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The Ubuntu community has contributed 21986 ideas, 135057 comments, 2615221 votes
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Popular ideas Here are the latest ideas about Ubuntu that have been approved.

Unity should differentiate between same filename in different parent folder  
Written by a.s. the 25 May 12 at 10:51. Related project: Unity. New
If I have many customers, each one with one folder "bill", "jim", ... and a subfolder on each named "Sales", when I search for "Sales" in Unity (in main dsh or in files-folder lens) several "Sales" folders appear in the "files and folders" results. I don't know which is the customer (parent folder) it belongs to until I open it... many times the wrong one. Both left-click and right-click do nothing but opening.
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Solution #1: Unity: show full path in files/folders on mouse hover or right-click
Written by a.s. the 25 May 12 at 10:51.
Full path on mouse hover or on right-click will be very nice.
I guess that preferably on hover to reduce the number of clicks.
And, well, once we are showing something on hover, maybe some more properties (full path and date of last modification may be the most useful in my opinion but we might think in showing all the options the nautilus right-click menu does show --and the path!--)

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Using `sudo` messes with permissions in home directory  
Written by cousteau the 25 May 12 at 08:10. Global category: Security. New
Using `sudo program` sometimes messes with file permissions at the user's $HOME directory (often graphical applications, or any application that modifies the content of ~ or $HOME).
The usual way to get around this problem is to use `gksudo` in those cases, but one might sometimes forget that (specially, but not limited to, new users).
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Solution #1: Add `alias sudo='sudo -H'` to .bashrc
Written by cousteau the 25 May 12 at 08:10.
Automatically aliasing `sudo` to `sudo -H` would workaround this problem (the -H option makes sudo change the $HOME variable to /root). This can be done by default by adding an `alias sudo='sudo -H'` line to the default .bashrc

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Windows programmes in Ubuntu for human beings  
Written by tuxest the 24 May 12 at 21:12. Related project: Ubuntu Software Center. New
Yes, I know that there are many alternatives to Windows programmes that run natively in Ubuntu. Some are as good, some are better and some are worse but that is not the point here. The point is that whatever the reason Ubuntu user might want or need to use Windows software from time to time.
I know that Windows is not open source and therefore creating compatibility for Windows programs in Ubuntu is a difficult and complex task (to put it mildly). Yet some free and paid options do exist that enable it with some success. Ironically most of these options are not that well presented to those users that need them the most. That is, people who are former Windows users who are not that computer savvy and don't really aspire to be – they just want “a working computer” to get their things done. This means that Wine is too complex, its free front-end PlayOnLinux can be added only by using terminal (it is not in the Ubuntu repository), commercial CrossOver software hard to come by if you already don't know about it before and running Windows in a VM not that convincing solution (the question posed at that is that why not use Windows instead?).
My question is how to make these already existing options more visible to user and possibly much easier to use?
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Solution #1: Installing Windows software with the help of Ubuntu software centre
Written by tuxest the 24 May 12 at 21:12.
Next to the history button in the software centre there could be "Installing windows software" button. When pushing it the user would get three things: information about which are Ubuntu alternatives for windows software (has been proposed before on this site), explained option to use CrossOver and some integrated functionalities of the wine front-end PlayOnLinux. The first section would give information on the most popular Windows software and its alternatives (MS Office and LibreOffice, Photoshop and Gimp, and etc.). The second would explain what is CrossOver, why it is needed and guidelines how to set it up (a button would be even better). Also using virtual machine could be introduced under this section as the common nominator is the “things that solve your problem in exchange for money”. The third would provide user with a free functionalities based on PlayOnLinux. The last option could be accompanied with a message that Ubuntu team advices people to use software from Ubuntu repositories and that the Windows software might not work as well on Ubuntu as it does on Windows. The key is to present the information well and improve accessibility to functions and the right place to do it in Ubuntu is the software centre.

Playonlinux enables to install impressive list of Windows software easily by user just choosing the programme/game from the list and inserting installation media if needed. Some work well and some not that well- the information about that is shared by the community and is visible to user when s/he browses the list. I know that it is not always that rosy experience as I might make it sound but it is a half empty glass and that is a lot for a thirsty.
For an example Ubuntu could at first choose few PlayOnLinux scripts that already work and in return contribute a bit to the development of those scripts how they can. PlayOnLinux would benefit as it would enable to grow their community.
The idea is not that the Windows programmes should be installed the same way and as easily as the ones from Ubuntu repositories. The idea is that software centre would be a right place where to provide such information and where to integrate already existing solutions.

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Improve productivity by showing more  
Written by cslee-ubuntu the 24 May 12 at 11:12. Related project: Unity. New
When using Ubunto there are a few places that show previews of the windows that ca be selected like the Unity Bar and the Alt Tab switcher.
In a lot of cases applications have tabs with content and it would improve usability to see the content that I am trying to get to.
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Solution #1: Preview of Windows with stacked tab content
Written by cslee-ubuntu the 24 May 12 at 11:12.
For each window that has tabs provide the tabs as a stack of windows.
So in the Unity bar if clicking/hovering over the icon you see all the windows of that application that are open and for each one a stack of tabs.
In Alt Tab as you tab to an application and it splits to show open windows it would show the tabs staked on each window.
Then if using the mouse a user could click the visible part of the tab they want to go there directly.

An enhancement to this would be to roll through the tabs while the window was selected/under the mouse so that the user can see and select the tab they want to go to.


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No app indicator template for Quickly  
Written by lauterzsolti the 23 May 12 at 08:42. Related project: Unity. New
The Quickly development tool has a few nice templates to start a new graphical or cli app or unity lens project easily (and quickly) but it still doesn't have a template for application indicators.
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Solution #1: Indicator template for Quickly
Written by lauterzsolti the 23 May 12 at 08:42.
It would be great to have a new template for Quickly to create application indicators easier as well.

See the 1 comments or propose a solution >>

Netbooks have small desktop room for files and icons  
Written by dioxholster the 21 May 12 at 02:21. Related project: Unity. New
Files rested on the desktop can pile up and overtake an entire desktop space, many times being obfuscating the wallpaper and isn't a clean look. This is often the case with netbooks.
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Solution #1: different desktop shortcuts and files spreadout in all workspaces
Written by dioxholster the 21 May 12 at 02:21.
have each workspace have its own desktop shortcuts as placed by the user while File Manager can show all of them in the same folder oblivious to the aforementioned visual setup. For example, a user can prefer to have his downloaded files be sorted into one workspace while the other workspace next to it houses miscellaneous files, and one being completely devoid of icons and files. This way, workspaces can be utilized in secondary non-app way. Other proposals related are wallpaper variances for each workspace.
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Solution #2: allow scrolling of the desktop
Written by Chelloveck314 the 23 May 12 at 15:41.
when the desktop becomes full, have the default setting allow horizontal or vertical scrolling (maybe give the ability for the user to choose which) of the desktop to view more files and icons.

See the 1 comments or propose a solution >>

Possibility to choose in wich Wine prefix an application should be run  
Written by lukenpi the 20 May 12 at 18:06. Related project: Wine. New
Every time a Windows executable is launched the path of Wine is defaulted to ~/.wine

Since some Windows application need a bit of manipulation to work properly (dlls, runtimes etc) this prefix get dirty pretty soon, with the possibility to blow up the other applications which used to work.
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Solution #1: Set&Forget question "In which Wine prefix should i run this application?"
Written by lukenpi the 20 May 12 at 18:06.
* Use the default location (~/.wine)
* Create a new prefix [ * path choice button * ]
* Use an existing prefix [ * path choice button * ]

[ ] Remember my answer

----------------------
The first time Wine is run this dialog box will be prompted. Every new prefix created with this gui will be saved and maybe proposed under "use an existing prefix" as a combo box.
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Solution #2: Right click option "Open in another prefix"
Written by lukenpi the 25 May 12 at 14:36.
as suggested by Ssdg, a good solution could be this right click option (maybe just a simple nautilus extension?).

See the 4 comments or propose a solution >>

rotate wacom automatically with display rotation  
Written by wacom the 20 May 12 at 12:39. Related project: Ubuntu Software Center. New
When I rotate the display, the wacom tablet does not rotate automatically. I would have to do this manually using xsetwacom utility.
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Solution #1: daemon to rotate wacom tablet
Written by wacom the 20 May 12 at 12:39.
there is a daemon in the launchpad that was created by someone and can do this automatically. the daemon detects screen rotation and rotates the wacom tablet accordingly.

It would be nice if this package is installed by default for tablet-pc.

this is the link to the launchpad page:

https://launchpad.net/~thjaeger/+archive/tabletpc/+packages

I have installed this daemon and it worked successfully on ubuntu 12.04. Now, I wish the ubuntu team will add this daemon to the repository and install it by default along with the wacom driver.

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remote desktop in virtual desktops  
Written by saltyjet the 18 May 12 at 15:52. Related project: Compiz. New
for some time, the coolest eyecandy in linux distros has been the desktop cube. truth is, the multiple desktops afforded by virtual desktops are beyond useful and speedy, they're a great way to organize your windows in a remarkable way.
My idea is to add a desktop from another network connected machine in with your virtual desktops. more could be done as ultimate sharing by drag and drop of applets from one machine to another.
devs, if this is possible, it is a revolutionary cloud idea and pretty much streamline the remote help options, even if with the smallest of options being to move text based apps from one machine to another with terminal commands...etc...
please let me know what you think of the idea.
kevin.hanning@gmail.com
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Solution #1: implementation
Written by saltyjet the 18 May 12 at 15:52.
integrate the remote desktop in the program code of virtual desktops.

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Capital letters shouldn't change the sorting order  
Written by Souloohshuns the 17 May 12 at 21:13. Related project: Nautilus. New
At the moment, nautilus distinguishes between capital and non-capital letters. So if I have a bunch of files called 'Loop 1', 'Loop 2' 'loop 3' and 'Loop 4', then they will be sorted by name in this order: 'loop 3', 'Loop 1', 'Loop 2', 'Loop 4'.

I don't think many people would want capitals to be treated differently to lowercase letters in file sorting... what do you think?
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Solution #1: Don't distinguish between capitals and non-capitals by default
Written by Souloohshuns the 17 May 12 at 21:13.
....pretty much in the title....
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Solution #2: Have an opt-in option to ignore case-sensitivity while sorting
Written by chirag64 the 19 May 12 at 05:02.
May sound like an extra unnecessary option, but it maybe very helpful for many people.

Keep it case-sensitive by default.

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