Contributor allard.assies

While requesting features to the open source community which consist mainly of free workers, we may often forget to say how much we like Ubuntu and look like costumers requesting.

So you can say thank you to the thousands of developers and users who gave their time by voting for this article :)

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

[....]

I don't really know if this has already been implemented on Ubuntu, but applying Fedora ideas to boost X startup would be appreciated.

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/OneSecondX

All the packages in the software repository should include a URL hyperlink to the official website of the software.

So when you read about the software, you can click on the link to get to the official homepage, for more information.

Ubuntu should take full advantage of all available mouse buttons.
Integrate this: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/146160

cdroms are slow, don't allow to modify their content easily, they are weak and not as easy to carry as USB keys.

It would be great to provide Ubuntu as a liveUSB just as Mandriva does. We should be able to carry our distribution on any computer, manage our preferred settings (do I want binary drivers enabled ? what is my preferred resolution ?), etc.

The thing is not to make something transportable, but really a nomad system that could be used just the best way as it could on any computer.

In many cases, I can't configure my webcam or I have problems with the microphone. Now I can use my webcam but only with V4L2 and only 3 programas detect my webcam. It's a good idea can use my webcam in all programs as camorama.

When i change some hardware pieces i need to configure them manually, ubuntu should recognize there has been a hardware change and configure it.

People around the globe that are using/concidering using Ubuntu are afraid that some of their hardware won't work for them. And some are frustrated to buy additional add-on cards to work around unsupportad onboard chips. All this could be avoided with a lookup in an ubuntu Hardware Database Website.

Some problematic hardware can be used with more or less work if helping information is available together with the hardware compatabillity data.

The hardware database can be found at http://hwdb.ubuntu.com/

From idea #47: The data should then be available in a format that is simple for users to browse on-line when considering new hardware.

As a user I want to be able to listen to audio or watch videos with the least amount of setup. I would like to have a single interface (Codec Manager) that lists all of the most common audio and video formats and shows me if I am missing the necessary codec for playback.

Use Case: Enable MP3 playback.
Precondition: MP3s are not currently playable.
1. User logs into the system.
2. User opens the Codec Manager.
3. System displays a list of common audio/video formats.
4. User selects MP3s.
5. System displays some info about MP3s.
6. System displays a list of available codecs.
7. User selects a codec and clicks Apply.
8. System downloads and installs the selected codec.
9. System informs the user when completed.

Other possible features:
- Display a list of audio/video types that are missing codecs.
- An auto-setup function, that grabs the recommended codec for all formats.

Audio and Video formats that should be supported:

Audio:
- MP3
- OGG
- AAC
- FLAC
- Real Audio

Video:
- MP4

[....]

Hi!

I'm a big fan of Images like .iso.
But it is not very easy to mount this Images.
I think there must be a Tool in Nautilus and Dolphin wich alows mounting Images with a double Click. (This feature exists int MacOS). Or with a right click on the file and then there must be a poit "Mount Image". I thick that would be a very use full Tool for every one.
A good example for this is CDemu.

I know there are some ohter good programs, but I think that would be the easyest way and very confortible.

Nanotron

When someone wants to unmount a volume and the mount point is used, he gets a message telling him that the volume can't be unmounted because an application uses it. The user has no idea which application is actually using it and can't remove the device.

I propose that the popup tells him which application(s) is(are) using the device and propose to terminate them (that list should be kept up to date when the app. dies).

I guess everybody has experienced the rather long boot up times in Ubuntu (particularly with laptops). I know they are already working on it, but the change from feisty to gutsy was a pain in the ass in terms of boot up speed.
A default WinXP installation beats Ubuntu's boot up time by far!! That shouldn't be allowed fellas!!

I therefore propose to the development team (both Ubuntu and by extension Gnome)to work on the improvement of boot up times in Ubuntu systems.

It would be nice if include by adding a new tab for it.:
- temperature (cpu, hdd, chipsets),
- memory (with manufacture model?)
- graphics card (model, memory)
- chipsets (processor, cores, lan, wifi)
- ... others?

There is a wide community of online artists capable of creating brilliant, unique artwork.

heading: Get your artwork on 10 million desktops

Ubuntu, the world's most popular Linux distribution, needs a new theme. The winner will appear in the default desktop of Ubuntu 8.10.

We're looking for original wallpapers, that match Ubuntu's color palette. You entry should also include a suggested combination of application, icon, and window themes. These can be existing themes, or your own original works - you only need to submit a wallpaper to win.

Work must be CC licensed, and be openable in either Inkscape or Gimp (rest of criteria continues)

Submit your works to DeviantArt and include the words [Ubuntu810].


Good luck!

Every 2 weeks you should write a blog entry about which ideas caught the eye of developers, which ones shouldn't be submitted anymore because its currently in work, which ones surprised developers as being as popular as they were, any trends you are spotting. Just generally give some feedback on the suggestions here. Otherwise you are in risk of people thinking this is a one way process with people never getting any feedback on what the developers make of their ideas.

The Gimp project has a site where people can propose new ideas for the next GIMP GUI, and after every 25 submissions the developers post a blog explaining what they made of the ideas. Even if its just a short list of what trends they spotted over the last few weeks it's always interesting to read and gives you a sense that your suggestions are actually being considered.

I think Brainstorm needs something similar.

Important links to Ubuntu resources and help should be integrated into Firefox. It will be very helpful for a newbie where to move next. Links can be integrated as bookmarks, so that a user can delete it own his will. Integrate the links with very useful and clear heading such as: Get additional software, Resolve any hardware issue,ask help from community, Share your experience, Contribute your brainstorming ideas for Ubuntu etc. It will really be very helpful for a newbie.

Linux is 17 years old...and there's no online backup solution in the open-source world. A very well featured program is Acronis True Image, but the linux version is very buggy and unstable. Actually, the best solution to backup the partiton when the system is up is the LVM snapshot. But for a newbie it is too complex. Yes, it exists MondoRescue for this, but it works rarely and it is not so flexible...

There seems to be a growing trend of incorrect statements about Linux security being made that should be addressed. Otherwise, we will leave ourselves open to heavy attack in the future. We should also highlight ways to improve your own security.

---Some reasons why we need one?---
*I have seen linux "experts" in ideas (demeaningly) that we don't need Antivirus at all on linux because we fix the vulverabilities, which is totally false. We need it because vulverabilities dont get patched within an hour, and we can still forward viruses on. The point of AV is not to act as a barrier, but to identify when you have been compromised and fix it. People don't seem to realise, images for instance can carry payloads. I don't see any reason why a virus couldn't take over the linux world overnight.

* Highlight some of the security mechanisms in linux and explain them
* Explain risks of dodgy permissions
* Explain in detail while running in root is risky.
* Too many linux oldies see anything Microsoft is doing and say we "shouldn't follow MS", even though its done right (like a security centre). If we don't get over that, we are shooting ourselves in the food. An example is a centralised security centre to analyse everything. Without it, its very easy to overlook some security checks.
* Explain future security features being added to ubuntu (roadmap).

Without proper education, we run the risk of following oldskool Microsoft (who have fixed their ways), and we will look like idiots (thanks to the people who say linux doesn't need AV). We are only secure now because we all mostly know what we are doing, but we should make it easier to educate others, so that we are prepared.


Lets highlight how to be more secure now, to keep us all safer in the future!

Totem is a good player, but vlc is much better. Please put the best software as default in ubuntu, because the problems of new users , coming from windows, will decrease a lot with vlc, that recognise more codecs than totem.