I care for.

theducks · 04-08-2021, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phossler

I wanted to uninstall a PI

Filtered by "Installed"

Highlighted the PI

The main button was still labeled [Install]

Finally figured the right-click and did what needed to be done

1. Changing the button caption depending on the action might eliminate some confusion. If an Installed PI is selected, then [Uninstall]. If an Uninstalled PI is selected, then [Install]

2. [Customize] is disabled (dim) when an uninstalled PI is selected (good), but is always enabled if an installed PI is selected, even though Calibre knows that there is no customization available. Maybe it should always be disabled unless there are customizations available

You are installing the option selected

(FWIW In windows, you use the INSTALLER to remove a program)

Give Kiwidude a free pass, IT JUST WORKS .
Before that, we had to search MR, then download, then use Preferences.

phossler · 04-08-2021, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

You are installing the option selected

(FWIW In windows, you use the INSTALLER to remove a program)

I wasn't quibbling about the program(s), only the UI part the user (me) sees (attachment)

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Give Kiwidude a free pass, IT JUST WORKS .
Before that, we had to search MR, then download, then use Preferences.

I'm unaware of Kiwidude's involvement or contributions, so I can't say anything, except 'Thanks'. I will certainly go with whatever Kovid says.

However, [Preferences] shows all plugins, not just user ones (I saw the checkbox)

My comment was that using Preferences->Plugins certainly works, but since it apparently allows what I'm guessing is some sort of PI worker process to be uninstalled by itself, it doesn't seem as safe as using the [Get plugins to enhance calibre] option to uninstall a PI which seems to housekeep a PI and it's worker PIs all at one time.

theducks · 04-08-2021, 01:32 PM

Get PI was invented as a way of handling 3rd Party Plugins POSTED TO MR (plugin index).
It does not handle all 3rd Party PI or ones not added to the index (It also does not include Beta notices, but will remove any once listed)
It also does not include builtin PI that are maintained by Kovid (&crew)

davidfor · 04-09-2021, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phossler

My comment was that using Preferences->Plugins certainly works, but since it apparently allows what I'm guessing is some sort of PI worker process to be uninstalled by itself, it doesn't seem as safe as using the [Get plugins to enhance calibre] option to uninstall a PI which seems to housekeep a PI and it's worker PIs all at one time.

Sorry, but, nothing along those lines happens with either method of removing a plugin. Both methods basically just delete the plugin file. They both just call the same method in the calibre base code to do this. There is no attempt to stop anything the plugin might have loaded, or to remove configuration or any other files the plugin created. Plugins do not have support for any uninstall actions. Both methods have lot more code than calling a method that deletes the zip file, but, it is all about updating the UI to show the plugin is no longer there.

As an example of this, the Annotations plugin starts something when calibre starts. And running calibre in debug mode, I can see a message that this is stopping when I close calibre. I just removed the plugin, waited a couple of minutes and closed calibre. Again, the Annotations thread wrote out a message about being closed. When I then installed the plugin, I didn't lose any configuration, and the button appeared in the same place in the toolbar.

From this, I think "remove" is the correct description of what is being done. If anything, "Install" is wrong and it should be "Add".

phossler · 04-09-2021, 11:07 AM

I'm glad I was misunderstanding 'something'

I probably used the wrong terminology, and I really didn't want to mess about too much by trying different things

I got as far as the attachment below, which looks like some components of the KFX PI's could be disabled. I was worried about the effect that might have on the main PI's

The gist of my first comment was that using the [Get plugins to enhance calibre] path, the button captions were (to me) a little misleading, in that an installed PI selected had a button captioned "Install" and that the Uninstall was on a right-click

The last time I used the Preferences path to install a PI was long ago when I had to load a PI in a Zip (I think)

theducks · 04-09-2021, 12:31 PM

All User PI are in a Zip. That is the way they MUST stay.

phossler · 04-09-2021, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

All User PI are in a Zip. That is the way they MUST stay.

What I meant was that I loaded a PI that was not on the calibre list (for some reason) and had to use Preferences --> Plugins --> Load plugin from file to add the PI ZIP file

Been a long while

04-07-2021, 09:55 PM	#1
phossler Wizard Posts: 1,071 Karma: 412718 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Valley Forge, PA, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Confusing Message for Uninstalling PI I wanted to uninstall a PI Filtered by "Installed" Highlighted the PI The main button was still labeled [Install] Finally figured the right-click and did what needed to be done 1. Changing the button caption depending on the action might eliminate some confusion. If an Installed PI is selected, then [Uninstall]. If an Uninstalled PI is selected, then [Install] 2. [Customize] is disabled (dim) when an uninstalled PI is selected (good), but is always enabled if an installed PI is selected, even though Calibre knows that there is no customization available. Maybe it should always be disabled unless there are customizations available Attached Thumbnails

04-07-2021, 10:22 PM	#3
phossler Wizard Posts: 1,071 Karma: 412718 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Valley Forge, PA, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Well, sure -- that's one way It appears that 'worker' PIs that are part of the main PI can be disabled. I don't know if that's a good thing. The KFX input and output PI each have helpers that can be individually disabled However, I still think that the UI for [Get Plugins to enhance calibre] should be internally consistent: [Uninstall] or [Install] as appropriate, [Customize] enabled if available Attached Thumbnails

04-09-2021, 11:07 AM	#9
phossler Wizard Posts: 1,071 Karma: 412718 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Valley Forge, PA, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I'm glad I was misunderstanding 'something' I probably used the wrong terminology, and I really didn't want to mess about too much by trying different things I got as far as the attachment below, which looks like some components of the KFX PI's could be disabled. I was worried about the effect that might have on the main PI's The gist of my first comment was that using the [Get plugins to enhance calibre] path, the button captions were (to me) a little misleading, in that an installed PI selected had a button captioned "Install" and that the Uninstall was on a right-click The last time I used the Preferences path to install a PI was long ago when I had to load a PI in a Zip (I think) Attached Thumbnails Last edited by phossler; 04-09-2021 at 11:27 AM.

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04-07-2021, 10:03 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The canonical way to uninstall plugins is via Preferences->Plugins->Choose the plugin and click the remove plugin button.

04-07-2021, 10:24 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I agree, however, given that code is kiwidude's, me doing surgery on it is rahter more work than I care for.

04-08-2021, 01:32 PM	#7
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,798 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Get PI was invented as a way of handling 3rd Party Plugins POSTED TO MR (plugin index). It does not handle all 3rd Party PI or ones not added to the index (It also does not include Beta notices, but will remove any once listed) It also does not include builtin PI that are maintained by Kovid (&crew)

04-09-2021, 12:31 PM	#10
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,798 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	All User PI are in a Zip. That is the way they MUST stay.