Contributor Lukehasnoname

It would make ubuntu much less intimidating for windows server admins if there was a gui which allowed configuation of common network services such as:

web
ssh
mail
database
vpn
dhcp
ldap
dns

Some of these are easier than others but I have seen very little work on this front and I think it will help win over windows admins.

Have an optional setting that can be set to let the user confirm an action by pressing a button such as "Allow" instead of having to type his own password in order to confirm an action.

Some people get frustrated by having to type their password. Many would like to just press an "Allow" button instead of typing their password.

I am not proposing to use this by default. I am proposing an option to enable this behavior.

Canonical should consider making an official Ubuntu magazine. You can get news online, but lots of people like it in a magazine - there's PCWorld, MacWorld, and even Nintendo Power.

You could offer people the ability to ask experts about common questions and provide tips, as well as the latest news and cool hardware. Even better, you could allow people to submit content online and then have them looked over and choose some for the magazine. This lets you use the "open for everyone" possibilty.

I don't know what you would do about pricing. You could offer a free online magazine updated every day/week that has a little of the content. You could also offer a cheap (Maybe $10-$20 USD or 6 - 12 Euro for 12 months) subscription that comes in the mail.

You could also send the latest Ubuntu CD every 6 months with the magazine, along with some stickers!

EDIT: I know FullCircleMagazine has an online one, but I mean official and more professional and one that comes in the mail

On windows, the backspace key goes to the previous page in your history but on Ubuntu it doesn't. It was because of a bug I believe but it would be a help.

Ubuntu should focus more on stability and bugfixing. Especially in the LTS releases. If this would require waiting with some cool features till after the LTS, then so be it. For Hardy, this could maybe have meant older kernel, not changing to PulseAudio, and so on. A great emphasis should be placed on trying to fix unfixed bugs left from earlier versions.

Most importantly, all found regressions should be fixed. If this means delaying the release for a few months, then let that happen.

This is a particular win for those wanting a rock-stable release for their day-to-day usage, they would stick with the LTS. Those wanting something bleeding-edge, would upgrade to every new release as they come, and the only loss to them would be that once every second year, they would have to wait six months longer for some cool new feature.

An active backports team for the LTS would supplement this very good, so that those users wanting up-to-date Firefox, Openoffice, updated drivers, etc would be able to have those, even in the LTS.

The Ubuntu server should offer to install and configure the eBox (Remote web administration interface which Canonical seems to be pushing over Webmin) during installation, as it ensures that people can have a remote admin tool from install, without needing to apt it (so they are more aware it exists). And, by making it an option, users who are setting up an internet server which is exposed over the net by default, as opposed to a lan server, still have a high level of security.

First impressions for users always count, and reducing the knowledge requirements of APT and linux by making the installation of a GUI configuration tool knowledge-less, we make it easier for users to have a quick play of the server edition.

eBox is a web management tool for linux. http://ebox-platform.com/

Ubiquity should set up encrypted swap, unless told not to. Because encrypted swap doesn't require inputting a password every boot, and it increases security against forensic investigation.

It is a wonderful CD/DVD image manipulator for Linux similar to DAEMON Tools, Power Iso, Magic Iso etc.Maybe more...

the homepage and screenshot:
http://www.acetoneiso.netsons.org/index.php

The .deb file is available for hardy from here
http://www.acetoneiso.netsons.org/viewpage.php?page_id=2

These are AcetoneISO's Features:

- Mount automatically ISO, MDF, NRG, BIN, NRG without the need to insert admin password!
- A nice display which shows current images mounted and possibility to click on it to quickly reopen mounted image
- Convert 2 ISO all image types:
*.bin *.mdf *.nrg *.img *.daa *.dmg *.cdi *.b5i *.bwi *.pdi and much more
- Extract images content to a folder:
*.bin *.mdf *.nrg *.img *.daa *.dmg *.cdi *.b5i *.bwi *.pdi and much more
- Play a DVD Movie Image with Kaffeine / VLC / SMplayer with auto-cover download from Amazon
- Generate an ISO from a Folder or CD/DVD
- Check MD5 file of an image and/or generate it to a text file
- Encrypt / Decrypt an image
- Split / Merge image in X megabyte
- Compress with High Ratio an image in 7z format
- Rip a PSX cd to *.bin to make it work with epsxe/psx emulators
- Restore a lost CUE file of *.bin *.img
- Convert Mac OS *.dmg to a mountable image
- El-Torito support to create ISO bootable Cd

[....]

I like the idea of using applications that smoothly fit together and reuse libraries already loaded. Therefore, I'm trying to use mostly GTK+ applications when working in Gnome and mostly QT-based applications in KDE. When I'm searching for an additional application to install in the repository I'd like to have a swith to turn off applications building on one of these toolkits in order to ease the choice. Similarly, I would be interested to see the programming language used a bit more obvious since I'm a bit prejudiced and prefer c++ applications over python or perl-based applications.

Very few people use ekiga smartphone and removing
would free up space for more stuff like compiz
config settings manager.Some people see the compiz
videos on youtube and shouldn't have to download
an app to enable them.

Have a device manager, similar to windows, where one can see what devices are functioning properly and what needs to be installed and what not.

The ONE big complaints that I get from my Windows IT friends is that have tried Ubuntu/Linux but they don't know how to do basics.

I would love to see a help document that is geared more towards the competent IT crowd.

The doc would cut to the more technical oriented solutions.

Adding Ubuntu to Active Directory
How the sound system works with basics
How the Video works
How to restart a service
How to add a driver (modprobe)
How to access safemode (single user mode)
How to remotely connect
How to renew my IP address
How to spot system errors (logs, dmesg, ect)

Introduction:

As it stands, Ubuntu/Canonical is supporting FOUR releases of Ubuntu at a time, plus developing a new release (Plus managing desktop/server related development separately).

Question:

Should we consider, for the sake of focus, limiting official support to the "current" release, plus active LTS releases?

Implementation:

-Keep the current scheme/timeframe of LTS. Have point releases every 3 - 6 months. LTS releases will get more attention, and will be updated quarterly/semi-annually with necessary security/stability updates.

-Support a standard release only as long as it is the latest release. For example, we wouldn't be supporting 7.10 anymore, if this were the case. Of course, the repos would still be available, but official updates would cease.

List of active releases (Blue = As per this proposal, Blue + Red = Current schedule):

Current (May 2008 )
- 6.06 LTS
- 7.04
- 7.10
- 8.04 LTS
- Development (8.10)

January 2009 (8.10 has been released)
- 6.06 LTS

[....]

The Asus Eee PC runs Xandros. Dell run Ubuntu. The Nokia N810 tablet also run Linux.

What do they have in common? They do not promote the "Linux" trademark. Users never see (as far as I know) the word "Linux" on these systems.

When booting a system with "Ubuntu", the user sees only the "Ubuntu" logo. Nothing suggest that it is a flavor of Linux.

We should help users make the connection between all these systems. Users that purchase the Eee PC should know that they are running Linux. While Xandros and Asus are out of Canonical's control, I believe that Ubuntu should also make its part to promote the "Linux" trademark. I suggest that the splash screen should contain the Logo "Ubuntu" with the words "A Linux Distribution" in much smaller characters, on the lower right corner, just under the name "Ubuntu".

If we can start the initiative to promote the trademark "Linux", public awareness about the OS will increase. By preaching by example, Ubuntu can help the cause and encourage other vendors and distributions to do the same.

Everybody know about Mac and Windows. Many users run Linux in embedded systems, cellphones and soon Asus Motherboards. Yet they will never know it is Linux they are running...

If users are aware that their cellphones are running Linux and we suggest to install Ubuntu on their laptop, they might say "Linux, like on my cellphone?" and make a connection. It will feel more familiar for them and they will associate the name with, hopefully, quality.

There are all sort of features, enabled by default, that violate the users privacy:

recent files histories,
browser histories and cache not being cleaned at shutdown,
password saving features,
tracker and indexing services that even index file contents,
etc, etc,...

The problem with these is that they are scattered all over the system, so you can never tell when you have found them all. Some are even impossible to turn of with my skills.

It would make much more sense if the attitude would be to have features that violate privacy disabled by default, and enabled by request. This would be a much better attitude towards the user, giving them clarity into their privacy. It would make me feel much better if i had the feeling that developers would only have features like that turned on when im very concious of the decisions i make. Right now, i find it impossible to try and create a safe environment to work in, because it's all scattered. In my opinion, most of those features are quite unuseful anyways. Who was really waiting in great expectation for recent documents to come to linux???

There are also privacy enchancing features which could maybe be on by default if they have no drawbacks, like encrypted swap etc.

In any case, there should be very clear documentation on what the privacy status is of an operating system, with for example an extensive list of all the features that possibly violate privacy.

Clarity is asked for. How many people know what it means to have a journalling file system in therms of privacy. Does that mean that shred will not erase all sensitive data? , etc, etc...