Dockers have received a lot of attention lately. Rightfully so, since docker should be used to install the kind of global applications that plugins were used for in the past.

 

However there are still some tools / utilities (unraid specific usually) that are better as plugins, and while the quality of the plugins being released has improved a lot, one thing that hasn't really kept up is the way plugins are organization in the GUI.

 

Issue: The Plugin Tab is only for installing, updating, and uninstalling plugins (and the OS...)

 

Why is this an issue: I know when I first started using unRAID I was very confused because I installed a Plex Plugin, and had no clue that I had to go to the Settings Tab to find the actual way to interact with the Plugin I just installed.

 

Suggestion: Settings should only be for Core Settings and Functions provided with the OS. Plugins should have an additional sub-tab (named Settings or something else...) which is where you find the launch page for plugin setting pages.  This can be accomplished by creating some guidance for plugin authors and setting up better best practices.

 

Updating Core Software such as the OS and provided GUI should be in a separate place, (suggest under Settings) (A person not running any plugins, and with no intention of ever running plugins may not even know to look at the plugins tab to find updates for the OS)

 

This more cleanly differentiates what is a plugin and what is provided the OS.

 

Additional Ideas: Perhaps create a few categories on the "Installed Plugins" page and provide some basic guidelines as to how plugins should be categorized. (The reason I am thinking about this is because Nerd Pack Selector shows up under Network settings, Checksum adds its own new category, and things are kind of messy... It’s the Wild West from a style prospective.

 

Clearly this is a design nitpick and doesn't impact functionally so it's low priority, but I think some more commonality or definition in how this should be approached would be good.

 

This might address some of your concerns

 

From the plugin's page if you click the icon for pretty much any plugin (however PhAzE's plugins are missing this feature) you will be taken directly to the settings page for that plugin.  (Hidden feature within unRaid)

 

Since that feature does already exist, I am beginning to play around with the possibility of having CA look like this: http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=40262.msg428939#msg428939  to bring all the various delivery methods of apps (docker & plugins) all under the same tab  (although bonienl will probably spank me it      )