Contributor twright

Sometimes it's unconfortable when you're searching some files (for example when compiling and installing a program) and when you are "inside" the folder in the file manager, you want to compile. You need the terminal.

So, you need to reach the folder and reach that folder typing all the way to do it, and it's very tedious when the program name is too long.

I suggest that in the menu (File menu) it would appear an item called "Open Terminal in this folder" or simply "Open terminal".

Suspend and hibernate still seems to be a big issue based on forum posts. Really focus on fixing it, even with proprietary drivers.

First of all, make compiz settings manager a default package in Ubuntu and put all the key bindings as one plug in.
under that again subdivide screen edges, mouse bindings and keyboard bindings.

GIMP can open lots of file formats.
But Eye of GNOME can open less, why?
This is dumb.

I propose some kind of framework or library in the system that applications can use to access file formats.

This would make all applications be able to support all file formats, and would make it easier to code application software, because it would require less time and code since the developer wouldn't have to use different libraries and write support for file formats manually himself.

All audio software can handle all audio file formats.
All graphics software can handle all graphics file formats.
All video software can handle all video file formats.

Then I can download an update for the system library which adds support for new file formats, and suddenly my old applications gained support for new file formats without I even have to update them.

I use now wicd and it's , ,much better than NetworkManager.. More work is needed for NetworkManager

(See multiples duplicates and comments about more requested improvement)

Currently Ubuntu packages seem to be compiled using very conservative compiler switches, so binaries work even on (very) old hardware.
Many other linux distributions (like ArchLinux) take advantage of enabling compile-time optimizations, that results in much better experience in terms of 'feel' (compare snappiness Arch or SuSE have compared to Ubuntu on slower machines, like 500MHz).

Since nowadays *everyone* has at least i686 and MMX (you wouldn't want to run ubuntu, if you haven't had it, anyway) these architecture-specific optimizations are not so specific anymore... Why not use it to our benefit, especially that compiler suite (GCC) improves over time, and make ubuntu snappier distro?

I dislike a lot that the system makes a hidden folder "/trash" in the USB, floppy and others ... The erasure should be direct in these elements because it is very confusing to have this hidden folder storing it erases not even know it

Google gears allows a website to synchronise a website so that it works offline, and then later synchronises the changes when it returns online.

Brainstorm could use it to:
1) sync all the new ideas that have been added since they last logged in
2) Sync all the latest comments that have been added since they last logged in
3) Allow offline idea creation.

This means that Joe Bloggs could synchronise Brainstorm in the morning, and on his train ride or the ride to school write comments, and apply his votes (and since its a long train ride, he'll have lots of time to think about what to do). Then when he returns home, it automatically applies all of his comments and votes. He can also write up ideas on the bus, and then automatically submit them when he gets back home too.

The Ubuntu startup and shutdown splashscreens with the Ubuntu logo and a progress bar underneath it really looks like something from the 90ies (Windows 95 anyone?)

I don't know if there are any hindrances to using images or animations of higher resolutions than what is currently used (for machines that supports it), but I really think Ubuntu can do better here.

This may be an unimportant improvement compared to many other ideas here, but it should be a very quick and easy fix, and it will really help when you try to convince regular folks to make the switch (a graphically stunning desktop is _so_ important when you show it to occasional users!).

I really like evolution, but the only reason I don't use it is that I can't read my emails from "user@hotmail.fr".
Is it possible to add a plugins in evolution, like the webmail extention in thunderbird (as an example).
The other reason is that many people used windows before ubuntu, thus, they used a windowsliveID adress for msn messenger, and I think they don't want to create an other e-mail adress in a fist time and change everything of their behaviours, moreover if their friends don't use jabber protocol (or any other free)

i beg your pardon for my poor english

The main idea is that each Desktop should have a different 'surface', and I don't mean wallpaper, I mean a different directory of files that are displayed on them like: /home/USER/Desktop1 /home/USER/Desktop2.
This is the only way that multiple desktops would be really useful to me.


Not sure if that fits in with LSB or what...

Summary: backups are important and Ubuntu should provide an efficient tool to do that, simple enough for the newbies and with enough options for people who want fancy features. "sbackup" is probably a very good candidate, but now it does too many stupid things to be really trusted. My idea is that Ubuntu should focus on providing a reliable backup utility.

Backups are boring and seem unnecessary to most people... until shit happens. And of course, it happens. A user-friendly distribution like Ubuntu should provide good tools to perform efficient backups, by hiding all useless technical details. After all, the user should only provide one piece of information: the place where the files are supposed to be stored. All the rest (frequency, file format...) can be set by default (and of course, tuned by advanced users).

When I installed Ubuntu 7.10 for the first time, I was amazed by the "simple backup" software. It really fits with the "Ubuntu spirit", makes complicated but important things easier.

However, just having a look at the reactions in the forum and mailing lists, people appear to be very disappointed by sbackup. I also had a very bad experience with it, not because of big flaws but because sbackup is a bit stupid. The most important bug (see attached bug) is probably that failures are not reported: everything seems OK until you need to restore your data, and unfortunately, in general, it is too late. For instance, the problem I experienced is that I sent my backups to an external hard drive formatted in vfat, and the upper file size limit on a vfat partition is 4Go. Of course, the backup files generated by sbackup were larger than that, but everything went smoothly for months until I realize that. As a result, the archives are all corrupted (tar.gz file truncated).

Fixes are probably trivial: display error messages when the backup fails for whatever reason; split the file in < 1 Go parts to avoid potential issues with the destination file system, etc. The fact that these are not implemented yet probably reflects the lack of interest from Ubuntu in such utilities. IMO a good backup utility is as necessary as a web browser or a Tetris game, because losing important data is always deleterious, even if Ubuntu is not directly responsible for that.

Related ideas:
* http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/4746/ shows that sbackup should be advertised more efficiently.

[....]

Google Gears is a technology (licenced under The BSD License) that allows websites to work offline, and later sync with the server when the computer (or website) is online again. It is only 2MB, and wont slow down system performance at all, cross platform, and already works in FF3. It also makes the use of websites such as Google documents much more usable for laptop users, so they no longer need open office.

Some websites it works with it natively are:
Google Docs
Google Reader
Google Calender (support is under development, but there are hacks to get it working now)
Remember The milk

In fact, with Greasemonkey, you can inject gears code in to allow offline use of websites like wikipedia too!

Technologies such as Google Gears and prism will not only allow us to become less dependant on installed programs (such as openoffice), but will soon be commonplace. People want to be able to use Google Docs as well as any other installed program, whilst not having to install it.

Replace the awfull NWF by GTK. (like NeoOffice with Cocoa) NWF is often unstable and inconsitent. A clean GTK version will also run on multiple plattforms like OSX or Win32! In addition it might be more portable for mobile devices like OpenMoko based ones.

in the auto plugin install wizard for firefox the recommended plugin (that which is best for most users) should be marked in bold and followed by (recommended), new users don't have a clue which is the right one so just pick the 1st and are then unable to easily access content

I often have several media players of one sort or another open at once - quod libet/rhythmbox, totem, Flash (YouTube) - switching between them. But (if I understand it right), the media buttons on my PC only control the music player.

So, it would be good if the buttons could be set to control whichever of them was last used.

A particular challenge in this would be to get the Flash music/video players like Youtube, presumably via a browser plugin and a flash API (like http://code.google.com/apis/youtube/js_api_reference.html).

i heard of iptables,used to block/filter some ip's but is there a way that i can optimize my connection by its type.well
in xp,we have tons of application's for this,like tuneup utilities,etc
which optimizes connection setting for browser,default number of simultaneous etc.so i think its time we too have a gui too;
to optimize network for my LAN 10mbps connection.i got this idea because it seems ubuntu doesnt utilize all network speed in update manager/synaptic/add/remove like applications.i have
64kbps with 6-8kbps down speed but it utilizes only 2-4kbps?
****types of network can be:
dial up(64kbps)
broadband(>256kbps)
ADSL
lan(10mbps)
T1
etc

When 'Always on Top' is selected it functions perfectly, but only once! Using GIMP as an example, I always select 'Always on Top', its really useful, I never 'lose' the main GIMP window, even though it still changes colour when another window is selected. Great!

However using GIMP all the time, its annoying having to select always on top on every start-up of GIMP or any application with a 'main' window.

I general happiness throughout the world, but mostly productivity would be improved if these settings were remembered, and once selected, a application, or a specific windows within a app, such as in GIMP, will ALWAYS be 'Always on Top'.

We select a wallpaper, or screen saver, and dont even contemplate them returning to default once used once, ok a stupid analogy but you get the idea now!

Thanks (for clicking the green arrow)

I come from using windowsXP, so I'm used to all drives being loaded and mounted on boot. I'm also used to serial-port, gameport, and usb being plug 'n' play.

I don't like taking the time to mount every drive I need, so shouldn't Ubuntu do this for you?

currently search engine shipped with default hardy and previous versions of ubuntu doesnt allow me to search all drives at once.not to disappoint ubuntu but xp does have
this feature i think maybe from beginning of win 95/98.so probably its time we too have more advance features in search engine.
*** advance features should allow me to search by document type like doc,txt,html,png,mpeg,mp3,iso etc(of course most popular formats)
***custom search based on wild card characters(?,*)
even though we have tracker and google desktop they require indexing data on hdd every time to start search which is worst because user is always want his search to be fast.
beagle,catfish are another solution but those aren't officially supported nor developed.
so gnome search-engine needs bigger improvements.i was surprise when i switched to ubuntu to find that it doesnt show those drives by default like d drive(or label).i have to manually select this drive by browsing,pity.