The new Guigna app

[Ian Wadham]

Hi guys,

Here is something you might like to have a look at.

On 10 Feb, Guido Soranzio posted here
https://lists.macosforge.org/pipermail/macports-dev/2013-February/021976.html
about his new Guigna app.  You can find it on GitHub at:
    https://github.com/gui-dos/Guigna

and you can clone it (check out the source code) with:
    git clone https://github.com/gui-dos/Guigna.git

in a suitable working directory.  That creates a Guigna/git subdirectory.

Or you can see a overview and screenshot here:

    https://github.com/gui-dos/Guigna/blob/master/README.md

Two days ago, I cloned and built it.  It is an Xcode project, written in
OS X 4.8 I think, but I was able to change the "Deployment Target"
project attribute to 10.7 and get it to go.

It already provides much of functionality I would like to see in a
Macports GUI --- and it takes care of not just Macports , but also
Homebrew, Fink and some other sources.  It even provides an
inventory of your Apple and App Store software, and I was quite
surprised to see my copy of Angry Birds in there … gotta keep up
with the grandkids … ;-)

Guigna is beautifully laid out, but has just a few rough edges …  Hell,
Guido's first commit was only nine days ago!

Some of you will like the way it delegates port actions to a Terminal
window, and that is where you put in your admin password, just as
in the "real" Macports … :-)  I believe you can even intervene in that
window and insert some commands, just as if you were using "port"
from a command-line.

Wearing my end-user hat, I do not like that approach, but I believe
it would be possible to have both "Pro" and "Home" options in Guigna,
if Guido does not object.

I'd like to write a mini-spec for the "Home" option in the next few days
and put it up for review.  Then, if it is OK with you, Guido, maybe I
could start tinkering with some ideas on a local Git branch.

And guys, Guigna is well worth a look!  Give it a go.

All the best, Ian W.