I’m forced to agree with the French dude.
However, I do think that the more examples (mockups) are submitted, the better indication @romangg might have of which direction to take.
Personally, the tabs on the left → disclosure elements on the right type of format will suit most situations where multiple settings need to be easily accessed. The content (the wording, graphical elements, etc) will still need to be considered irrespective of the general template.
I suggest:
Hide the Auto install open-source button if there is no proprietary driver available
Use free and non-free to describe drivers instead of proprietary and open-source, consistent with terminology in Live ISO boot menu
Replace checkboxes for free drivers with checkmarks
OR Free and non-free text boxes, similar to mhwd-kernel GUI
Make checkbokes showing installed drivers interactive
OR replace with Install text button. Text buttons could either be greyed out to show installed drivers or hidden
Link(s) to the Wiki for further information about specific drivers AND tootips
I think that in the past (on the old forum) there was a Remove option in the right-click menu, but it has since been removed. I suspect a Remove button in the GUI might fail most of the time or cause problems
For the install popup window – Remove the progress bar, make the pop-up larger to cover the main window and show the terminal messages
If manjaro-pacnew-checker is included in future Manjaro ISOs, we could use yad to show the terminal messages
There always has been, and it is still the case, an Install, Remove, and Reinstall option (of course if it is not installed, you will not have the other ones obviously), in the right click menu for the drivers.
An Install option is as “dangerous” as a Remove option, to me it is just logical if it gives the option to install, you need an option to remove.
While im agreeing with your logic above, i saw a install/remove option in the GUI, but on the otherside there is sometimes only code that is activated/deactivated.
For example nouvea or amd driver which are implemented in the Kernel anyways. So for this packages a install/remove option doesn’t make sense, right?
Probably there are other packages where a package install really happen’s and then i also want a remove button.
I’m not sure I understand. If there is a driver in the kernel, you don’t install a package, right?
//EDIT: you may be talking about video-linux? This indeed installs packages for Vulkan, VDPAU, AMDGPU, and some configuration files. It contains mostly all other stuff not in the kernel.
# mhwd Driver Config
NAME="video-linux"
INFO="Standard open source drivers."
VERSION="2024.05.06"
FREEDRIVER="true"
PRIORITY="2"
# VENDOR AMD=1002 INTEL=8086 NVIDIA=10de
VENDORIDS="1002 8086 10de"
# CLASSID 03=Display controller
# 00=VGA compatible controller 02=3D controller 80=Display controller
CLASSIDS="0300 0380 0302"
# DEVICEIDS *=we want to use the whole range of devices from these vendors
DEVICEIDS="*"
# Dependencies
DEPENDS="xf86-video-ati
xf86-video-amdgpu
xf86-video-intel
xf86-video-nouveau
vulkan-intel
vulkan-nouveau
vulkan-radeon
libva-mesa-driver
libva-vdpau-driver
mesa-vdpau"
DEPENDS_64="lib32-vulkan-intel
lib32-vulkan-nouveau
lib32-vulkan-radeon
lib32-libva-vdpau-driver
lib32-mesa-vdpau"
post_install()
{
# Set an array of old mhwd scripts, we will replace with this one
predecessor=(video-hybrid-intel-amdgpu-prime
video-hybrid-intel-nouveau-prime
video-hybrid-intel-radeon-prime
video-hybrid-radeon-amdgpu-prime
video-ati
video-amdgpu
video-intel
video-nouveau)
# Another array of mhwd scripts we dont even support anymore
legacy_bumblebee=(video-hybrid-intel-nouveau-bumblebee
video-hybrid-intel-ati-bumblebee)
# Find and remove old mhwd scripts, without any need to interact with mhwd
for (( i=0; i<${#predecessor[@]}; i++ ));
do
if [ -f "/var/lib/mhwd/local/pci/${predecessor[${i}]}/MHWDCONFIG" ]; then
rm "/var/lib/mhwd/local/pci/${predecessor[${i}]}/MHWDCONFIG"
fi
done
# Find and remove unsupported mhwd-scripts with all components.
# Dont deal with pacman here!
for (( i=0; i<${#legacy_bumblebee[@]}; i++ ));
do
if [ -f "/var/lib/mhwd/local/pci/${legacy_bumblebee[${i}]}/MHWDCONFIG" ]; then
rm "/var/lib/mhwd/local/pci/${legacy_bumblebee[${i}]}/MHWDCONFIG"
if [ -f "/etc/modprobe.d/mhwd-bbswitch.conf" ]; then
rm "/etc/modprobe.d/mhwd-bbswitch.conf"
fi
if [ -f "/etc/bumblebee/xorg.conf.ati" ]; then
rm "/etc/bumblebee/xorg.conf.ati"
fi
if [ -f "/etc/X11/mhwd.d/intel.conf" ]; then
rm "/etc/X11/mhwd.d/intel.conf"
fi
if [ -f "/etc/bumblebee/xorg.conf.nouveau" ]; then
rm "/etc/bumblebee/xorg.conf.nouveau"
fi
if [ -f "/etc/X11/mhwd.d/intel.conf" ]; then
rm "/etc/X11/mhwd.d/intel.conf"
fi
if [ -f "/etc/modprobe.d/mhwd-nouveau.conf" ]; then
rm "/etc/modprobe.d/mhwd-nouveau.conf"
fi
systemctl disable --now bumblebeed.service
fi
done
mhwd-gpu --check
}
post_remove()
{
mhwd-gpu --check
}
My bad - I didn’t check right-click options for installed drivers
An Install option is as “dangerous” as a Remove option
Agree: There will always be a risk when making changes to GPU drivers, but improving the GUI UX and providing better information should reduce the risk for most users
yeah
I wasn’t aware about it, good to know.
i might have used it once to either install the Nvidia Driver or to see if i have the open source or proprietary one installed,but as mentioned,it’s confusing and i wasn’t able to be sure about it.
i appreciate its existence in case i need it and would prefer to use a GUI rather than CLI.
but with my latest Manjaro install,Calamares did everything i needed.
regarding this point,as a new user, Free and non free where confusing to understand,a quick search solved it,but just saying.
Regarding “free and non-free” it really makes no sense. No one is paying for the drivers, they are all free. They are either open source or proprietary. I think the Grub menu should be changed.
I have to agree.
Free and Non-Free are terms that the open-source ethos often demands; they are even used as key words in describing the intended content of software mirrors.
Using those terms feels like there should be some kind of history lessen provided to empower users with knowledge and appreciation of Free Software…
Now, I’m not saying that’s an inherently bad thing; but when (especially newer) users are presented with choices, surely open source and proprietary software is as clear a definition as one can get.
I agree, Driver Selection is much more clear and precise.
No one is paying for the drivers
Philosophy of the GNU Project - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation
Free software means that the software’s users have freedom. (The issue is not about price.) We developed the GNU operating system so that users can have freedom in their computing.
Specifically, free software means users have the four essential freedoms: (0) to run the program, (1) to study and change the program in source code form, (2) to redistribute exact copies, and (3) to distribute modified versions.
They are either open source or proprietary
IMO closed-source would be a less ambiguous antonym for open-source
Do you think mhwd should also be changed?
Configure Graphics Cards - Automated Identification and Installation — Manjaro Wiki
the following command would result in the automatic detection and installation of the best available proprietary driver for a pci-connected graphics card:
user $ sudo mhwd -a pci nonfree 0300Otherwise, the following command would result in the automatic detection and installation of the best available free driver for a pci-connected graphics card:
user $ sudo mhwd -a pci free 0300
Or we could just link to that explanation if anyone is confused about nomenclature
I think because of this ambiguity the more modern therm nowadays is “libre”. Which is the same but different 
@nikgnomic I don’t think that anyone here would disagree with you. But the issue, is for novus or new users, does the term reflect the the proper meaning for the users to make a decision. You and I understand that free refers to open source and open distribution, nonfree refers to closed code or semi closed code. As just one example, FOSS acronym, is “Free Open Source Software”, the first is “Free”, ie no monetary cost, the second is “OpenSource”, the code is open to scrutiny and redistribution. So the term free is incomplete, because you can have code that is free but not open source, the irony here is that NVIDIA drivers are free but closed source. So by FOSS’ own definitions, the current usage of free and nonfree are incomplete in definition.
For a novus user,which do you think would make more sense, free, nonfree or Open Source / Proprietary ?
Because the word/term free has so many definitions, especially with regards to monetary value, it does not convey to the new user a clear definition.
As for mhwd, I don’t see any reason why you could not leave that free/nonfree, it is a command that must be learned, it is not presented to the user at any point.
Were you listening to the GNU Dude’s story?
The monetary value is not the issue here
This is about our basic freedoms to download, share and fork about with Linux stuff
pro libertate / nvidia
Just adding a link for motivation.