Contributor hgibson

There should be a more efficient format for apt-get (or the update manager) to download updates. Firstly, it should only need to download the files that have changed in a package (not the whole package), and secondly, it should download a DIFF of those files.

My latest update contains a 34.2 WHOPPING MB update to the linux restricted modules. Here's the changelog:

* Fix broadcom Makefile to get correct objects from split-module.

I'm downloading 34.2Mb just to get a *Makefile update*??? I don't even use any broadcom stuff. Even if I did, I probably wouldn't care enough about a Makefile to make it worthwhile downloading 34.2Mb!

gnome-system-monitor provides a cleaner interface than Windows "Task Manager", and provides many useful features including list of processes running, memory and network usage, etc.

This functionality should be more accessible by key binding it by default to CTRL-ALT-DELETE as Windows does--as this is more familiar to users coming from Windows. The current key binding for CTRL-ALT-DELETE brings up the shutdown/logout options, which is already accessible as a desktop button, which is redundant for a relatively less used function.

gnome-system-monitor is an idle interface for monitoring the system and killing processes without using the terminal and provides an interface for doing this that most are already familiar with. Changing it's key binding would make it's functionality much more accessible.

it would be neat if no matter what piece of hardware we plugged in to our ubuntu pc, if the os does not recognise it, it will send some kind of report about the hardware to a central data base.

the user is also allowed to input data to be sent like make, model, etc as well as the os identify the unit as well.

add support for atheros wifi drivers in ibex
Just released linux wifi open drivers by atheros should be included in next ibex version which focuses on better wifi.
http://madwifi.org/wiki/news/20080725/ath9k-atheros-unveils-free-linux-driver-f or
The ath9k driver includes supports for the following chipsets:

* AR5418+AR5133
* AR5416+AR5133
* AR5416+AR2133
* AR9160
* AR9280
* AR9281
These should be available in ibex as intrepid ibex concentrates on better wifi support.

Why not use Splashy for a better looking graphical boot? It supports animations, transparency, it's very easy to make new themes (it's a xml with images)...

Splashy complete features from http://splashy.alioth.debian.org
- Require zero kernel patches/full functionality in user-space
- Boot/halt/reboot/runlevel-switch support
- Progressbar support (with optional border)
- Verbose mode (with F2/ESC keys)
- Configuration file in XML
- Cope with any video-mode resolution/size
- Cope with 8, 16, and 24 bit framebuffers
- Alpha channel (transparency) support
- Video mode detection
- Initramfs support
- TrueType2 fonts support
- Lots of image/animation file formats supported: jpg, png, gif, mpg, swf
- Low dependencies and code in C to best perform
- Full LSB support
- Multiple themes support
- Really easy to create new themes
- X detection on exit
- Smooth progressbar movement
- Animations support
- Fade in/out effects
- Totally configurable

I noticed something about the samba configuration when setting up a new samba share. If I didn't go in and manually configure the permissions for sharing to occur, it would deny me access when trying to access that samba share remotely from a windows computer.

I propose that when creating a share, that the permissions locally are automatically adjusted for the share to work. I know this makes it difficult to fix because of the limited permissions that are given in linux file systems. But it is very frustrating that I need to check the local file system permissions after creating a share if that share doesn't work. It should all just work.

This problem is very noticeable if you want to share a folder in your home directory with a different username then your own since you need to basically figure out what to set the permissions to in order for it all to work. And there is no automatic method of doing it.

Right now, if you have a piece of unsupported hardware, Ubuntu does nothing, and you are stuck googling and scouring the forums to see if there are alternatives to getting your hardware working, or even just to confirm that your hardware really doesnt work.

I propose that instead of nothing, Ubuntu whisks you off to a wiki page based off of the hardware Identifier. There, I expect two main activities to take place; users can collaborate on alternative installation methods, and collaborate on advocacy for native linux support.

Some example cases:
3D Graphics older than 6 months. Ubuntu will probabaly have a driver in the restricted-drivers-manager, but is that it? Now it works, and who cares? Why not still link to a page where those interested can email NVidia whatever about their desire for native linux support. Or, if there is a way to donate money to the cause...

3D cards newer than 6 months. A person buying the latest graphics cards won't get support from Ubuntu till the next release, which could be 6 months away (AFAIK). The wiki page could include all the advocacy info previously stated, additionally it could have manual driver installation instructions, like compiling the driver.

NdisWrapper: I have a wireless card that I use ndiswrapper for. I got it working through having good luck through google, and the ubuntuguide.org website, which AFAIK is being slowly taken down. If I got a new card, I'm not sure how I would get it working. The wiki could hold all this info directly, and additionally, I would love to email someone about getting native linux support, even though I have the card working ATM.

Webcam: I bought a webcam on sale, and spent several hours trying to get it working, and googling for information, only to find that it is known that there is NO support for linux at all. It would be nice if I was just told that right away, and a wiki could do that.


SO, to restate the idea: Much hardware today (AFAIK) has a type identifier which OS's use to install the correct driver. Currently, if ubuntu has no support, it does nothing. I wish Ubuntu would pop up a message, and link me to a wiki page (based on the ID) where I could collaborate with other owners of the hardware.

[....]

Canonical should hire at least one full-time developer for X.org and GNOME.

X Server 1.4.1 was delayed by 212 days. X is used by pretty much every distribution, and not only Linux also other operating systems, so it is a very important package. We need the bugs fixed, such as EDID. We need new features such as input hotness, XKB 2, Xi 2 and MPX, etc.

Zenwalk Linux have a Xorg developer, we should have at least one too.

GNOME is also one of the most important packages in Ubuntu, and we should have a developer for it too, so we can make Ubuntu more powerful, functional and friendly.

#wikipedia

Jahshaka aims to become a cross-platform, open source, free, video editing, effects, and compositing suite. It is currently in alpha stage, supporting realtime effects rendering, but lacking useful implementations of many features such as the non-linear editing system. It is written using Trolltech's Qt, but its user interface is written using an OpenGL library to create GUIs.

Since it uses OpenGL and OpenML, it could be ported to many different platforms that have the necessary computing power.

I have had a trouble getting my external hard drive to work on Ubuntu 7.10. It would be good to have it preinstalled so I dont have to force mounting commands into terminal.

when you right click on the desktop the last choice you get is change desktop background, and it takes you to the background tab in appearance preferences. not sure if this is intentional but i think people are smart enough to notice the background tab when they click on appearance preferences

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 ;)

A thought that the UB website add a section where approved developers may provide an editorial on proposed ideas. I find it interesting to follow the development of ubuntu and linux in general. I find it equally interesting to hear why an idea may be included, not included or delayed.

I think it would be beneficial if we could all be provided with the developers' thoughts on particular ideas, especially the very popular ones.

perhaps under the duplicates section, add and developers editorial section.

Thanks.

I want fullscreen webcam conversations with good encoding and both video & audio.

Then you can talk with people, face-to-face, kinda like if they were there. It gets you much closer to each other, and its easier, you don't have to type.

I'm the only user of my MacBook Pro. The login manager automatically selects my username, so I only need to type in my password. It would be nice to have this feature in GDM/KDM considering most systems are only accessed by one user. Also, it could remember that last user that logged in and make it default until another user tried to log in.

I believe one of the biggest hurdles for new users is not being familiar with how/where ubuntu installs things. I propose that a map be created describing the location and contents of default installation directories. For example, it could be a map of the file structure, where newbies could go to find out just what the heck is stored in the ./whatever directory, and how it interacts with other parts of the system. I'm thinking a huge tree diagram that would simply represent the contents and relationships of ubuntu files and directories, from the kernel on down through /home. It will make it a lot more appealing to customize and/or start fidgeting if you know EXACTLY what you are dealing with and how it might affect your system. I know something like this exists somewhere, it just needs to be available to the end-users in one place, in pictorial form.

In Ubuntu there's an useful and easy-to-use software to install closed-license drivers. Why is only for those drivers? Why couldn't it be used to manage drivers for the computer I'm using?

For example: a friend of mine installed Ubuntu Gutsy on her computer. Everything worked out-of-the-box except the sound-card. I had to go to her and install some packages to get it work. Wouldn't be great if it could be done automatically? Maybe it could be implemented in M$ Windows interface to check if the hardware is compatible with ubuntu.

Being a computer reseller is quite a complicated undertaking, perhaps information on howto do this might be very beneficial in promoting Ubuntu, things like:
1. Costing model - how to arrive at selling price depending on whether one assembles or use a white box (as a spreadsheet).
2. Supported hardware - this would be taken care by supported hardware list.
3. Howto pitch deployment of Ubuntu in an organization.
4. Importing hardware - which companies are reputable to deal with.

I know some of this information would be specific to a particular area, but a framework would go a long way.

Hard drives can easily get too hot, especially on laptops, it would be nice to at least warn the user if the temperature of the HDD raises to dangerous levels... (maybe even hibernate/shutdown if it reaches "melting" levels, but that is another question...)

Sure this can probably be done now, but it is not the default behaviour, and I think nobody likes a "fried" HDD....

It appears that one needs to create separate accounts (username and password) for ubuntuforums.org, launchpad.net and brainstorm.ubuntu.com

How difficult would it be to implement a single login?

Update : NOT a duplicate of OpenID idea #9.