Contributor fazillatheef

I really like the fact that Ubuntu releases are time based. However I think that we should not let so easily core/main features just stop working and let the release ship nevertheless.

Some examples with Intrepid :

* CD drives eat your fingers (LP: #283316)
* GNOME session is not remembered (LP: #249373)
* Bluetooth file reception cannot be set with the default tools (LP: #290875) and doesn't work anymore by the way (LP: #211252, LP: #289836)
* Samba printers can't print when no authentication is needed (LP: #283811)

I mean basic printing, burning/using CDs not working in a 2008 operating system, than can't be real, right ?

My (humble) proposal :

* Any default feature that was previously working and is not working anymore should be a release blocker (of course explicit exception could be granted on a case by case basis).
* There should be an easy way in launchpad to mark and track such regressions.
* Release dates should be planned in the beginning of the month instead of the very end of the month so that if more time is needed we won't have to renumber the release.

The fact that Intrepid release notes are so big should be an other indication as to why it was too early to release Intrepid IMHO.

I'm not whining or blaming anybody here, I can fix all these problems for my specific computers. However I think that users expect that what was working before will continue to work in the new release (I'm not speaking about performance regressions, regressions in packages not in main here, I know that we cannot avoid every regression). This is far more important than releasing on the exact planned day.


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The main objetive to do this is simple: marketing.

It's not the same saying "Ubuntu is a great OS with many applications like text-processors, video players, good internet browsers, etc" that saying, ..."and it has got really, really good games".

Of course, some people doesn't care about games (people who uses Ubuntu to work, for example) but, some young people (and game-lovers) could be attracted to Ubuntu community by this mean.

When I talk of great games, I mean those which are supported, have got a long well-developped storyline and of course, have got a big community and really good graphics. Examples of these games are Battle for Wesnoth, OpenArena, Glest, Supertux, Sauberbraten, Freeciv, and Tux Racer.

Thus, this community would make publicity of Ubuntu saying to Windows users things that: "bah, I cand do this and also has many good free games", "the other day I was playing a great game... Sorry is only for Ubuntu Linux, not for Windows"... And things like that. Simply marketing.

So, once the major bugs of Ubuntu were corrected, the majority of hardware were well-supported, it would be interesting to do this to fix "bug number one".

A lot of users have slow write speed on USB 2.0 devices (external disks, memory cards, pendrives...)

I can confirm that it happens in Hardy and Intrepid. This problem did not appear when I used Gutsy.

When transferring large files or even medium-size files, the transfer rate decreases constantly.

Some users added pci=routeirq to the grub boot options and they got the USB 2.0 performance back. It helped some users, but another times it don't work, you can see it on the Ubuntuforums and Launchpad comments.

I consider it as a need and share it as idea in order that Canonical and the community do inquiries to determine if it is a bug or another kind of problem with a simpler solution that could be included in an upcoming update or in Ubuntu 9.04.

With regard to the Slashdot-ed ( http://is.gd/5BfK ) launchpad bug #59695 ( https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/acpi-support/+bug/59695 ) "High frequency of load/unload cycles on some hard disks may shorten lifetime", there seems to be a lot of doubt/controversy about the background of the bug and whether or not it has actually been fixed, even as it has been marked as 'Implemented' on its brainstorm page ( http://is.gd/5CX5 ) . It is crucial that the core team working on the bug, along with Canonical and Dell (since Dell has a partnership with Canonical and many Dell laptops seem to be affected) issues an official statement to clear up the confusion, if Linux stands any chance at popular adoption.

It is also important for different distributions to work together on this issue, since they each suggest different fixes (workarounds?) to the problem.

This bug is a very strong deterrent against Linux for users who would very much like to have it on their laptops but see it as potentially harmful to their hardware.

Many laptops affected by this bug are listed at http://is.gd/4a9d & http://is.gd/3Stu even as some of them are Canonical certified (such as the Dell Inspiron 1525 http://is.gd/5CWr ) !

Finally, please Digg this idea at http://digg.com/linux_unix/Canonical_Dell_Should_Issue_Statement_On_Hard_Drive_ Killer

[This idea is not a duplicate of idea #288. Although the subject is the same, it is concerned with a possible official statement on the issue rather than a fix per se.]

EDIT: Ongoing discussions on bug #59695 occur mainly at http://is.gd/5fgw . As of 21 November 2008 1239 UTC, the status of this bug has been changed to "In Progress" on its tracker at Launchpad. Another related brainstorm idea is #15192 http://is.gd/6roB (Throttle Drive sync-rates based on load count rate, to fix cycling issues).

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Traditionally, Screenshots have been "flat" and are composed of only one layer (the visible layer). If a window is below another, you cannot see it, or parts of it, because all the layers are flattened into what you see.

I'd like a way to have a multi-layer image file, where a photo is taken of every window and placed on different layers, so you can see see the content of every window open simply by hiding/moving layers around in the photo (more of a 3D screenshot).

For graphics artists, journalists and reviewers, it means they can make small edits to the screenshots (moving windows around even after the photo is taken before it is finalised). Just like it was a real desktop!

The good:
- Screenshots can be rearranged and edited after taking them (great for editors and reviewers)
- Other on the internet get a 3D view of your desktop, so can see EVERYTHING and exactly what linux is like.
- Should be just a matter of grabbing every window and their position, adding the same effects to the picture. Shouldn't be too hard to grab a list of windows and snapshot every one.
- Very unique. Never seen it on other operating systems
- Great for developers. Users get a better idea of the software.
- Great for business and tutorials. Users get more context as to how they are brought to the screen they are at.
- Allows a "3D VNC" mode. Some connections such as satellite are very fast, but have a high large lag. This means they are capable of sending snapshots of all open windows quickly, but there is a delay. Using this concept, window switches would be a lot faster, and VNC might be less annoying.
- Linux screenshot sites where users can hide or show different windows in the screenshot, that would be great. Its like popping the bonnet of your car so others can see inside (if you want them to).

Other considerations:
- Multi-layer screenshots are bigger because there is obviously more image (however, single layer screenshots would still be available).

[....]

Do you like an eye candy? Make sure that you don't have an eye caries!
Speed, usability and stability is what we want!

The details of instalation of a package should be hidden to the user.

Non-technical users don't know (and should not know) what .deb, .rpm, or .bin is. Installer must install those packages without any problem. The process must be *seamless* and can be done using alien (.rpm), aptitude (.deb) or simply installing the autopackage (.bin).

In chase of .tgz (source packages), the "./configure", "make install" actions should be also hidden. The installer would test via "./configure" the required packages and use makefile to compile the source code. Thus, installer should ask where user wants the binary and if it must create a menu entry.

It will be great to have an image preview in Nautilus similar to audio preview, i.e. on mouseover. Now if thumbnails are enabled, it is impossible to make a file list look compact, and it is difficult to see anything on such a small picture. Similar behavior is already realized for audio, and it looks like nobody is against it, so why not use this idea for pictures (and maybe video) as well? Another way of doing this is to place the preview of the selected file on the side pane.

I propose to make an application for physics experiments. It can be included in Edubuntu.

It should be an application where you can create/define objects that act and interact according to the laws of physics.

It should let you to aero dynamics, fluid dynamics. Ballistics, floating, collision, etc.

We could have a toolbox from which the user can drag-and-drop objects and stuff, and where he can define properties for the object.

We could also have possible for the user to create a script where he defines properties.

environment.gravity(9.8)
environment.humidity(34)

mybox = new Object.Box()
mybox.dimensions(120,80,40)
mybox.mass(14000)
mybox.luminosity(1.4)
mybox.magnetism(-13)

unobtainium = new Material()
unobtainium.phase(solid)
unobtainium.density(7.21)
unobtainium.melting_point(1519)
unobtainium.boiling_point(2334)
unobtainium.hardness(196)
unobtainium.thermal(conductivity=318, emittance=17, expansion=35)

Mockup

Android is an open source (100% apache 2.0/GPL now) linux-based mobile phone platform developed by Google. It uses a java-like bytestream language to be CPU-independent, secure, fast (applications need to run well on 300mhz phone CPU's and RAM-friendly. Unlike the iphone platform, developers still maintain a high level of flexibility. Even slow computers would be able to run Android apps well.

We should allow gnome to open android programs as if they are native applications. Since android uses a native linux backend anyway, getting GPS and other such devices to work seamlessly with android apps should be easy.

This would be especially good portable ubuntu devices, because they often benefit from the same apps as mobile phones. And, we would gain a vast array of secure web enabled applications that are easy to use, innovative, and pretty, with the added benefit of being cross platform compatible with the latest mobile phone apps. Integration would probably not require consuming ram when you aren't using any android apps. But this would be a big win for us.

Some Android applications laptop users may benefit off:
Cooking Capsules
Picsay
Splash Play
Cab4me

By integrating GPS into Ubuntu laptops, the vast array of Android location-aware applications would instantly give us an upper hand in usability. The code is already pretty much done, we just need to integrate it! So lets do it for 9.04.

it would be a great idea to allow easily booting an iso straight off the hard disk. this would mean you don't have to burn a disk to do a fresh install.

- no wasted cds (greener)
- no cds (quicker)
- keep backup ISOs of ubuntu/xp/osX/whatever installed on your machine, ready to be used as needed.

maybe a simple extra directory in the /boot/ directory which containins iso images that grub will find.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-general-1/boot-iso-image-from-har d-disk-294744/

that link suggests it is most likely possible, just not simple yet.

Ubuntu is not (imo) the best looking OS out there, not even close to. I have som ideas to make Ubuntu look great.

Ideas:

* SVG icons.
* A theme that apply to EVERY application.
* More then just human theme.
* Better menus. Like the KDE4 or OpenSUSE menu.
* More then just a brown wallpaper included.
* Fresh up the look of synaptic, make it look like "Install or Uninstall programs", maybe a Apple influenced theme.
* Just one activity bar, like in Windows.
* Not just a blank activity bar, make it look more like Windows or at least make it look better.
* Stop making the screen flicker when starting up, like in Fedora ( think it was called X11 fst or something like that)
* Nicer icon theme, like Crashbit on gnome-look.

Well that just a few of my thoughts about how to make Ubuntu look better.

Ubuntu Tweak is such a good tool for getting your Ubuntu system to work just right, I think it should be included by default. The first thing that I do when installing a system is put Tweak on it and fiddle a bit. It offers a comfortable, non-intimidating GUI for new/intermediate users to tweak their system. This is consistent in Ubuntu's quest to be Linux for Human Beings. A new user can use it to customize their GNOME setup and Compiz, or add easy scripts like Open As Root to Nautilus.

http://ubuntu-tweak.com/

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=fedora_test_2008&num=1

I've noticed with my previous computer (AXP 2500+, 1.5Gb RAM, two IDE hdds) input/output operations in Ubuntu are quite slow and often freeze or slow down whole system. The benchmarks at the hyperlink show it's the real problem - Fedora just destroy Ubuntu in such kind of operations. So, ubuntu maintainers should pay attention to this problem.

Current compiz default animation seems to me too slow - it force you to pay attention to animation. When it's speed is increased in 2 times, you stop to catch sight of it, but feel its smoothness.

This is a duplicate of my idea.. I changed a few things for making things more clear...

People who dont have internet or people with slow internet connection can find it very difficult to update or install new software on their system.Even though Cds are there .. there maybe some softwares not included .. And it is not logically correct to download many softwares and write a cd just to install one or two apps.

I came to know about a program made in python that could solve this problem.This program works in fedora. https://hosted.fedoraproject.org/opyum/
Since I heard that developers are keen to hear features and programs in other linux distribution that is not there in ubuntu,I thought this would be a good idea. The basic concept is as follows:-

consider the following

A is a computer with no internet
B is a computer with internet

At first the program is run in A which generates a file which contains the information about the installed application and hardware present. This file will act as a profile for the computer A.

Now this file is taken to B and is given to the program ,which shows installed applications status as in A .

the user installs(installation just downloads the application) application of his choice.Since the program is interfaced with the package manager ,it can easily deal with the required dependencies and downloads all the debs to a specified folder.In this folder a script will also be created.

Now the folder is taken to A with the help of a storage medium (thumb drive,cd,dvd,etc..) and the script when run gives the user two options


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I see (too) many posts of "poor" people saying they can't use (or it is difficult to use) ubuntu because they don't have an internet access or it is too expensive.

I got the chance to have a personnal internet access. But 2 years ago my netword card was badly reckognized and I need to get all the packages needed to recompile the driver and it was quite a pain : Switch windows / download some debs / switch windows / download missing debs ans so on.

It costed my nothing but time. But imagine I need to go to the web café each time, it would have cost me some bucks.

I think synaptic should provide an EASY and OBVIOUS way to export full dependancies of a package so that one can go to a web café 1 time only.
The way to retrieve the needed *.deb files should be compatable with windows only web café.
(ftp scripts on an usb key or so on)

Networking is networking. I think this is a logical way for users to regard bluetooth, especially considering that it's so often used to communicate with a phone. Also, then there's no more fuss about whether or not the bluetooth icon is displayed.

Apple has done a great job with his iPhone, but I think the Open-Source-Community can do it better.

Operating systems like Ubuntu are a great thing, but the handy market is a little bit boring...
...googles android, i don' t like such big companys like google, they know enough about us...
...so I think Openmoko is the best choose, even the design of the hardware is open. And I think in combination with Ubuntu it can be better than any iPhone.

So lets cooperation with openmoko.

http://wiki.openmoko.org/

Ubuntu seems to stand behind Tracker for desktop search, and yet, doesn't. The real power of Tracker's use lies in its ability to use tags, functionality which is obscured in the standard installation. The only way to use it is by using the Tracker applet manually, but this should be integrated into the file manager.