Contributor eapache

When a user currently boots into the 'recovery mode' from GRUB, they are presented with a command-line interface with complete root privileges and no introduction. This is just not user-friendly by any definition.

With the introduction of bullet-proof X in 8.04, it should be possible to launch some sort of gui no matter what, so how about creating a guided recovery app (in the style of 'ubiquity-only') that goes something like this:

Welcome to the Ubuntu Recovery Helper.
-If you booted into this mode because booting Ubuntu normally doesn't work, press continue.
-If you have booted into this mode by accident, you can reboot your computer and choose the option to load Ubuntu normally.
-If you are an advanced user and would like to go straight to the command-line, press Advanced.
[REBOOT] [ADVANCED] [CONTINUE]

If they press continue:
-If you know approximately what is wrong with your PC, select it below and press Continue.
-If you don't know what is wrong, press I Don't Know.
[]Graphics Card or Monitor
[]Hard Disk
[]Sound
[]etc.
[BACK] [I DON'T KNOW] [CONTINUE]

Selecting Graphics Card or Monitor would launch the X.org configuration utility, with the additional option to 'Autodetect any display hardware changes' (runs "sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xorg-server" or whatever the exact code is). Selecting I Don't Know would launch the same prompt that the hardware database thingie uses, and when an error is reported would go to the appropriate item from the list above.

I'm not going to go through the entire thing, but I'm sure you get the idea. At the moment, Windows recovery mode is just an admin desktop, and Ubuntu is command-line. We're currently behind, but implementing something like this would put us years ahead. It would also make a great 'important feature' for 8.10 (like compiz-fusion was for 7.10).

[....]

The xsane frontend is the most feature-complete gui scanning program, but the interface is complicated and difficult to use.

There are a ton of buttons for adjusting contrast and gamma and resolution etc. that most users don't need. And there's the histogram window, which is just plain confusing

Would it be possible for a simplified version of it to be made with the more complex options visible only under an advanced tab? Just do something to make it less scary-looking.

When you open a file from the recent documents menu, it should get moved back to the top of the list, but it doesn't.

This means that while I normally open current files from there, every now and then I have to open it manually to add it back to the list because it's been bumped off by other stuff.

Some people want to run a full installation of Ubuntu from the LiveCD, but don't know what an ISO image is or what to do with it.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto is quite complicated.

Why not simply integrate the open-source ISO burner from the link above into Wubi, and market it as an all-in-one Ubuntu Installer? It could download the ISO, and ask if you want to install it via Wubi, or if you simply want to put it on a CD. It could add a "Boot from CD" option on the native bootloader as well, (the LiveCD already does this if you ask it to) for those who don't want to mess with BIOS.

Umenu and Wubi were major steps in the right direction, so let's take this all the way!

Currently, the only characters that Ubuntu does not support in filenames and paths are slashes, while Windows has a considerable list (apostrophes, asterisks, etc.).

Creating a file on a NTFS drive in Ubuntu and naming it with one of these characters causes Windows to be unable to read the file and anything beneath it in the directory structure. This is extremely dangerous.

Ubuntu should automatically strip these characters (or prompt for them to be renamed) when creating/moving/renaming files on NTFS drives in order to prevent crashes, and allow user's to access their files from Windows.

Putting the bookmarks for:

ubuntu.com
ubuntuforums.org
launchpad.net/ubuntu

next to each other, they all use different favicons. Just cosmetic, and not very important, but they really aught to all be the same.

The 'umenu' on Hardy is a great improvement, and wubi is excellent, but I think we can do even better.

A lot of people give up on Ubuntu before they even boot it because they're afraid of hardware problems, or because they don't burn the iso properly.

Why don't we provide a standalone executable for Windows and Mac that is an all-in-one Ubuntu helper/installer? It can integrate a downloader, iso burner, wubi installer, and hardware tester.

Instead of downloading a big, enormous, confusing iso file that they don't know what to do with, people will download a small program with an extension (exe) that they recognize. Give it a simple name like "Ubuntu Installer.exe" It tests their hardware for incompatibility, and warns them of any possible issues. It then automatically downloads the image to a temp folder (option to save it permanently) and requests they insert a CD, at which point it burns and verifies it. It then adds the CD Boot option to the native bootloader, and offers to restart the computer. Instead of a complicated process, the user just hits Next a couple of times and lets the helper do the rest.

Burning the iso and booting to the CD is now one of the most confusing parts of installing/running Ubuntu. Fix it!

This is a major change, and I know it will be controversial. Please read the whole thing before voting, and leave a comment about why you voted the way you did.

There are two places where Ubuntu is used: at home, and by companies. Both want different things from an Operating System.

Companies want a rock-solid OS that is updated in a steady cycle every few years. They are already well-served by the LTS releases.

Home users want cutting-edge applications on a stable core. The absolute latest released versions of OpenOffice, Firefox, etc. on top of an X.org, kernel, etc. that is rock-solid. They are not currently well-served.

Part of the problem is that the applications are updated only every six months with each new release, meaning that certain apps can be several versions out-of-date before they get updated. The other part of the problem is that each release (excepting LTS) has a cutting-edge core, which hasn't had all the bugs worked out (remember compiz in Gutsy). My proposed solution is as follows:

Divide all supported Ubuntu packages into two sections: 'core' and 'apps'. Packages in 'core' will follow the current release cycle, but with a higher emphasis on stability even for non-LTS releases. Packages in 'apps' on the other hand will use a rolling release cycle with a temporary freeze before each release, and a branch freeze before each LTS.

LTS users won't notice any change, but home users will hopefully notice the following:
- the core system (x.org, kernel, gnome) is more stable
- the apps (Firefox, OpenOffice) are kept properly up-to-date

Note: I know backports addresses some of this issue, but not all of it. It specifically doesn't address the instability of the core system during non-LTS releases.

If I vote for idea 1, which is subsequently marked as a duplicate of idea 2, I shouldn't be able to vote again for idea 2! Since the votes are combined, I have technically now voted twice for idea two.