Contributor Lex

Currently when copying data to and from the clipboard, if it is text, instead of copying it there, instead it requires the application remain open. So when paste is done, then it queries the application for the text and then pastes it to where you wanted it. This is inefficient as it requires me to keep the application I am copying it from remain open. Windows and OS X doesn't do it this way, so shouldn't linux. Instead it should be copied to the clipboard right away so that I don't have to keep that application open. And when closing that application, if there is something that is stored in the clipboard that is taking up a bit of memory, it should ask me if I want to keep it or clear it.

I know it's only one vote up amongst many, so it doesn't really matter, but do we really need to give idea submitters the ability to vote up their own ideas?

It's only a little niggle, so if more pressing concerns are bearing down on Brainstorm's development right now it can wait. But it would be nice for someone to fix the voting system, so that the voting buttons are inactivated when a submitter is looking at their own ideas. It will make things a little more impartial.

(They might already be inactivated but not greyed out, I don't know as I've never been dishonest enough to try them :D )

For example when you open 'Sessions Preferences' the window can't be expanded, i.e. if you put your mouse pointer on a corner it won't allow you to left-click and drag it to make it bigger.

It's worse when there is a lot of information, it's like looking through a mail slot.

Any application that restricts the window to a small size and then puts lots of information in it can be infuriating!

The popup asking me what I want to do, when I insert an empty CD/DVD, shouldn't appear if I'm already using a burning application.

For example I finished my project in brasero and I want to burn it, so I insert the empty CD/DVD and I the pop appears so I always close it and then burn my CD/DVD it's annoying.

I know I can disable the pop-up but I want to keep it.

If a friend is over and my session has been locked (due to screensaver, etc) there should be a "Guest session" button for them to open the Guest session, so they can check their email or whatever without knowing anything about Gnome or Linux or user accounts.

Currently the locked screen has:

Password: [_______________]
[Leave Message] [Switch User] [Cancel] [Unlock]

I'd say change it to:

Password: [_______________]
[Leave Message] [Guest Session] [Switch User] [Cancel] [Unlock]

I shouldn't need to log in just so that someone else can launch a Guest session.

Folders in Nautilus could become more project-centered (optionally) with the addition, for example, of a task progress indicator (linked to evolution's tasks), a notebook to take notes of what to do and what you were doing (very useful if you work on many projects at a time). It could also be an approach system-wise, for example using tags to associate folders and email to a particular project and have them listed when you open the folder in nautilus or the mail in evolution.

Ubuntu should come with a backup application. Backups are critical!

It's probably been mentioned before and in many ways on Brainstorm but there should be a way to fix GRUB, Xorg and other common boot problems without booting into X on the LiveCD.

I've heard there were already options like this in the alternate installation CD so it shouldn't be too hard to move those scripts to Casper.

Just create a 'Fix a Current Ubuntu Installation' link on the menu and let that lead to a list of options.

When I copy a newer version of a file, nautilus asks whether to skip or replace this file. But it does not provide any info other than the file name. It would be nice if it would at least provide the file sizes too. More info maybe accessible from a drop down button. Like modified time, owner, permissions etc. But these can be hidden and be accessible from a drop down button (like the button which shows progress of individual files during software installation). This will help the user to compare both the files and make an informed decision there itself. Instead of canceling the operation and then comparing both the files and then redoing the same operation.

Several tools in the System --> Administration menu require the user to type the administrator password to start (like "Synaptic Package Manager") while others (like "Users and Groups") will launch directly and provide an "Unlock" button instead.

As far as I know, most of these "gksu tools" do not need to be started with administrator privileges to perform all their tasks. For instance, "Synaptic Package Manager" shouldn't need gksu to list the installed packages, right? (Ok, maybe they do, but that is because they are coded that way - they could be reprogrammed to use an "Unlock" button instead.)

(I am using Ubuntu 8.04.)

I think it would be nice if FTPS (FTP over SSL, not to be confused with SFTP) support could be added to Nautilus (and hence the "Connect to Server..." tool in the Places menu).

For now I use the "curlftpfs" command-line utility.

The idea is to be able to close a program, WHILE it is still loading, by right clicking on it in Gnome toolbar (Window List applet) and selecting "Close".

This is useful when you accidentally run a program that takes a lot of time and CPU to load. In MacOSX you are able to close it before it is loaded. This should be possible in Linux too.

Suggested solution: Right clicking on the loading program and selecting "Close" should get the PID of that program and kill it.

GIMP is already included, but it's too advanced for beginners like Photoshop is for Windoze users. Ubuntu should come with something similar to Windoze's Paint. It's practical and easy to use!

Ubuntu HAs an ON LINE 24 Hours Support through UBUNTU IRC CHANNELs.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InternetRelayChat

It is maintain by volunteers.

Some users are afraid to use ubuntu cause they must learn how to use a new system by itself.
Maybe ubuntu help menu could include a link called:
Chat with community or something.

It should be really easy for newbies to use

NOTE: This is the Second post of this Idea, correcting caps in title from the first one.

Solaris has two nifty multiplatform utilities called "Sun Device Detection Tool" ( http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/hcl/hcts/device_detect.jsp ) and "Install Check Tool" ( http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/hcl/hcts/install_check.jsp ) . A reincarnation of the former is also implemented in OpenSolaris and is called "Device Driver Utility" ( http://dlc.sun.com/osol/docs/content/IPS/devdriver.html ).

These utilities basically check to see if your hardware can run to its full potential on Sun's operating systems and the names of specific drivers for that hardware. This way users have full confidence about what to expect from their systems before they install the OS, with zero fuss. It would be great if these utilities could be ported to Ubuntu or if similar utilities could be implemented in the near future. Hardware manufacturers and buyers can see for themselves how compatible any given system is, with a couple of clicks of a mouse!

Detailed descriptions follow:-

--
Sun's Device Detection Tool:

Sun Device Detection Tool helps you to detect whether the Solaris Operating System (OS) can be installed on your x86 or x64 system. This tool indicates in a couple of minutes whether the Solaris OS supports the devices that are detected in your x86 or x64 system. It generates a table that shows whether a Solaris driver exists for each device that the tool detects. The table also indicates whether the driver is built-in with the Solaris OS or available in OpenSolaris community web site or whether a third-party driver is available.
--

Installation Check Tool:

[....]

Hardware vendors only want to support platforms if they know it's profitable or good for the company in another way.

If you want to effectively support hardware you need to know where the most problems are, what hardware is used the most frequently and what hardware causes the most problems.

This information can be gathered via a survey. Although the HWD project has already gathered quite some data, it isn't as extended as it could be. An ethical problem could be that the participants to the HWD project didn't agree with their data being shared with third-parties.

What I suggest is to start a separate survey in cooperation with other distributions and maybe even hardware vendors to collect information about what hardware is used and if it causes problems. This would include devices like mobile phones(for syncing), printers, cameras and more.
It would give two main highscores per kind of hardware: one for the most often used hardware, and one for the hardware with the most problems.

The results of this project, with an open license, should be published on the internet and actively be shared with hardware vendors and upstream projects. If they know which of their products are used most often or cause the most problems they know what areas deserve the most attention.

Ubuntu would be better if it had fewer modal dialogs.

For one, consider GNOME Art. When you install a new icon theme, a modal dialog pops up saying something to the effect of "Installing..." and then disappears. While it's there, I can't browse the other icons. Other apps in similar ways prevent me from working with them, thus wasting my time.

I think it would be better if progress towards the completion of tasks was indicated by a "slide-down" or "slide-up" bar [like the several firefox has, including "save password for this site"], with a short description of the task on the left hand of a progress bar.

Here's a quick and (very) dirty mockup: http://img395.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mockuppt0.png [ignore a mouse pointer of your choice].

Firefox has these slide-downs; evince and gedit has similar things for error messages.

For all apps, it would be good to indicate progress in a way that doesn't prevent the user from using the app. Modal dialogs prevent use; the modal windows also have a tendency to get lost on my desktop, thus leaving me with an inexplicably unresponsive app [despite the best intentions of the GNOME HIG].

If any functionality in the app has to be disabled while a lengthy operation is taking place, gray out the menu items or tool bar icons, and let the user use the rest of the application.

Affected applications include (but are not limited to):
- GNOME Art: while downloading, and while installing
- gimp: while converting images before saving to disk; and
- update-manager: while building package cache, while updating and while upgrading [in the apt-get sense of "^up..?a.ing$"].

Some times there's detailed information connected to a progress report (say, the apt-get upgrade of u-m). In that case, there should be a toggleable window part, similar to how you can toggle the changelog part of u-m. Or a pop-up window.

[....]

Whenever a user is asked about whether to save unsaved changes---in gedit, openoffice, gimp, wherever---the user should be given the choice of seeing what the changes are.

If that can't be presented easily, the user should be given the option of viewing the original so they can compare manually.

For text documents (i.e. in gedit), the differences between the on-disk version and the in-memory one can be presented as a diff.

For images, you can show the original, and an image with all the unchanged parts blacked/whited/checkered out [most useful if no size changes are made].

I don't know what can be done in the three-eyed monster that is OO_o [:p], but someone who uses it can probably come up with a reasonable app-specific idea.

I really didn't like the fact that while I was updating to Ibex, the computer went into standby! Now this was a real problem for me, because when ubuntu goes to standby or hibernates, I DOESN'T WAKE UP!!! Luckily for me, I went to my my buddies who had a liveCD, otherwise, I would have been in trouble. (My only OS is ubuntu)

As everyone noticed, when Intrepid was released the servers got hammered shitless and downloading was slow.

For future releases, update-manager should use apt-p2p. That way, the available upload bandwidth would be radically increased by everyone pitching in, and everyone will get their downloads faster.

Using apt-p2p while the update is going on should be optional but encouraged. It should also be suggested to continue using apt-p2p. Something like a radio button [don't use apt-p2p, use apt-p2p while I'm upgrading, use apt-p2p to give as much as I get (i.e. share until ratio=1), continue using apt-p2p].

Yes, I'm aware of the many peer-to-peer ideas out there. This is not just the same: it's an idea of how to actually get it deployed and used.