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The Ubuntu community has contributed 21986 ideas, 135057 comments, 2615221 votes
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Popular ideas Here are the most popular ideas ever about Ubuntu.

Never lose focus while typing a password  
Written by pabix the 18 Jan 09 at 21:42. Global category: Security. New
It may have happened to you. You're typing a password in a web page, and suddenly, a window pops up, with a text field inside it, and since you did not notice it at once, you password displays in clear in the other window.
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Solution #1: Fix window managers to lock focus when selected element is a password area
Written by pabix the 18 Jan 09 at 21:42.
It could be hard to implement, but window managers should detect password fields in windows (or detect when keyboard input is not displayed) and temporarily lock the focus.
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Solution #2: Lock Enter key for some seconds in newly popped up windows
Written by marvo the 19 Jan 09 at 08:45.
The unwanted visibility of passwords is only one annoyance in foreground-catching windows. Much worse is in my opinion that some of them require some input and do have their focus already set to the "ok" button. More then once I have "confirmed" some pop-up-messages while typing a text in my browser or word processor. It would be very helpful if the ok-button of a pop-up-box was inactive at least for some seconds.
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Solution #3: Lock focus while typing.
Written by gmatht the 19 Jan 09 at 11:10.
Lock focus for one second (or so) since the last key was pressed so that we never lose focus while typing.
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Solution #4: Remove focus, use attention methods
Written by dolf1074 the 25 Jan 09 at 00:47.
When an application wants your attention, it should ask it. NOT suddenly appear and take the focus. A program is now already able to ask your attention by flashing the application in the taskbar. So why some applications don't use that and rather want to bother the user in there work flow, I don't know.
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Solution #5: Implement Solution #1 but have as an option
Written by gargouille the 30 Jan 09 at 02:29.
Solution #1 is an excellent idea, but not all may like it. This should be a default option, with the ability to disable it. Perhaps this option could be in System > Preferences > Windows.
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Solution #6: Beep if a window pops up while typing in a password box ( but as an option )
Written by Andrius the 3 Feb 09 at 18:13.
this can be also useful for non-password textboxes
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Solution #7: Have ability to set system wide how to deal with stolen focus
Written by grofaty the 7 Feb 09 at 18:13.
Like #4, but have ability to set how you would like to deal with stolen focus.

For system wide options should be:
1. Allow stolen focus (like now)
2. Double blink program in task bar
3. Set notification.
4. Don't bother me at all.

Windows XP has this solution already implemented by installing "Tweak UI" official Windows program. Read more at: http://mycvs.org/archives/2004/11/16/applications-stealing-focus-on-windows-xp
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Solution #8: Don't steal the focus!
Written by Frantique the 9 Feb 09 at 15:36.
The newly opened application should not steal the focus at all, or make a switch somewhere for this.
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Solution #9: Provide a flexible option in compiz
Written by aadityabhatia the 9 Feb 09 at 22:44.
This depends on the context. Let's say you're browsing files in Nautilus (an application), and you double click a file. In this case you might prefer not to have the new window opened in the background (which happens sometimes).

Provide it as an OPTION in compiz (try ccsm), that is capable of providing this feature based on window name or class. Setting could be tailored the way user wants, and would stay out of the way of those who don't care.
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Solution #10: Request to click before prompting
Written by Lachu the 6 Feb 10 at 15:03.
Password fields should request to click special widget, with lock whole X Server onto password field and exit widget.

User ought to input password, before click onto that button! There no way to exit from this field without clicking button again.

Behavior of enter key/arrows could be: give focus to exit button.

Below password prompt, some helping messages should appear, like press exit key to accept prompting password.

See the 13 comments or propose a solution >>

ubuntu main menu icons are too big, they take too much space  
Written by slsolaris the 30 Jan 09 at 04:56. Related project: Gnome. New
when I install new applications my ubuntu main menu goes to long, and there are too much space between icons. This detracts from usability, and looks ugly, when you are hit with a 5 mile long applications list.
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Solution #1: smaller icons for ubuntu main menu by default
Written by slsolaris the 30 Jan 09 at 04:56.
Use smaller icons in the ubuntu main menu, to prevent it to get long and out of control.
Here is a screen shot of what I mean.
This is not a mock up, this is done by editing gtk+ file
https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/384589/small%20menu.png
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Solution #2: Smaller icons as an option, automatically activated for smaller resolutions
Written by Magnes the 30 Jan 09 at 09:32.
Use normal icons, they are OK, but give the user an option to use smaller ones. And if the resolution is small (for example on netbook screen) automatically activate smaller icons in menu.
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Solution #3: Shorten the places menu by removing/combining less used items
Written by eugene2k the 4 Feb 09 at 11:45.
The problem is not the icons, it's the whole places menu - it's simply too long. If it were shorter it would be more usable and less confusing.
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Solution #4: Use more sub-menus
Written by dflemstr the 4 Feb 09 at 20:01.
The most intuitive way to shorten the menus (At least the "Applications" and "System" menus) would be to simply add more sub-menus.
For instance, instead having multimedia apps directly on the "Multimedia"-menu, there could be sub-menus like "Multimedia>Media Players" and "Multimedia>Audio Production".

Alot of other distros use this system (For instance Debian and UbuntuStudio (At least for the "Multimedia"-menu) ) and Ubuntu could aswell.

It wouldn't only shorten menus, but also making it possible to find your applications/settings faster.
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Solution #5: Menu with more columns and smaller icons.
Written by admin.luis the 4 Feb 09 at 22:29.
A configuration option to have a smaller icons and more than one column per submenu.
The option should include a parameter to indicate the number of icons to be grouped as columns. Columns of 12/14 items by default should be ok.
(I hate the up/down arrow on gnome menus)
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Solution #6: Use normal size till it fills up then get smaller automaticaly
Written by C.H.E.W.S. the 5 Feb 09 at 15:28.
In firefox when you open tabs they are one size but as you use the space they start to shrink till a certain point in witch it does not go smaller and puts them in a drop down list. This same idea could be used for Ubuntu menus.
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Solution #7: Replace the traditional menu with something more dynamic
Written by zerothis the 6 Feb 09 at 20:50.
Each menu items should be tagable. The right click menu could have "add a tag" and "remove a tag" submenus listing tags and an "advanced tags manager". A text box at the top of the menu could accept simple filters to dynamically list the menu. "games" would produce a menu with only items tagged "games". Including a negative tag would exclude items from the dynamic menu. For instance "games -turnbased". When no text was entered, all the menu items would be visible in sub menus named after tags. Sub menus would list all the items with that tag but also include sub sub menus based on the other tags the items included. Items with multiple tags would be reachable in multiple ways. For instance,
games>Internet>wine>pogo2go
Internet>games>wine>pogo2go
wine>Internet>games>pogo2go
wine>games>pogo2go
wine>pogo2go
games>pogo2go
and so on. The top level sub menus based on tags would be a very big list. Navigating the sub sub menus to deeper levels reduces the size of the list because the items listed must be tagged with the name of each menu navigated.
games>Internet>wine> would only show game including all three of these tags. This sub menu would show the equivalent of typing "games Internet wine" in the text box above.

See the 3 comments or propose a solution >>

Right-click, "Set as wallpaper" function in Nautilus  
Written by brettalton the 4 Mar 08 at 17:43. Global category: Look and Feel. New
Allow users to right-click a photo and left-click "Set as wallpaper" in Nautilus.

This can be implemented by installing 'nautilus-wallpaper'.

Please include this as a default.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #3137
Written by brettalton the 4 Mar 08 at 17:43.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #3137 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 10 comments or propose a solution >>

Toggle System Mode from taskbar.  
Written by bgfeldm the 29 Feb 08 at 12:53. Global category: System. New
Easy way for user to select a system mode which changes the system Speed, Power Saving, Security, Handicap Mode, and System Resources.
This could be done as button on the panel.

1. Create system modes which change system settings to optimum settings and services, toggled though taskbar icon.
2. examples of system modes: server, desktop, kiosk, airplane, low power, gaming, wifi hotspot (lowpower sercurity), desktop no network, desktop no internet, desktop lockdown.
3. GUI/Wizard to alow users to create their own custom system modes.
4. option to autochange system mode on a schedule or extended system idle.

-- Your in a meeding switch to "No interruptions mode".
-- Your at a Cyber Cafe, select Hot Spot mode (low power plus Security.).
-- Your on an Air Plane, select Flight mode (disable wifi, bluetooth, low power mode).
-- Your at work, select work mode (disable automatic sleep, turn on locking of screensaver, turn on email notification.).
-- Your at Conference, create and select mode "Speech or Presentation mode" to hide or declutter desktop, disable email and im notifications, change resolution, disable desktop effects, disable screensaver.
-- Your leaving work; select mode which will logout or lock computer, turn on restrictive firewall, apply system updates and then disable ethernet/wifi card and go to low power/shutdown/hibernate.
-- Your babysitting kids, select kid safe mode (kiosk plus option to set time limit, big icons.).
-- Your grandparents using your system, select mode to decrease resolution and increase font size to make everything bigger on the screen, and turn on big icons.
-- Your handicap friend using your system, select handicap mode (turns on Assistive Technologies, big icons, increase font size).
-- You install a system in a shared public space (Library, Lounge, or Cafe) which may have kids, handicap, visually impaired or other people you may wish to change the mode for.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #1363
Written by bgfeldm the 29 Feb 08 at 12:53.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #1363 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 4 comments or propose a solution >>

Windows aren't raised on drag and drop init  
Written by dsargeant the 2 Mar 08 at 20:00. Global category: Accessibility. New
When I click on something to drag and drop (drag-n-drop) it e.g. in Nautilus, the window gains focus and is raised. If the destination of my drag (e.g. another nautilus window) is above the window it is lowered and obscured. This forces me to arrange my windows before starting a drag and drop so that my destination is still visible when the source window is raised. This could be fixed by windows not being raised until mouse release instead of mouse down. Ideally, though, there would be a special case where if drag and drop is initialized the window isn't raised until release, otherwise it is raised on click.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #2567
Written by dsargeant the 2 Mar 08 at 20:00.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #2567 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 9 comments or propose a solution >>

Give Gimp, Inkscape and Scribus a unified look and feel  
Written by ubby the 26 Jun 09 at 10:14. Related project: GIMP Image Editor. New
Adobe has a Creative Suite with a unified look and feel that is very easy to work with for people who daily work with the Adobe Creative Suite programs.

Information about Adobe Creative Suite:
http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/

Information about Gimp, Inkscape and Scribus:
http://www.gimp.org
http://www.inkscape.org
http://www.scribus.net

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Solution #1: Give Gimp, Inkscape and Scribus a unified look and feel
Written by ubby the 26 Jun 09 at 10:14.
This will make Gimp, Inkscape and Scribus better to compete with the Adobe Creative Suite.
Because of a unified look and feel it will be easier to work with the programs.

To accomplish this the developers of the programs need to work together.
Maybe the developers can get help from universities who are working with graphic software.
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Solution #2: All-in-one Modular Graphic Software
Written by carvao the 26 Jun 09 at 15:45.
A software composed by different modules: a viewer, bitmap editor, vector editor, desktop publishing, web creator, and so on. The user chooses which modules wants to install or use by the time he/she opens a file or creates a new project.
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Solution #3: Develop a "recommended" UI plan for gnome projects.
Written by Darwin Survivor the 26 Jun 09 at 20:09.
I'm not sure if one already exists, so bear with me.

One of the problems I believe is keeping programs from unifying is the lack of a recommended UI design. People start making projects and just throw buttons at it whenever they need a new feature. Over time the layout becomes caotic and a huge mess, so the project enters a "fix-it" stage where the UI is redone and made more functional.

The problem is that each project is doing this individually and only taking small hints from other projects. If there were a simple, elegant and extendable layout and scheme for gnome, or linux for that matter, it would help the projects in the "fix-it" stage to evolve into having similarly designed UIs.

What we need is that simple, elegant yet extensible layout design and a group of people (or projects) to start pushing it.
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Solution #4: Ensure that all creative applications work properly with Gnome-Globalmenu
Written by ethana2 the 28 Jun 09 at 23:35.
When you have a large screen with a scribus or inkscape window maximized, a menu bar that's not on the top screen edge becomes inconvenient. While ubuntu isn't likely to default to a global menu for a variety of reasons, it's a crucial part of the professional workflow --ask any graphic designer who uses a Mac Pro with a Cinema display.
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Solution #5: Introduce the core folks to each other
Written by cyberix the 7 Jul 09 at 19:46.
Bring core developers of Gimp, Inkscape, Scribus, and maybe some OpenOffice folks physically into the same room to discus the matter.
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Solution #6: Introduce a unified tiling window manager
Written by ethana2 the 9 Jul 09 at 07:56.
for dialog use by inkscape, gimp, and other applications. Few end users use tiling window managers on their desktops, but GIMP developers seem to expect them to. Speaking as an xmonad user, this is ridiculous.
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Solution #7: Add the option to have similar keyboard shortcuts
Written by hellocatfood the 14 Jul 09 at 00:00.
I like each of the applications individually but it's a pain having to learn and remember a different set of keyboard shortcuts all of the time.

Adding an option to overwrite the keyboard shortcut for common tools (move, eyedropper, paint bucket etc) with a unified set would be very useful.

See the 27 comments or propose a solution >>

Check forced at shutdown, not startup  
Written by Matt Arnold the 29 Feb 08 at 00:39. Global category: System. New
On startup Ubuntu will sometimes say the disk "has been mounted x times without being checked, check forced". Then it will make me wait to use the computer. Why not do this at shutdown instead of startup? When the user starts up the computer, they're sending a message to Ubuntu saying "I want to use my computer now." Not later. When they shut down, they're telling Ubuntu "I don't want to use my computer now." Do it then.
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #328
Written by Matt Arnold the 29 Feb 08 at 00:39.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #328 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 22 comments or propose a solution >>

send "powered by ubuntu" stickers in cd´s  
Written by mofle the 1 Mar 08 at 09:27. Global category: Others. New
its kinda cool having those "powered by ubuntu" stickers and take that "powered by windows" sticker off. what you guys think?
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #2090
Written by mofle the 1 Mar 08 at 09:27.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #2090 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 17 comments or propose a solution >>

Allow repairing incorrectly removed USB Mass Storage Device (flash memory stick)  
Written by mikko.rantalainen the 29 Feb 08 at 15:49. Related project: Nautilus. New
Currently the Ubuntu (and linux kernel) throw away the drive cache for USB memory stick immediately after the memory stick has been removed from the system even if the device was not correctly unmounted. This should be fixed.
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Solution #1: Improve kernel and GUI to not discard data
Written by mikko.rantalainen the 29 Feb 08 at 15:49.
Suggested behavior (requires changes to both kernel and GUI):
1) User has copied some files to USB memory stick
2) User removes USB memory stick from the Ubuntu system
3) Ubuntu pops up a dialog that says: "The system has not finished writing the data to the USB device [some label here]. Please, reconnect the device and wait until the process has completed. Data on the device may be corrupted unless the process is completed." with buttons "Retry" and "Discard data".

Pressing Retry (or just connecting the USB device) should proceed to write the drive cache to the device and display a dialog on the screen until done. Hitting the "Discard" button would throw away the drive cache for that device and the data is lost. Unless the user selects that the data should be discarded, the kernel should keep the data.

Note that this should be expanded to all storage devices with any connection method used. If I have a external HDD drive attached to ESATA connector, it should behave identical to USB memory stick if the connection to storage device is lost: do not throw away my data!

See the 6 comments or propose a solution >>

Better "computer" place (nautilus)  
Written by francois the 4 Mar 08 at 18:27. Global category: Others. New
When clicking on the "computer" place in nautilus (Poste de travail in french)
We actually see a mess of icons, not at all ordered.
It would be GREAT to have subdivisions like "Hard Drives", "CD/DVD Drives" "Removable Devices" (or "external storage devices" or so) and "Network Places" or even more, and this with useful details
-For the hard drives and external storage devices: the filesystem of the different partitions that are displayed and a disk usage bar showing used and free space below the icon, possibility of setting the label of the partition by renaming the icon,etc.
-For cd/dvd drives, it could show if the tray is empty or not, if the disk is blank or used, with or without multisession,etc.
-For network places, maybe it could show samba shares on other computers or workgroups, and provide a tool for easily mounting shared folders with smbfs or so
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #3147
Written by francois the 4 Mar 08 at 18:27.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #3147 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

See the 3 comments or propose a solution >>

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