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It used to be the case - I found this old screenshot: https://cockpit-project.org/images/service-details.png The issue is, that when you switch to a different machine, then the user you logged in as, can differ from who you are on the current (switched) system. That causes inconsistency. Also users who use ssh are used to |
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The problem with a hamburger menu is that it maybe promises to much: a complete main menu. This is why I think a 'kebab menu' could be used. But maybe there is a different icon that is applicable? |
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We used to have a "hamburger menu" in Cockpit, but only in mobile mode. We had since restyled to the empty avatar, just as PF4 does. https://www.patternfly.org/v4/components/page/design-guidelines#masthead
However, we do not use the hamburger icon to show/hide nav like they suggest, as it doesn't make sense in Cockpit. And if we did use a hamburger menu icon in Cockpit, then we would be reusing an icon that looks like other PatternFly apps that does a different thing, so we should avoid doing so. And kebab icons are used in-page, not in the navbar really. They're usually meant to be used for "other stuff" like "other actions" (and in some cases the only actions you can choose aside from interacting with a table row, for example). So what could we use? We could use a gear icon in its place, perhaps...?
They are session settings, after all. It's not really system-account things. (Previously, Cockpit did have a quick link to the logged in user's account management page in the menu too, as well as help.) Language is a session-related setting. SSH keys modifies the system, but is still user related and vital to the session—however, it is a setting too. Log out is definitely session-related, but not a setting, though. So a gear isn't really a 100% fit either, but it might be the closest familiar concept aside from a user picture (which we have now). I'd like to point out most sites have a pattern of a user picture in the top-right. Google does this across their websites and many of their apps.
So does Flickr.
Facebook does this as well, with notifications to the right of the user related settings.
Amazon has a user menu with settings in the top-right too (although with a shopping cart in the far right).
Twitter used to do this too, but they moved the same concept to the bottom-left... except in mobile, where it's the top-left. But it's exclusively account settings, like switching accounts. Their settings are under the "More" menu. My point is that it's a very common pattern across most of the Web. So it might not be a big problem overall. The big issue is that it's a generic profile image with no way to change it and that it's mainly tied to a session, not an account, so having an account icon is a bit misleading. Some of the sites use a name, some use a picture, some use both... but we're using a blank picture and no name (now). Although the name is on the left, but that's an account on a system. It's probably worth nothing Firefox uses a gear in the top-right of the start page to change the settings of what you see there.
Chrome and Edge use an account icon in their toolbar with a menu (which is similar to Firefox's menu that you mention). But Edge also has in-page settings on the start page in the shape of a gear, just like Firefox. Brave also has a gear for editing, but it's in the bottom-right.
Additionally, I don't think people had issues with this in the usability studies we ran, but it's been a while and I don't think we specifically tested for this. Plus, memories change over time, so I could also be misremembering it too. |
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We could change the top-right to look like this:
I noticed that PF now suggests a filled circle for the heading, wheras the line version is for in-page help icons. This is new. We should update. I've updated it in this mockup. With the outline version that we're currently using, the cog looks out of place, but it fits right in with the solid version.
In context of the rest of the page, it would look like this:
One problem with the cog: We're using it in the metrics settings. This would mean two cogs right above each other. They'd each have different words, but it'd probably still be a little odd. Here's a screenshot:
And here's a modification to make it show what it would look lik eeven with the stacking:
Additionally, someone might think the cog is a flower. But that's fine. Whatever, it's the session and settings flower then. 💮 😁 If you have a suggestion for something else, PatternFly's icon library is browsable at: https://www.patternfly.org/v4/guidelines/icons/#all-icons |
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I think the idea to rename it to Another option would be to use the I think having two cogs near each other is not really a problem: I think the user will understand the difference. In doubt you could use the I went through the list of all icons but couldn't find a better, more appropriate one. Random thought: I just realized that the logo of Cockpit isn't used anywhere in the application. Not a problem but maybe it could be added somewhere? So the user knows he/she is using Cockpit. |
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Yeah, I thought of that too, with the same issue as well. It's not really time related.
I was also wondering about this. It's probably not really a big deal, especially as both have text right after the icon.
Same.
We purposefully don't mention the name Cockpit anywhere but the about dialog. We should improve the about dialog though; there's an open issue on that: #15961. By-the-way, I converted this dicussion into an issue @ #16173. |
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What is the reason for this? Now the application looks a little bit anonymous.
Great! I just noticed that the help menu, strangely enough, now also becomes more visible. |
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Maybe a stupid question but what is the difference between the section |
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They are for "opposite ends" of SSH: The accounts page's user details shows the users ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, i.e. public keys that can ssh into that user's account on this machine. The session menu's SSH keys shows the SSH public/private key pairs of the user who is logged into cockpit, i.e. the keys which you can use to ssh to some other machines. |
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Ah, thanks! I now understand what it is used for! And are they session related (it's in the session menu) or are they permanent? |
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"Server" keys is misleading IMHO -- these are keypairs for the client side of SSH. (A "server key" sounds more like an SSH host key.) The dialog explains this some more: "Use the following keys to authenticate against other systems". "SSH identity keys" perhaps, but that's getting rather long for the menu. |
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The last week there have been a few occasions that I wanted to now under which username I was logged in (as a normal user or as root). When I start searching for it, I automatically started looking at the top right of the screen because that's where the dummy image of the avatar is visible.
My suggestion:
Move the username from the top left side of the screen (username@hostname) to the top right side of the screen (at the right side of the avatar). You can keep the hostname at the top left side.
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