I've started implementing the design in https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareAndUpdatesSettings#drivers ; devices can be listed on systems that require binary drivers, and the new tab is there with the basic UI bits.
What's left to be done:
- Testing, testing, testing.
- Figure out what is being done wrong that causes the crash in comment #2.
- Make sure the cases for multiple devices (wifi, graphics) all need custom drivers.
- Update status text below each device on their status.
- Use real icons provided by the design team
- Do not label non-graphics devices (like Broadcom wifi) as "Graphics device: ..."
- Improve driver description (in particular for nvidia cards)
- Do not enable "Restart.." button and show "you need to restart..." until you actually make a change
Specifically; points 6 and 7 on the design wiki page need to be addressed:
If the changes required a restart, the “Software & Updates” panel is still open, and the “Additional Drivers” tab is still frontmost, the System Settings window should request attention.
If the changes required a restart, but you have since navigated away from the “Additional Drivers” tab or closed System Settings altogether, a parent-less alert box should appear with the title “Additional Drivers”, the “Software & Updates” icon, the text “ Warning /!\ You need to restart the computer to complete the driver changes.”, and “Restart Later” and “Restart Now” buttons (fixing bug 306708).
"Prompting to install additional drivers" is also not done yet.