Contributor daretoeatapeach

Although it's not very Ubuntu to tell anyone to RTFM, manuals should be read. But for now manuals are accessible only through terminal, which is not really new-user friendly.
Also there is no way of knowing what to write to get certain manual. I know for only two manuals: form rm and Lynx.
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Manuals could be added to Help which should be included in every app package. I know that some of my apps that I installed through apt-get don't have Help.

In the menu, "Transmission" should be "Transmission BitTorrent client". Just like "Firefox web browser". Newbies to Linux don't know what Transmission is.

idea from:
http://contentconsumer.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/is-ubuntu-useable-enough-for-my -girlfriend/

This is an attempt at a unification of:

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/7081/
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/7390/
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/7649/
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/7725/

I can't think, nor have I heard, of any showstopper reason for why BitTorrent shouldn't be used as the primary download method of Ubuntu respository packages. Although the specifics of the implementation of this idea will be different for ISOs and repositories, I feel they should be unified in the brainstorm because the goal is to allow the rapid, efficient, reliable, and available download of Ubuntu software.

Implementation Benefits

1) Speed. All Ubuntu downloads (ISO downloads, dist upgrades, regular system updates, and new application installs) will as a whole be faster. Generally torrent download speeds benefit from higher numbers of downloaders that seed, which Ubuntu users have demonstrated they are prone to do. BitTorrent is better able to absorb (and eventually use as an asset) large numbers of users attempting to download data at the same time, such as with the recent mad rush of Hardy downloaders/upgraders.

2) Efficiency. The BitTorrent protocol has proven to be one of the most efficient methods of distributing data amongst a large number of clients. It will harness the collective upstream of tens of thousands of Ubuntu users, from DSL and cable connections to the fastest of corporate connections.

3) Reliability. Checksums guarantee the integrity of BitTorrent downloads, so data corruption is much less likely to occur. Only the pieces that fail checksum are redownloaded, contributing to points 1 and 2.


[....]

EDIT:
The idea was updated with a test of Bitswash - a new BT client for Ubuntu?

http://getdeb.net/app/Bitswash

FINAL CONCLUSIONS:

Bitswash has the best features of the two previously tested applications: is FASTER than Deluge, and merely as LIGHTWEIGHT and SMALL as Transmission. Furthermore, it has pretty good and well looking interface.
Definitely, You should test it.
_______________________________________

I made some comparisons of the two popular BitTorrent clients for GNOME: Transmission and Deluge, using different versions of Ubuntu (based) distros, Fedora (unstable) and Mandriva. The tests conclusions are as follows:

Deluge is always at least twice as faster as Transmission and more stable while consuming about twice as much RAM.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

For example, a TEST made on Xubuntu 8.04 with all the updates installed.
Download time in both cases: 6 minutes.

Transmission version 1.06
(the results for version 1.11 on Fedora were similar).
Downloaded 5,3 MB of data, average memory usage: 9,3 MB.

Deluge 0.5.9.0
Downloaded 31,6 MB of data(!), average memory usage: 19,6 MB.

[....]

There's no option in the Brainstorm profile settings to specify my gender, therefore why does it say "His ideas", "Ideas he promoted", etc. on the contributor page of everybody?

I suggest either swapping he for they and his for their, or rephrasing the text to remove the pronouns.

Gnome-panel drops behind other desktops in the look and feel of the panel.

There are loads of Ideas e.g. on gnome-look.org about improving the panel and especially the menu. It looks like a lot of people don't like the situation right now.

It would be nice to have some discussion, how gnome-panel could be improved.

Please notice, this is not about changing the panel into a dock, but about extending its funktionallity and look and feel while keeping what we already have, and works well.

Provide a notification balloon when a network cable is unplugged from a network interface.

Sometimes you don't know if a cable works or not, or the cable is damaged, or it accidentally gets pulled out.

There should be some visual indication that the network cable has been unplugged.

Please see illustration of concept:
* http://launchpadlibrarian.net/14520679/Network.png

It's hard to catch the corners of the windows, in order to resize them.
Some gnome theme can also worsen this situation (when the borders are too thins).
For instance, in Fluxbox, when you are in the proximities of the corner, you can easily resize the window (you don't have to be exactly on that few pixels, but just near to them).
In Gnome you must be precisely in the position of the corner, and if you move the mouse of one micron, you lose the focus on the corner.

The tolerance around the corners, should be increased.

The same happens on the borders (left, right, top, bottom), but on the borders it's a bit easier, because you have to control direction only in one way, while on the corners you have to control your mouse movements up-down and left-right in conjunction.

ADD BITTORRENT OPTION ON THE MAIN DOWNLOAD PAGE!

The Novell guys took the lead already: http://software.opensuse.org/

When Hardy Heron was released, the Ubuntu servers became overloaded with thousands of people trying to download it. Downloading rates of repositories and updates were so slow that some people had to leave the computer on at night only to find connection errors the next morning.

However, if Canonical had promoted the BitTorrent downloads, this wouldn't have happened. Everyone would have got a copy of Ubuntu without slowing the repository servers and producing a Denial-of-Service effect.

Moreover, BitTorrent has many advantages over direct downloads. For instance, the more people downloading at the same time, the more sources and lesser the wait. In addition, it ensures file integrity because it uses hash functions, that is, files cannot be corrupted (modified). Not to mention that transfers can be resumed if the connection is broken.

Therefore, BitTorrent downloading should be included in the Get Ubuntu page ( http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download ) with a succinct but clear explanation on how to use them.

The fact that this idea hasn't been implemented --despite all the votes in favour-- clearly shows a neglect and reluctance from Canonical decision-makers to do what is best for the community. The worst thing is that they aren't giving an explanation. I hope good ideas in this site don't come to die here in a puzzle of bureaucracy :(

The reason Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution is because developers listen to people. Let's keep that "humanity towards others" alive.

Download Desktop CD: http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.04/ubuntu-8.04.1-desktop-i386.iso.torrent

[....]

As you can see on Brainstorm, there is need for some kind of introduction of a new user to Ubuntu. On the one hand, this should include everything from setting up one's system to using each single app. On the other hand, this should in no way annoy experienced users, while probably helping them out if they need it.
Other requirements are internationalisation (translation into the user's language), friendliness and ease to use. This could be enhanced by reacting to the user's system (i.e. which apps are installed and how are they configured) and the user's actions (f.e. which programs are running, which one is active), but this is not needed for basic functionality.


Gnome already has a help system that can be found in "System -> Help". But in no way is it complete or even truly helpful.
Instead, I propose a "Ubuntu Assistant" which, when clicked, shows helpful messages. These range from common problems and their solution (like installing ndiswrapper, extra codecs) to general introductions (f.e. the Linux directory structure, the sudo concept), links to articles and howtos on the internet, and even the manpages and the app's own help.
On first start, the assistant pops up an introduction and explanation of this help system, also mentioning how it can be uninstalled. An experienced user can now disable the assistant (f.e. by uninstalling it) while a new user has a place where he/she can find help if needed.
After this message, the assistant does not pop up by its own, but only when clicked and then it shows helpful tips, if possible based on what programs are running. Example: A new user has just opened Evolution. He doesn't know how to use it, so he opens the assistant. He can read now follow links to articles about Email, Evolution, Cryptography etc.
If the assistant can detect which packages are installed, the included articles could also inform the user if he has to install new packages (if they aren't installed) or direct him to the correct app. Example: The user reads about Emailing, and because Thunderbird is installed and Evolution is not, the assistant directs him to the Thunderbird help.
Also, the assistant should feature a search for all the questions the user has that are independent of the running apps.



[....]

I'm talking about the window that pops up when you right-click on a file or folder in Nautilus and select "Properties".

Maybe it's just me... but 90% of the time when I have the Properties window of any file open for more than a few seconds, it's because I'm watching the file/folder to note whether its size is changing. But the Properties window doesn't refresh the filesize data. Refreshing the Properties window data every couple seconds would be a very useful feature for me and it wouldn't be too difficult to implement... please consider!

That is for people who start pidgin automatically on boot time and always have to close the buddy list when the system boots.

Firefox used viral marketing and is now one of the most popular opensource applications. Do the same thing for Ubuntu. Post advertisments on video sites like Youtube and Google Video.

I've wasted many hours of my life clicking "Skip" more than 15.000 times while doing full backups of my home-directory.

Nautilus simply HAS TO offer more buttons than "Skip", "Abort" and "Retry". A simple "Skip All" in the fashion of "Overwrite All" would have saved my hands, arms and mousebuttons severe strain!

Secondly, a "Skip this folder" should also be introduced. For example, Nautilus could offer this functionality after 3 files of the same folder could not be copied successfully (Just an idea).

These functions are really easy to implement & they would help so much! Please fix this!

P.S.: Alternatively, make Nautilus simply copy everything without trouble. I really do not understand why it always complains over 15.000 times when copying my home-directory... even when I'm root. This is bad. But offering Skip-functionality might be the easier choice!

I think Canonical should have to support and improve 3D projects, in order to jeopardy the Micro$oft DirectX' API.

It's interesting for all 3D games, or other apps.

I hope 3D developpers will be interested, and will migrate to GNU/Linux.

I have read a lot of posts stating so many bugs in hardy and it will still be released. It is also slower to boot. THIS ISN'T HOW IT SHOULD BE!!!

Shouldn't LTS releases focus on bug fixing and stability and reliability, then speed, then other stuff?

We might have to delay hardy a couple of months if it is really this bad. I don't want a messed up computing system!

...or at least include it standard in the installation.
It's just such a better player, possibly the best out there, open source or otherwise. I think it would earn us serious brownie points from people who have been using Itunes/WinMediaPlayer/Winamp.

(Please don't vote this down if you haven't used Amorak and you simply like the standard player.)

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.

I like to visit the Ubuntu.com homepage frequently, in order to know the number of days to next release, to get some news about the project, to learn more about the system, but it seems a photograph.

I imagine there are lots of resources on Internet with that information, but they are not linked from Ubuntu homepage. For example, Ubuntu Brainstorm is a great idea, but it is not linked neither!

I think, homepage should be a lively commonplace to Ubuntu users and potential new users. It should have:

* News about the operating system and the project, new features just implemented, programmers required for..., etc., etc.
* A complex search engine for documentation only related to Ubuntu. It could search into the docs (help.ubuntu.com), forums, wikis, tutorials...
* Link to related and useful projects: Brainstorm, cdimage, Ubuntu Rescue Remix, getdeb.net, Forums... It could resemble labs.google.com
* Resources: backgrounds, screen-savers, useful programs, hotows...

I think, people could give more recommendations. Ubuntu is a great project and the web face of it should reflect that ;)

I think it is very confusing that during installation, the screen suddenly becomes black. It would be much better if there would be at least a simple image, so that the screen does not look like the computer just crashed.