98458 - nsXPInstallManager should display install error status

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Core Graveyard :: Installer: XPInstall Engine, enhancement)

Description

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

Our current design strongly discourages install scripts from showing any UI
alerts or such, because they interfere with trying to package multiple installs
in various ways (triggered from a "Smart Update" site, used in the native
installs, etc.).  With trigger callbacks websites *could* display status
themselves, but apparently many do not. They also could not do so if the user
just clicks on a link in a directory listing.

Errors *are* written into the install log, but users do not know to look there.
That's mainly useful for support purposes.

When an install is handled by the nsXPInstallManager (so we know it's not in the
UI-less install wizard world) we should give some sort of status to the user, at
least in the error case. Even in the success case some folks would like positive
feedback, although others don't want to have to deal with the extra click that
would be required.

Need UI/UE help designing what kind of feedback would be acceptable and
effective. This is especially tricky in the multiple install case.

Comment 1

[Syd Logan]

reassigning to David

Comment 2

[Jimmy Lee]

Reassigning QA Contact to Grace.

Comment 3

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

Before anyone goes off and implements this let's get a design spec. If we switch
to using the standard download dialog for the downloading part (another RFE) we
could get more creative on our own dialog such as showing which install is in
progress and what it's status is.  Or we could simply pop up an alert at the end
witht he status for all installs, maybe skipping that step if they were all
successful. 

Whether we want to leave room in the design for future signature information is
another fundamental decision that will have to be made first.

Comment 4

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

This will fall out of the embedding work I think, taking.

Comment 5

[Syd Logan]

Resetting milestone of all nsbeta1-bugs, only nsbeta1+ bugs should have a target
milestone.

Comment 6

[Syd Logan]

Resetting milestone, only nsbeta1+ bugs can have a milestone on them, these are
niminated, but not yet plussed.

Comment 7

[Syd Logan]

only nsbeta1+ bugs can have milestones, resetting to ---

Comment 8

[Daniel Veditz [:dveditz]]

Landed embeddable XPInstall

Comment 9

[Grace Bush]

verified all platforms- 4/1 builds
error status displayed on UI