Make it obvious/easy how to install additional spices/applets from website

[timabell]

The challenge

I'm trying to install gTile and I find myself completely unable to work out how to get it from the website on to my computer.

The applets application on mint gives no clues how to install one that isn't available by default.

The spices website gives no clue how to install anything you might find on there.

All I can find is a zip file to download, that I then don't know what to do. I unzipped it but there's no clues inside either.

Googling left me none the wiser.

What's frustrating is that I've successfully done it before on a different machine and now I can't figure it out. I'm no idiot, I code for a living, but this has for now defeated me.

Note that this is no criticism, I appreciate the wonderful linux mint ecosystem, and this "issue" is offered in the hope that I can help enable a better experience for those who come after me. Even if someone just comments the answer underneath this and then this becomes googleable.

Suggestions

1. Add some "how to install spices" somewhere easy to find on the main website.
2. Have a magic url protocol thing that fires up the local installer directly from a spice webpage (that's a magical user experience)

Terminology

Just as an aside I find the terminology of "spices", "applets", "extensions" & "desklets" a little confusing.

Other confused users:

• https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=263267

The answer

For anyone who is searching for the answer to the "how to install" question who ends up here:

1. Download the zip file
2. Extract the contents of the zip into /.local/share/cinnamon in the relevant subfolder (applets, desklets, extensions)
3. Open up the applets/desklets/extensions application (from the mint desktop start menu)
4. The new applet should show under "manage"
5. Click "+" button on screen to enable the chosen spice.