Contributor Auzy

MPX is a real "wow" feature that can bring attention to Ubuntu and Linux. However, very few Ubuntu users can follow the instructions to install/configure MPX, though many have a strong desire to do so.

Search for MPX on Ubuntu forums to see people wishing for an MPX tutorial.

Make a MPX installation/configuration guide or tutorial that moderate-beginners can follow to get multiple cursors working.

I want have ability to make every thing that a can do with mouse do using keyboard only.
Now I can't 'click' on some icons on the panel, can't 'click' on apps icons in systray.
Windows allow me it in opposition.

After an idea is considered to be a duplicate, feel free to remove it, but redistribute its votes to the first similar idea.
Example:
Many users have reported they want a backup system. Each idea got its votes - so people have displayed that they support this idea. So you should clean the duplicates but sum all the voices up.

There are lots of situations in which regular expressions are useful to search some text more than "word*".

Some advantages:
- Search pictures *.jpg
- Search audio *.[omw][apg][3gv]
- Find your name in a list (John Nobody = Jo.*dy)
- Multiselection on incremental search would be possible!
- If someone doesn't know R.E it would work the same way as before. So it makes nobody's life harder.

Furthermore, as Firefox updates, lots of addons simply stop working. So if it have this feature natively (which is simple do add, and not heavy to process) it won't be a problem as well.

NAUTILUS IS FAT!!
I think the appearance of the ubuntu windows are thick and all the buttons are bigger than they need to be. Customization is key here.
Nautilus needs to offer more options to make windows thinner.
The icons could be also be smaller to accommodate more content per screen. Have you noticed how one window takes way to much space because there is too much empty space in the nautilus toolbar and around the edges of the windows/icons??

The point here, is that IRC support is a bit complicated for users. So, support should be moved to a Jabber conference. And besides, Ubuntu by default doesn't offer a good IRC client (Pidgin isn't really suited for that). So, a user should learn the basics of IRC technology, which isn't really nice. Why not make a jabber account on jabber.org for him? Such an option should be promted at first Pidgin's start. Like "do you want Pidgin to set quick access to Ubuntu support conference for you"? Then, Pidgin should be configured to this account automatically and a special chat like ubuntu (plus ubuntu-xx, where xx is defined by the language user chooses at install-time) should be added to Pidgin roaster.
This way not only support can be delivered in a more friendly way (without all those obfuscated /join and so on", but also the Jabber technology can be promoted.

there are some ideas like http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/4901/ that are, as you can see here, already implemented - to make http links work automatically in Brainstorm.

But it would be also useful to have the keywords "Idea #XXXXX" interpreted as a link:
Then I could write just "Idea #10660" or "idea 10660"
and it would automatically appear as "Idea #10660"
without the <a href="...">foo</a> tags.

Same could be done with "bug #XXXX"
I like cross - linking.

http://launchpad.net and http://bugs.kde.org does this fine.

Tkinter (python-tk) has long been a standard component of Python releases. It seems illogical, and is hence confusing, that Kubuntu Hardy installs Python without Tkinter.

Please make the default installation include Python and Tkinter.

When I installed Kubuntu Hardy Tkinter was not included by default and because of this Python programs written using a standard Feisty install failed to run. I wrote the programs and so understood the error messages but they would be very confusing to other users.

Not sure if there's a way to do this in GRUB, but it would be nice to be able to do a headless install of Ubuntu via Serial Console.

The only way I know to do this currently is to plug a keyboard into the machine, wait until I think the GRUB menu is loaded, press F6, hit backspace 3 times then type "console=ttyS0 --" and hit enter.

In about a minute I'll be in the installer.

Is there a way to prompt over the serial console before displaying the GRUB menu--maybe something like "press any key to start in via serial console"? And if there's no reply in 2 seconds, show the normal menu via VGA.

The other suggested way would be to have the CD start automatically, do a DHCP request, and do the text-mode installer / SSH thing.

We should warn users who use proprietary protocols in pidgin and other messaging programs.

Many proprietary protocols are often changed, so even in their native OS, their clients often break (like MSN messenger). And the servers are centralised, with no real guarantees of privacy in place. This of course is bad for users also because the servers can be taken down without warning.

People should be aware of the benefits and flaws of the protocol. I'm not saying we force it on them, but give them the ability to find out if they want to (maybe have an "about this protocol" button).

Otherwise, people will always continue to use protocols like ICQ, without realising how bad it is for them. And people don't realise that their business would have better confidentiality if they run a jabber server rather then use ICQ's public servers for instance

Pidgin Version 2.4.3 has been released 2008-07-01, the repositories still host 2.4.1. The current version fixes a serious problem that prevents ICQ from connecting since 2008-06-30.

I bet a lot of users are off-line right now, it is urgent to fix this as soon as possible.

There are the usual sound options, there is alsamixer, there is pulseaudio, there are codecs for sound in specific programs etc.
It would be better to have ONE place to configure everything,which has to do with sound.

Having the ability to control the Ubuntu / Kubuntu interface via voice commands and the ability to dictate into applications would contribute immensely to the accessibility of the product.

Currently the Sphinx project of CMU (http://cmusphinx.sourceforge.net/html/cmusphinx.php) is one of the better known open-source speech recognition projects. Perhaps working with them to enhance their functionality would be beneficial to the Ubuntu meme as a whole.

What does this mean practically?
It means that if you connect two Ubuntu (other OSes may work too) computers they can e.g. share files via resources->network using sftp, ftp, samba... All with no configuration, just by plugging the cable.

How is it done?
When a new service is installed, also add the relative service file to avahi, so that it will appear on locally connected machines. Or alternatively have the service contact avahi via dbus when it starts.

Secondly add support in nautilus for _smb._tcp service type.

Avahi is already installed in Ubuntu.

I would like to see a version of ubuntu that can be installed on a portable computer like an iPAQ that can connect to your car and give you updates on what going on in your car and reminders for keeping your car in check. Also this would allow you to diagnose problems with your car (i am tired of seeing mechanics have to pay outrageous prices for the software and equipment). This should also come with the same features the come with your desktop (music, video, etc). However keep it minimalistic so that the footprint is small. Maybe even allow for a remote desktop feature for when connecting to your computer for updates so that you can drag and drop documents and music into the directories. So that you can also use in the business/college world. Possibly merge this idea with the MID project as a branch off.
I have a hp iPAQ 1700 and am willing to give any working rc a test run.

Windows Vista is capable of automatically recovering from a graphics driver crash without any of the users programs having to be restarted, whereas, in Xorg's case, the only solution would probably be to kill X, or restart the computer.

We should ensure that Xorg is able to do the same. Whilst it is obviously ideal for graphics drivers to never crash, it can happen. And crash recovery is definately an important component of a high-availability OS.

When you use quite often USB key, you always have to unmount them correctly to keep your data safe. When you're copying a file on a USB key, you must wait to empty the copy buffer.

I would propose to link the USB key icon to the state of the transfer :
- If there's a transfer, we can see clearly that we can not take the USB key away.
- When transfer is finished and the buffer emptied, the icon can show that the USB key can be safely removed

and thus it's not yet useful to click on "unmount", because the unmount management is totally transparent, and treated by the system. We can simply pick the USB key away because transfer is already finish and correctly closed. This will be a great innovation to simplify unmount such usual disks.

edit : Maybe the icon can stay like the same, but w can add some little sub-icon to inform of the state.

(see also ideas 1373 and 10032)

I have not heard of a single university computer store that carries _any_ type of Linux preloads.

Exposure to Ubuntu is a great educational experience due to the lack of artificial barriers to learning about the underlying system (source is available). The fact that preloaded machies are not commonly available runs counter to a university's central mission.

The popularity of MacOS on university campuses in the 1990's was largely due to aggressive educational discounts and dealmaking.

What would it take to change this??

I'd like to see an Adobe Flash-like editor, which creates output as a HTML file (using HTML,SVG,Javascript & AJAX) instead of a custom file format. This will allow the files to run on ANY web-standards compliant browser, without requiring external plugins for every single browser. Such files will just work (even on mobile devices)

Advantages & Disadvantages
The main advantage is that no plugins or virtual machine is required. Any standards compliant browser will support the file, and any OS which has a standards compliant browser will support it.

It would also be much more secure, because all files would run within the confines of the browser. Flash for instance bypasses cookie controls because it stores its cookies outside of the browser. This is exploited by companies to track users. And as long as the browser is secure, the files will be too.

And, the editor could even be implemented as a web application, so that users don't need to install a development tool. And since it uses basic javascript, extensions to the editor could be easily made (this isn't possible in flash/Gnash/whatever else).

The only disadvantages is that the files will run a bit slower for now until the next round of browsers with faster javascript execution. And we may need to wait for the next version of HTML for the additional multimedia capabilities.


Examples of Current SVG/HTML/Javascript Combos include:
Photos Example
Tetris Example
Interactive Slide Show

If there is enough enthusiasm to code such a project, I would be willing to help program.. This should definitely be taken up by someone though so that we no longer need flash.

I've installed Ubuntu for a number of friends and family. Whenever I go back to check on things a few months later, the desktop is littered with 'setup.exe' files, and I hear complaints that they "can't seem to install any programs!"

Of course, when I show them the "Add/Remove Programs" system, they happily download a zillion games and challenge me to Tux Racer contests.

When WINE is not installed, Ubuntu should have a default handler for Windows .exe files explaining that Windows software does not run on Ubuntu, and pointing them to Add/Remove Programs.

Perhaps something like "You have attempted to run PHOTOSHOP-SETUP.EXE, which is a Windows application. Ubuntu applications are available for installation from the Add/Remove Programs option in your Applications menu."

In addition, this feature could extract information about the EXE file and suggest equivalent Ubuntu applications. Most EXE files contain resources which indicate what they contain, as do most Installshield installers.

It would be pretty simple to have this system report names and md5sums of exe files being run to a web server, allowing Canonical to build a list of suggested alternatives for specific Windows applications.

This suggestion would certainly help eliminate confusion among new adopters, and would drive awareness of open source equivalents for Windows applications.