Installation category

A separate partition for /home has been proposed for a long time in the forums. It implies some risks, though, so based on disk size Ubiquity should estimate the amount of space that should be left for / or whether a separate partition should be made at all. Then...

-The first time an user installs Ubuntu, he is given the option to set a separate /home. This option is selected by default, with a size for each partition based on a sane guess:

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/7958/firstinstallaro2.png

-Of course, he can just choose not to set a separate /home. This option will be selected by default if the results of the system test suggest that's the best thing to do.

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/6498/firstinstallbfs6.png

-Manual install is also possible. Selecting it greys out everything related to separate /home, since it's implied that the user doesn't want to be guided.

http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/7976/firstinstallcvc2.png

-If the user set a separate /home, the next time he installs Ubuntu a new option appears and is selected by default, prompting to use the existing /home partition. All other options are still available, though.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9034/secondinstalliq1.png

[....]

If I install Windows after Ubuntu, it's impossible to boot Ubuntu until I install again GRUB following several instructions.
My idea is adding the option "Restore bootloader" in the list which appears when Ubuntu installation CD start. The aim is to offer a simple way to restore GRUB without loading a live distribution, opening a terminal and following a long series of instructions

[Edit 06/03/2008]
In my opinion, the user SHOULDN'T boot the Ubuntu Live Distro. It would be an unuseful waste of time.
Instead, it should be possible to select a new option among those ones of the startup menu of the CD.

There have been complaints that Ubuntu lacks a disk configuration utility, which forces newbies to manually edit fstab if they want to use a drive that was not present when they installed the system. Manually editing the file is difficult and frustrating to them, and not an ideal way to handle the issue on the long run.

An application exists by the name of Disk Manager, which keeps tracks and notifies of newly added units, and for extremely easy (automagical) configuration. That is the kind of stuff we want in Ubuntu.

-Disk Manager notifies about new drives:

http://flomertens.free.fr/disk-manager/images/notify.png

-Disk Manager allows the user to mount or unmount drives without any hassle, even by providing a simple name for them:

http://flomertens.free.fr/disk-manager/images/add.png

-Disk Manager allows to easily enable NTFS writing support:

http://flomertens.free.fr/disk-manager/images/main_general.png

-Disk Manager allows to keep track of mounted / unmounted partitions and free space on them:

http://flomertens.free.fr/disk-manager/images/main_advance.png

[....]

Currently, each time when my Ubuntu install is messed up, I have to reformat my partition and reinstall Ubuntu. Next I have to set up everything again. That's very annoying. Other OS'es (Windows, Mac OS X, yes even SUSE, ...) have a "Repair existing system" option. This allows to reinstall the OS without having to reformat. All it would have to do is to manually check and repair dpkg/apt-get, next it has to reinstall every package present on the cd. Very easy, not too hard to implement, many users that would be very happy. Why not do it?

ADD BITTORRENT OPTION ON THE MAIN DOWNLOAD PAGE!

The Novell guys took the lead already: http://software.opensuse.org/

When Hardy Heron was released, the Ubuntu servers became overloaded with thousands of people trying to download it. Downloading rates of repositories and updates were so slow that some people had to leave the computer on at night only to find connection errors the next morning.

However, if Canonical had promoted the BitTorrent downloads, this wouldn't have happened. Everyone would have got a copy of Ubuntu without slowing the repository servers and producing a Denial-of-Service effect.

Moreover, BitTorrent has many advantages over direct downloads. For instance, the more people downloading at the same time, the more sources and lesser the wait. In addition, it ensures file integrity because it uses hash functions, that is, files cannot be corrupted (modified). Not to mention that transfers can be resumed if the connection is broken.

Therefore, BitTorrent downloading should be included in the Get Ubuntu page ( http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download ) with a succinct but clear explanation on how to use them.

The fact that this idea hasn't been implemented --despite all the votes in favour-- clearly shows a neglect and reluctance from Canonical decision-makers to do what is best for the community. The worst thing is that they aren't giving an explanation. I hope good ideas in this site don't come to die here in a puzzle of bureaucracy :(

The reason Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution is because developers listen to people. Let's keep that "humanity towards others" alive.

Download Desktop CD: http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.04/ubuntu-8.04.1-desktop-i386.iso.torrent

[....]

This is concerning the graphical and the text based installer.

It`s a bad habit introduces by microsoft. Do not ask questions in the middle of the installation after you did already started to copy things.

(1) The user starts the installation.
(2) He is asked if he wants to install.
(3) Make as many hardware tests as you need.
(4) Now ask all needed questions.
(5) Install Ubuntu in one run. Tell the user he can no go away for perhaps X minutes.

Otherwise it`s annoying. Input answer, wait a bit, input answer, wait again over and over again. You can improve this!

I think a tool/deamon that save the users setting on a usb stick would be nice.

Backup configuration files and settings like...
- GnuPG keys
- e-mail settings
- contact list
- unit settings (metric/imperial)
- paper size (A4/letter)
- currency
- timezone
- locale settings
- printer configuration
- network configuration
- ...

It should basically do what Apple .Mac sync service does, but on USB-Sticks. This tool should not be an entire backup tool for all kind of data! Only small configuration settings and perhaps some desktop gadgets.

After first time configuration, it could automatically sync the data throught a background daemon started by d-bus, after the usb stick is connected, per example. If a user has GnuPG installed, the possibility to encrypt the data should be offered to the user.

During install, if the usb stick is present, the installer could prompt for import the settings and configure all of them. This would accelerate and simplify the entire installation process.

New users coming from Windows are often disoriented and don't really know the real advantages of Ubuntu or even how to use some of its basic functions (Add/Remove instead of setup.exe). An orientation would help them.

A couple of ideas for how to help them have come up, including an idea about having pop-ups for every new application that's open. The pop-up idea has a few downsides, of course, not the least of which being that pop-ups are annoying to many users, both new and experienced.

One relatively unobtrusive way to introduce new users to the basic functions of Ubuntu is to show a slideshow during the installation process. New users would probably watch the slideshow (they're waiting for the installation to finish--what else are they going to do?), while experienced users might have the option to turn off the slideshow... or they may just get up and leave, knowing that the installation won't take more than fifteen minutes.

1) A customizable installation (with checkboxes o something similar) you will be able to choose what packages do you want. You will can select or unselect the programs that ubuntu install as a default, if you dont need an email client you will can unselect it...

2) Integrate in 1 DVD unbuntu, kubuntu, xubuntu... you need only select what desktop do you want and what packages (see nº1)

"Ubuntu should be available as a live/install DVD that comes with Gnome, KDE, Xfce, and perhaps other desktop environments. Ideally, it would have equal priority to the CDs that only come with one, which would include being released at the same times. When booting from the disk, users should have an option of which environment to use. When installing, users should be able to chose which environments to install, and have options for installing additional packages designed for those environments (like the gnome and kde packages).

This would allow multiple people who prefer different environments to use the same installation disk. It would be more convenient for people who want to have e.g. both KDE and Gnome. It would make it easier for people new to Linux to learn which environment they prefer. It would make it easier for lesser used environments to gain new users. It would put all supported desktop environments on a more equal ground, rather than sanctioning one as the only "real" and "official" desktop environment for Ubuntu."

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/7151/

So far, when installing ubuntu/kubuntu, Ethernet cards are generally detected, as are many wireless cards, but when requesting a DHCP address during the install it isnt able to connect to a wireless Router with password protection in place.

Can you consider adding a facility to connect to a WPA (PSK etc) protected Router during the install so that updates etc can happen without fussy configuration firstly? Most home users have real trouble with the wireless connection side of things. Not being able to see the wireless router in the very first stages of going to install a new OS is quite unnerving.

Protected Wireless Routers (not WEP which is essentially unsecure) at home are becoming the norm now, rather than cat5 cabled Ethernet connections.

Most users do not have a PalmOS PDA. For some reason, Ubuntu developers decided to install support for PalmOS devices by default in Ubuntu (you can access it at: System / Preferences / PalmOS Devices).

I think it's not a good idea to by default install support for one specific brand of PDA's which only a tiny fraction of the users is ever going to use. Those people who do have a PalmOS PDA can easily install it afterwards.

So: Please remove support for PalmOS devices from the default install. This includes the packages: gnome-pilot, gnome-pilot-conduits.

I tried to install both 7.04 and 7.10 on an older pc, and found that the 'Forward' button in the installer was inaccessible. A scrollbar when necessary would be awesome!

Ubuntu currently doesn't upgrade the kernel, it just keeps adding newer and newer kernels to the system.

Currently, the list of kernels installed on a Ubuntu system grows over time. This takes up additional disk space and adds clutter to the boot loader.

Ideally, older kernels should be removed automatically.

Maybe leave current and current-1, but not _all_ of them...

With Ubuntu on Dell machines in the USA, I'm sure this means better boot times, hardware integration, sound, network are all nice and good.

Ubuntu should really be pitching to be the default install (an option for the customer) on as many PCs as possible.

I think it is very confusing that during installation, the screen suddenly becomes black. It would be much better if there would be at least a simple image, so that the screen does not look like the computer just crashed.

It seems baffling to me that with the explosion of cheap sub-US$400 Linux machines from the likes of Everex, WalMart, Asus Eee, Shuttle, etc, that none of these ship with Ubuntu installed, but rather go with sad alternatives like gOS or Mandriva or something. Despite the fact that Ubuntu is the most popular Linux OS and far more capable. Many millions of these cheap machines are going to ship this year and would be a huge opportunity to get Ubuntu into the hands of the masses. Plus I think it would be a big selling point for the marketers to be able to slap an Ubuntu sticker on these machines.

It is often lamented that Ubuntu is not pre-installed on more machines, that the hassles of installation and configuration are principle blockers to mass adoption. And yet here are a bunch of opportunities lost to marginal or no-name distros.

I think Canonical needs to make more of an effort to reach out to these companies as it did with Dell and partner with them to make Ubuntu the free OS of choice on budget PCs.

In the meantime, at the very least, Ubuntu needs to supply super-easy (as in one-click) customized installs that can go onto specific machines like the Eee PC and configure all of the hardware at least as well as the stock setup.

I want regular updates of the lastest versions of the applications should be in the Ubuntu backports repositories.

I know is for the security of the system, but i want for example: new drivers updates, VLC, VirtualBox-OSE, rtorrent, alien, and others applications which long time ago are with last stables versions and in the repositories always are the old versions of them; besides some applications launch its latest version for bugfixing security vulnerabilities and giving more stability of the system

When you take a version of Ubuntu and there are later drivers (video for example) that are needed prior to installing on a new system, it would be nice to have the Ubuntu attempt to download the latest drivers if a net connection is available. This could greatly help with maintaining current releases without having to update the ISO.

I'd like a way to backup my entire system with all the settings and packages to a bootable ISO file. So that I can re-install or install on other computers.

Canonical shouldn't have to host a third party application repository when users already can (and do) add entries for third party application sources to /etc/apt/sources.list on the local machine.

Simply provide a mouse driven interface for adding /etc/apt/sources.list entries. This can pretty much use existing infrastructure with the addition of a mime description and a couple of quick shell scripts. Then Add/Remove programs allows the end user to use applications from selected third party vendors. (for example: the latest version of XEN, Wine, PostgreSQL, MPlayer, OpenOffice, games, etc.) which might not be tracked by Canonical via the backports repository)

This beats the heck out of using dpkg -i and having to manually resolving dependencies, and allows trusted vendors to provide automatic updates. (The digital pgp signing and dpkg maintain state stuff already exists for security).

When it's this easy to do let's make Ubuntu easy to use!