Doesn't understand apt: urls

Only slightly related, but maybe interesting for you: Long-term, you might want to consider to switch to distro-agnostic appstream:// urls, which GNOME Software can handle. So, appstream:org.gnome.gedit.desktop instead of apt:gedit .
See https://www.freedesktop.org/software/appstream/docs/sect-AppStream-Services-UrlHandler.html

Thanks Matthias, indeed that sounds like a good idea. Knowing that works mean it shouldn't be too difficult to add another case for apt: urls.

Note for whoever add that, the .desktop also needs "x-scheme-handler/apt" to be added to the MimeTypes

seems like it needs small changes in src/gs-application.c gs_application_open() adding a case

  } else if (g_strcmp0 (soup_uri_get_scheme (uri), "apt") == 0) {

the sementic is a bit different afaik though, we refer to a binary name and the appstream case to a .desktop. It's not a 1<->1 mapping though since a binary can have several .desktop ... the best we can probably do there is to pick the first .desktop containing in the binary, if we have that info available somehow?

Just a comment: On pages you have influence on, you might consider switching to appstream:// URLs
https://www.freedesktop.org/software/appstream/docs/sect-AppStream-Services-UrlHandler.html

This URL is supported by AFAIK all software-centers that support AppStream.

Hello Sebastien, or anyone else affected,

Accepted gnome-software into xenial-proposed. The package will build now and be available at https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-software/3.20.1+git20160426.1.a976144-ubuntu-xenial-0ubuntu1 in a few hours, and then in the -proposed repository.

Please help us by testing this new package. See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. Your feedback will aid us getting this update out to other Ubuntu users.

If this package fixes the bug for you, please add a comment to this bug, mentioning the version of the package you tested, and change the tag from verification-needed to verification-done. If it does not fix the bug for you, please add a comment stating that, and change the tag to verification-failed. In either case, details of your testing will help us make a better decision.

Further information regarding the verification process can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/QATeam/PerformingSRUVerification . Thank you in advance!

This bug was fixed in the package gnome-software - 3.20.1+git20160426.1.a976144-ubuntu-xenial-0ubuntu1

---------------
gnome-software (3.20.1+git20160426.1.a976144-ubuntu-xenial-0ubuntu1) xenial; urgency=medium

  * New upstream snapshot from the wip/ubuntu-xenial branch at
    git://git.gnome.org/gnome-software.
    - Recognize apt: urls (LP: #1559185)
    - Increase the number of displayed reviews from 10 to 30 (LP: #1559284)
    - Show version information for non-installed apps (LP: #1564621)
    - Show size information for non-installed apps (LP: #1571414)
    - Fix sideloading of local .deb files (LP: #1573408)
    - Enable the Snappy backend (LP: #1575104)

 -- William Hua <email address hidden> Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:55:05 +0200

I installed gnome-software from proposed.

After typing in console:
  $ gnome-software apt:gedit
it is opening ubuntu-software with gedit

After typing in console:
  $ gnome-software apt:gimp
it is opening ubuntu-software with gimp

When I type apt:audacity in chromium or firefox browser, it is trying to install audacity.

So it is working perfectly fine for me.

Verification passed.

This bug was fixed in the package gnome-software - 3.20.1+git20160426.1.a976144-ubuntu-xenial-0ubuntu1

---------------
gnome-software (3.20.1+git20160426.1.a976144-ubuntu-xenial-0ubuntu1) xenial; urgency=medium

  * New upstream snapshot from the wip/ubuntu-xenial branch at
    git://git.gnome.org/gnome-software.
    - Recognize apt: urls (LP: #1559185)
    - Increase the number of displayed reviews from 10 to 30 (LP: #1559284)
    - Show version information for non-installed apps (LP: #1564621)
    - Show size information for non-installed apps (LP: #1571414)
    - Fix sideloading of local .deb files (LP: #1573408)
    - Enable the Snappy backend (LP: #1575104)

 -- William Hua <email address hidden> Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:55:05 +0200

The verification of the Stable Release Update for gnome-software has completed successfully and the package has now been released to -updates. Subsequently, the Ubuntu Stable Release Updates Team is being unsubscribed and will not receive messages about this bug report. In the event that you encounter a regression using the package from -updates please report a new bug using ubuntu-bug and tag the bug report regression-update so we can easily find any regressions.