Contributor txtfile

I guess everybody has experienced the rather long boot up times in Ubuntu (particularly with laptops). I know they are already working on it, but the change from feisty to gutsy was a pain in the ass in terms of boot up speed.
A default WinXP installation beats Ubuntu's boot up time by far!! That shouldn't be allowed fellas!!

I therefore propose to the development team (both Ubuntu and by extension Gnome)to work on the improvement of boot up times in Ubuntu systems.

Have the regular version of ubuntu, and then a version for windows users, that version including wubi, wine, wine-doors, or equivalent, WinFOSS, or something to inform about Linux equivalents of windows programs, a good driver to read/write linux filesystems (for windows), a windows program to check if the Hardware will work on ubuntu, some tutorials to make the transition from windows to ubuntu and how to do the most common things...
Windows has the largest user base, so if Linux wants to succeed, it has to convert many windows users...

Currently, Net and USB install can be a difficult process for the new user, who has to research many sites for instructions.

It would be great if a user could:
- Download a small file from any public computer
- Run it to create a bootable USB flash net-installer
- Boot from the USB flash on most PCs

The USB flash boots to curses (text) based menu that can:
- Net install Ubuntu to HD, from repository or torrent
- Update GRUB if their HD boot partition was resized
- Restore a Windows XP
- Perform other repairs
- Create a ramdrive with bash shell, text editor, and apt-get individual packages. (i.e. borrow a PC, plug in USB w/ Ubuntu portable image, and apt-get an ad-hoc server or development machine to RAM, with the home directory on the USB flash)

Older machines would have a simple floppy/CD to mount and boot the USB flash image, but only the USB image would need to be replaced with newer versions.

The Idea is to make an easy Groupware Server for Ubuntu. Beause we have on very good Client like Thunderbird and Evolution, but the on easy server ubuntu dont have. All company s need one good and easy Groupware.

With based of:

MTA -> posfix or exim
MDA -> IMAP / POP / WEBACCESS ( APACHE )
User / Group Administration per Webaccess
Calender -> ICAL Server from Apple (opensource)
Global Access Bock ->(OpenLDAP)
Database -> MYSQL
SPAM Filter+ ClamAV -> for Postfix


Whit this Featuares:

Easy Administration for User and Groups like Kolab for KDE
Connector to Evolution,Thunderbird (sunbird), Outlook
Primary and frist Evolution
On User and Group Database for Samba and all Appliations.
And Easy Way to write Add.Ons for OpenOffice ERP CRM and so on.

Sorry for my bad english i hope all can understood my Idea.

First I would like to congratulate Ubuntu developers for their work since I use it (Warty Warthog).

I think the installation of Ubuntu could be better ...

Loading the desktop version is a little boring if you just want to install it ...

So, why don't you combine desktop and alternate CDs on one CD/DVD ?

For instance, you can add on boot menu the following items :
- "Launch/Install Ubuntu Live"
- "Install Ubuntu in semi-graphic mode"

Thanks.

PS: sorry for bad English but I'm French ...

[No description]

Idea description:
The idea is for a very simple and user-friendly program, which provides the user with an up-to-date list of pre-released (alpha, beta, release candidate…) versions of Ubuntu. The user then chooses a version, for instance Hardy Heron Alpha 6, and the program sets up the partitions needed and installs the selected (ISO) data on the users USB flash drive. Now the user can boot up on the USB flash drive and install the selected release as if it was from a CD. Afterwards the user can erase the data from the flash drive by clicking the “remove data” button inside the program.

Reason:
1. The short release cycle in Ubuntu (and many other distributions), means that every six months, many people download the Alpha 1, 2, 3…, Beta, Release candidate and at last the final release. That’s a lot of CD’s being burned, and when the release you downloaded is outdated, you properly won’t use the CD again. Linux is actually quite eco-friendly (http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/items/environment/index.php?lang=), but this program could provide a way to reduce the amount of CD’s ending up in the trash bin.
2. This program would also provide a tool, that would easily make users able to carry a portable Linux version (and their portable desktop) around with them on their USB flash drive.

Contribute:
Please comment on this project! Should I make a blueprint on Launchpad? If you want to help out (especially programmers) please let me know.

Links:
Below is a guide to install, boot and run Ubuntu 7.10 from a flash drive. It seems kind of difficulty, especially for beginners, compared to how I imagine this program would work.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/2007/09/28/usb-ubuntu-710-gutsy-gibbon-install/

I don't know Linux whatsoever. For users like me, it would be excellent if we could easily install programs built for windows - even if this means a baked in or optional emulator. I would like to install programs such as World Community Grid (www.worldcommunitygrid.org) or Zone Alarm etc... and I can't because they aren't in a .tar .gz format or whatever

(please forgive my simple windows-brain)

How about a game mode that users can run that exits Gnome/KDE and runs a game. Once the game is done Gnome/KDE return as normal.

I know, at the moment there are not many EFI capable mainboards out there, but if no operating systems fully support them, the hardware manufactures are not releasing new boards with EFI. Currently only some Intel mainboards and the entire range of Apple Mac's (Intel) are using EFI.

I think it's time to led the BIOS (from the 80') die!

Wikipedia quote: "The Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) is a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware. EFI is intended as a significantly improved replacement of the old legacy BIOS firmware interface historically used by all IBM PC compatible personal computers[1]. The EFI specification was originally developed by Intel, and is now managed by the Unified EFI Forum and is officially known as Unified EFI (UEFI)."

Wine is a fine way to have a decent use of some multimedia programs, but professionals have higher standards and demand better workflow. Programs like Photoshop, Coreldraw, Lightroom and others schould have their Linux version sometime in the future..

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability_lab

Since Ubuntu is largely a community project it is difficult to measure the success of a desktop project. Traditional economics states that the market place is the arbiter of good products. However since Ubuntu is not commercial, how can market forces mediate it's success and determine which desktop software project is a winner.

The monopoly of other software vendors makes it even more difficult to look for indicators of a successful desktop software project. A monopoly eliminates competition and forces a product upon you, market forces do not mediate.

Brainstorm is an excellent step in providing a measurable feedback indicator of a products performance, however we need to measure further by actually testing the product on a larger public audience.

Only then can we objectively determine what needs to be done.

=Methodology=
Setup centers for testing, run by volunteers who manage testing of a prescribed set of common computer tasks. For example:

==Common Tasks==
1. Read email
2. Surf the web
3. Play music
4. Play video

==Admin Tasks==
1. Add a user
2. Delete a user

[....]

For use of voip and e-mail.

User directories on ubuntu are easily a mess at the moment. They need more standardisation and more sense to remain clean. If you go to terminal/bash you may discover that your directory looks something like:


/home/auzy/Documents
/home/auzy/.Azureus (Hidden)
/home/auzy/.gnome2 (Hidden)
/home/auzy/Desktop
/home/auzy/.bashrc2 (Hidden)
/home/auzy/readme.rtf
/home/auzy/.Trash (Hidden)
/home/auzy/iffy.rtf
/home/auzy/delete me.rtf
/home/auzy/argggggg.c
/home/auzy/fgdhgfdhd.txt
/home/auzy/Music
/home/auzy/.ooffice (Hidden)
/home/auzy/friendsassignment.c
/home/auzy/friendsassignmentCopy.c
etc.


While you may note that anything with . is hidden normally, what if someone wants to delete the settings for a program? They need to manually unhide it, and sort through the dozens of directories in the home directory to find it. The problems with this is that:

a) Its messy, and certainly not a clean solution
b) Users cannot easily access their settings.
c) Everyones home directory is normally trashed with hundreds of other files, making it difficult to navigate.

[....]

There should be an option to install newer packages rather than the outdated ones on disc during system installation. Doesn't Debian already have this?

I just don't know where to report the bugs. I've seen other similar cases reporting bugs as ideas!
Please make it easier for example by adding a 'Report Brainstorm Bug' to the system.

GFTP is ugly and "Connect to server" is not enough.

Give pidgin the ability to recognise apt:<package> and handle it appropriately

I like text mode screensavers in FreeBSD (bouncing demon, for example).
I want something like this in Ubuntu Server.

Ubuntu is getting better at just 'working' yet every release I've had to work around certain bugs. The process to solve these normally means digging through untold forums and groups to find some magical command that fixes things.

This can be dangerous if users don't really know what they're doing.

A centralized repository of work-arounds would be a good thing to have. Maybe the coordination with Automatix could handle this on a more detailed level?