Is it possible to start a project to improve the design of the program so as to make it more intuitive?
One of the biggest problems in software across the board is a lack of a proper intuitive design, and even in the best, this area can be improved. Virtualmin has a distinct shortcoming in this area, and whose repair I am confident could improve its overall popularity tremendously if it were improved.
Thank you.
Can you give some specific
Can you give some specific examples of what you find unintuitive in the UI?
Well, here are a few. After
Well, here are a few.
After starting up, one is presented with a column on the left and a window on the right. The left column could be improved with reorganization in a more sensical format. For instance, the confusion begins with the unresolved option of starting something new or working with something already existing. Then the confusion is compounded with an improper arrangement of odd groupings that remain non-intuitive.
Further, there is no reason that Virtualmin and Webmin cannot be combined as they appropriately overlap their target areas of expertise. If Usermin can be part of Webmin, they can both be part of Virtualmin.
I would also suggesst that across the top of the screen should be a bar that shows which support options are active, such as Virtualmin, Webmin, SWAT, Usermin, PHPmyadmin, etc.. A green check shows active, and greyed out shows inactive. It would be nice to know what one has available to work with at a glance.
The opening page shows system information and three or four other areas one can expand or collapse. While there is an option at the top to configure that page, it disappears if one switches to the server list. How does one go back to the way it was? Why can't one actually customize what they want displayed in the order they want it displayed?
There is little doubt that having a list of one's servers along with the system information is more important than Virtualmin news information that cannot be kept collapsed. When one hides that information it just disappears. Even if something is checked to make visible in the config, it doesn't show up at all. Weird. And the user should be able to select which sections of information are expanded.
What does "whichever is first" mean in the default mode option? First of what?
There is a choice to configure the quota and bandwidth display, but it doesn't exist on that page.
The user should be able to just drag the horizontal divider to resize the left and right panes.
With regard to the left pane: Edit template defaults should be the first item. Create Virtual Server should be the second item. The drop-down list of existing servers should be the third item. The edit choices for mail, FTP, aliases, and databases should be combined with the server they are associated with and show up when the existing server is selected with the green arrow.
Many item categories are totally illogical in their groupings, as alluded to earlier. For instance, I want to edit my server, but find that changing the DNS records aren't there where they should be, but are found under Server Configuration. But to make it more confusing, the rest of the DNS for that server is found under Webmin > Servers > BIND DNS Server. And it takes an awful lot of mouse clicks to get to that and back again.
But wait, the BIND DNS Server screen was available from the main Virtualmin page under Status > BIND DNS Server. That appears to prove one thing for sure; proper rearrangement is easily accomplished by simple linking.
IMHO, this gives a good overall view of the GUI's design problems. What is sad about it is that Virtualmin and its fellows is extremely powerful and capable in what they can do. They just do it in such a convoluted and inefficient manner, to the point of distraction. The polishing of this part of this very exceptional program would move it to the undisputed top of the pile of control panels. Of that I am quite certain.
I believe that a simple hierarchal display of options would easily show a better arrangement, and that would make it easy to implement.
As always, thanks much for your consideration.
bump. I have newly switched
bump. I have newly switched to Virtualmin from cPanel. I have not tried Virtualmin PRO. The whole operation appears to be technically great, but behind on marketing and UX.
VIRTUALMIN'S GREAT FOR ME...but could be easier for non-techies. If I make suggestions for improvement it is because I want to see it do well.
Reason for not switching to PRO is that I do not really want the script installers (I mostly do Drupal and would not use a script installer for that), no reselling, and no one but me needs to do much on the server. However, the differences between GPL and PRO are not at all easy to find on the website. I worked it out, but it starts me thinking Virtualmin is very much aimed at the sysadmin market, not the general website owner.
cPanel's bunch of group icons for end user is much more suited for non-technical people. In Virtualmin setting up an email box involves 'add user to domain'. Something like 'create email account' (with icon) would be more intuitive. Seeing a bunch of icons at first login would be a good idea.
Virtualmin and Webmin have partially overlapping routes for administering things like mail, virtual servers, and databases. This is a bit confusing.
Anyway, thanks for a great piece of software. Clearly in advance of cPanel in the areas that matter.