Developer comments
Thanks for the suggestion. The Ubuntu Software Center is now displayed prominently in the Applications menu, and featured in the slideshow during the installer. Any further work to make the Center more prominent is a marketing task which will happen gradually. — Matthew Paul Thomas (mpt)
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Ghone
wrote on the 14 Aug 08 at 03:40
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People who are just making the MS->Ubuntu switch can probably find this themselves. Don't assume they're stupid just because they don't know their way around.
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Maybe an option like the "Tour Windows XP" would be nice. On first boot, offer the user to show them around.
* Where can I find my files?
* How can I install new programs?
* How to keep my system up to date?
* Programs like E-Mail, Browser, Office, Music...
Add a button to decline the offer for advanced / experienced users and place it somewhere so that it can be started again (maybe from the help files?).
Btw.: Its not just Windows-> Linux switchers, but the Mac doesn't have this kind of centralized app-management either.
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Ssdg
wrote on the 14 Aug 08 at 10:32
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I don't want any tour, but showing in the last installation screen something like:
"after the install, you can go in add/remove to add the additionnal software you want."
and add a link to synaptic in add/remove, telling "synaptic" or "advanced mode"
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A new user will be fascinated by Ubuntu and will either:
-Look Ubuntu up, then find out there is a Wiki. He reads some stuff and learns how to install applications.
-Finds it himself (Add/Remove... isn't really that hard to find) or click on Help and Support and find it.
It isn't really that hard. And you don't want a newb just going straight to installing things without knowing anything.
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Vadim P.
wrote on the 14 Aug 08 at 13:26
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Everything is perfect the way it is.
Add/Remove is designed for new users. Hence why it's clearly visible when you click on 'Applications'.
Synaptic isn't. Hence why it's tucked away in System - Administration.
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@Ghone and Vadim : While I agree that we shouldnt assume people are stupid, the facts are there, how many times I have seen people coming on IRC and ask stuff like :
'how do I install the new Live messenger on ubuntu? I downloaded the file and it wont run...'
People are not all computer geeks. While a good part of them will find their way around just fine some wont !
I want to mention that 'Add/Remove' is confusing. Windows used to have a feature with a very similar name and users never used it to install softwares ! So they will assume the same thing when coming to ubuntu and wont even bother launching it!
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+1
Almost totally Agreeing with "zelrikriando", not everyone that comes to Ubuntu is a computer geek, Possibly there could be, upon install, a way to have a sort of walk-through, with an option to skip (at the end of the installation this would appear), or there could merely be a checkbox along with other things in the installation. A simple "Are you new to Ubuntu?" upon checking this, and finishing installation, it could go to the walk-through, similar to Window's Vista (ick) walkthrough. Similar in concept, not in practice. With multiple buttons and/or tabs to get a good start of how to do common things in Ubuntu, how to easily add/remove programs, what to do (synaptic package manager) when a wanted program isn't listed in it.
I prefer the idea of a little checkbox, that defaults to not new to Ubuntu, this way geeks can fly through the installation, but not being so hidden that average users will miss it.
All-in-all, excellent idea, remember: Ubuntu is meant for it's ease-of-use whilst still maintaining functionality, so we need not be intrusive with this feature.
As for those of you that disagree, think of the many non-geeks out there, and computer-illiterate population, it far out numbers the former, lower your knowledge to an average user, and think what you would want to see, and what you would expect. This would certainly help prevent the typical "try out and revert to original OS" situations we commonly see.
For those of you unfamilar or not aware of what I am explaining, an image should suffice:(I hope this is allowed here, and not frowned on).
http://www.windowsvistamagazine.com/US/28190301819852995/welcome.png
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Oh, FYI, I think that this should not just be limited to the synaptic package manager, but other common things as well.
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I appreciate and value you showing us a perspective of how a new user might see things. +1
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Vadim P.
wrote on the 16 Aug 08 at 11:37
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@zelrikriando: Ubuntu should not be making up for the fact that windows breaks, when with "Add/Remove Programs" you never add any programs.
If windows lies to you, and you get used to it, ubuntu shouldn't have to suffer.
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@Vadim : "If windows lies to you, and you get used to it, ubuntu shouldn't have to suffer. "
What you dont understand is that ubuntu DOES suffer from that man. Also Add/Remove being simple to find and handy does mean it is simple enough. Nothing is simple enough to the average Joe, we should keep that in mind.
"Everything is perfect the way it is. "
It is perfect for you but not to the average Joe. Hey wait a minute, 'perfect' ??? Nothing is perfect and certainly not ubuntu, and that's why we are here on brainstorm.
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mathenge
wrote on the 29 Oct 08 at 23:38
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I agree with zelrikriando. Computer user interfaces only become "second hand" once you've used them for a while. It took me some time to get used to GNOME. Coming from Windows 95, KDE was much easier to use and I had fewer migration issues finding things.
The "Add/Remove" item under the Applications menu isn't obvious. I don't think that I'm that dense and it never occurred to me to look there to find out what was installed and where I needed to go to install additional software. Needless to say, I've been using Linux for a while and was already used to compiling everything so my natural tendency was to run to a command prompt for comfort.
Currently upgraders in the Kubuntu world are crying about the removal of KDE-3 from the Intrepid upgrade. Apparently the changes are a shock. Things aren't where they're "supposed" to be or "used" to be.
I think that if what we're trying to do is help users, both new ones and older experienced ones, find things that one commonly does on computers, like install and remove software, then that needs highlighting. Just like the "Applications" menu sits in a prominent spot because we know that most users installed Ubuntu so that they could run software.
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