http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com guidelines and check if your idea has been posted already! ]]> en-us Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC QAPoll module http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/11805/
How people interact with their computer is really essential to their satisfaction. This is why aside from features, the software's stability (minimizing annoying bugs), speed (clean code and making everything as efficient and responsive as possible), and interface (look and feel) are the three most important things that should be our focus and be kept at a high priority.
We should really work to increase usability: http://mpt.net.nz/archive/2008/08/01/free-software-usability

I have looked through all the artwork submissions for Intrepid, and of all of them, this is the one dark theme that i would actually like to use: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Intrepid/Wall-light

I first saw it on this Digg submission: http://digg.com/linux_unix/Intrepid_Ibex_Mockup_Designs

Of course, i'm sure everyone will have input to make it even better. This isn't a final design, but vote for the concept so far!

P.S. Please Digg :) Thanks http://digg.com/linux_unix/Vote_for_a_beautiful_usable_Ubuntu

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/11805/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/11499/ I have only options of 'install theme' (it's a windows file? where I can get it?!) or manually set each item color, and each time when I change Ubuntu theming, I must again and again set each item in Wine manually.

I suggest to integrate Ubuntu theming in Wine. It looks not so hard.

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Bug #111061 : [Information on this bug will be retrieved soon]
]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/11499/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/11496/
Right now, I've heard that vlc media player 0.9 will provide support for closed captioning. No other player that I can find supports CC or will support it in ubuntu.

Closed captioning is not the same as subtitles. Some dvds will have CC, but no subtitles for it.

Windows Media Center supports captioning, and so should the ubuntu media players.

Sincerely,
Susanna777

Edit: I have recently discovered the SMPlayer supports displaying captions, however it reads the captions data and displays it like subtitles. It makes DVDs with only CC accessible, however, I prefer the black box for better contrast and visibility.

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Ubuntuforums.org thread #790792
]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/11496/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/11478/
Exaile (and Amarok?) have a file browser tab ! Why not rhythmbox ?

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/11478/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/94/
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Ubuntuforums.org thread #579781
]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/94/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6586/
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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6586/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6420/

EDIT:
It can be manually disabled with

Option "NoLogo" "True"

in xorg.conf, but the logo should be disabled by default.

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6420/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6351/
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!

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6351/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6396/
The reason why Ubuntu (unlike other OS) does not have more wallpapers out-of-the-box is limited CD-space. The vector wallpaper format *solves* that technical problem!

The Hardy wallpaper designer could make several color variations of the default wallpaper: One mostly green version, one mostly blue version, one mostly black, one mostly pink, etc. And those could all be available right after install, both the version with and without the bird.

Technically, the extra wallpapers could be autogenerated by a tiny copy-and-change-palette script that runs during OS installation.

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6396/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6016/
I want a right click option on the updates in Update Manager which allows me to lock the version of a software and not update it. I know this functionality exists somewhere in Synaptic Package Manager, but still it would be convenient.

Example:
I have nvidia card on desktop and there was an intel video driver update recently, so it came up in Update Manager. I didn't want to install it obviously, so I unchecked it. But still every time I boot up, it shows new updates are available, and I see only that intel driver. If I get a 'do not update option' it would be handy.

Thanks

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/6016/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5964/
The folders are called "Tubes"

Tubes can also be more sophisticated to allow multiple people to be on the receiving end.

The idea is already implemented on Windows
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubes_%28software%29
I like the name Tubes and hope it is not trademarked. Actually, I thought of the idea and name before them from pneumatic tubes which I think are a brilliant invention!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatic_tubes

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5964/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5456/
a quick google search tells me it was attacked and is planned for relaunch soon. That was said in November. :/

Could we please get this back up?!

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5456/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/4577/
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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/4577/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/3144/
A lot of people only use add/remove and get stuck when not finding what they want although it's there (ready to be installed via synaptic). This could be improved with a simple button and a message in case no result is displayed ("you might want to extend your search in synaptic", clickable).

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/3144/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5853/
Also, Firefox 3 allows you to select text and search in the currently selected site which would improve the ability to find things on Launchpad immensely. Imagine coming across something on Brainstorm that you're pretty sure has a bug filed already but it wasn't included in the idea yet. You could highlight the appropriate text, make sure LP was the selected search widget, then right click and search Launchpad for it. The search would open in a new tab, allowing you to still have the Brainstorm tab open. That's what a LP search widget would provide, and if it were referenced in the LP HTML code (which shouldn't be that hard to do once the widget were made) then to discover it all someone would have to do is check their list of search engines while on Launchpad and it's availability would be shown for easy installation.

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5853/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5863/
There should also be an icon-theme replacing as many icons as possible with Tango-ified icons.

This should go both ways. It should be possible to have the Ubuntu or Kubuntu theme in Kubuntu, and the Kubuntu or Ubuntu theme in Ubuntu. Right now you're limiting yourself to half of the repositories, no matter whether you use Ubuntu or Kubuntu, if you want a consistent desktop.

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5863/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5818/
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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5818/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5825/
I really like this feature, so I was thinking that now where more and more laptops get shipped with build-in webcams, it could be fun and useful with the possibility for attaching a picture taken with your webcam together with the message.

Also a small field to enter your name would be great.

And maybe a limit for how many messages that can be leaved. Maybe customizable (I don't know if a similar feature already exists)


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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/5825/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/4104/
There is an official deviantart "theme" competition which requests new wallpapers and allows new themes to be inside the submission. However, there are two issues:
1) the contest requires the construction of a wallpaper
2) themes and mockups are ungraded and unacknowledged.

This brainstorm argues two amendments:
1)Mockups-only submissions with previous ubuntu wallpapers should be allowed. Wallpapers should not be required. Mockups shouldn't have to be GTK themes.
2)Even if only wallpapers get prizes, there should be a best-mockup recognition award to the best non-wallpaper aspect of submissions. (arguably, themes are harder to judge than wallpapers.)

This would allowed skilled UI designers who are unskilled artists to compete to win consideration by the ubuntu team. I'd like to see mockups of theme ideas that are abstract and un-artistic, like https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hardy/Alternate/round_edge , be able to be in the running for this competition. We want to improve the ubuntu look and feel, not just reskin it.

Sorry for the confusion. Here's the original brainstorm text:

Recently, a brainstorm idea was created for a DeviantArt theme mock-up competition for Ubuntu 8.10. It was accepted, but canonical changed the competition's scope from themes to just wallpapers only.

There's a great deal of interest by the general ubuntu art community to create a new theme for ubuntu, as seen by the Hardy incoming "alternate looks" page, yet this competition was changed from its original scope to a far less interesting scope.


Citations:
Original idea: (Has been edited) http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/384/
Launchpad talking about how the scope is changed: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/deviantart-theme-competition
Interest in new themes existed for hardy: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hardy/Alternate

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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/4104/ http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/2961/
Suggested awards would be as follows:
- Best new Productivity Application (encourages business program development)
- Most innovative program (encourages the development of new types of programs)
- Best Social Application (encouraging social type applications)
- Most innovative free game (new types of games)
- Most promising new startup (encourages the formation of new companies).
- Most valuable developer (not sure about this one)
- Most improved program
- Best free program overall

The awards would certainly encourage development greatly (especially slightly before applications to join start).They must offer decent prizes, that are motivating (money would be best for the new startup, and get them going). Apple doesn't give away many prizes for theirs (mainly just computers and such), but it drives every programmer every year.

Our issue now is that OSX has companies like Freeverse, who are driving most of OSX's innovation, yet, we are having difficulty attracting similar companies. Awards such as these may encourage new linux startups that provide good linux programs, which possibly generate revenue for them without demanding it.

This would certainly help generate a river of new Applications, and boost innovation. It would also help bring the ubuntu community closer together.

And, it would encourage developers to sit down, and polish their interfaces for their applications a bit more. Seeing that Ubuntu happily gives away free CD's, and must have some full time staff, I think it should be affordable. And Dell would certainly donate some hardware I'm sure for the event (it acts as free advertising and would highlight their linux laptops). And it would cost nothing for companies like VMware to give away some software.

It would be great for the community, and nobody could disagree that having "most valuable linux programmer 2007" would be a good thing on your resume.


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No attachments. ]]> Sat, 30-Aug-2008 00:00:00 UTC http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/2961/