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.

It seems wasting time upgrading the softwares after the installation and installing the old software on the CD.Debian GNU/Linux provides the net-inst CD and ensures that what we installed are the newest packages. But what about Ubuntu?

1) Provide an upgrade option when network available during installation.

2) Provide a network install CD or include the function in the alternative installation.

*) Thank cheesehead for providing link I missed.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/MinimalCD
But, is it possible to make it obvious and ease of use?

3) During installation, check if the package has the newer version on the repository. If so, grab the newer package and install it, else, install the package on the CD. (It works if the installation is package-by-package.)

Update Manager works in a serial fashion.
Currently you can spend ten minutes downloading updates followed by ten minutes installing them.

After installing Ubuntu, it takes about 15 minutes before the list of updates appear (minimised). Until these updates are installed, you may not be able to install new software as the package information and repositories are not up to date.

Add/Remove is possible the easiest tool to add or remove a software in the system.
However, for example if I installed Wine through command-line (compiling the source code) it would not be listed in Add/Remove and the Wine in Add/Remove is still not checked.
If this checking can be done it would be a lot easier to install or uninstall packages.

Some programs, like screenlets and gnome do, offer functionality to ubuntu that is at par with or even better than Windows and OSX. I understand that there is no room for these extra features on the cd, but if the computer had a working internet connection, it could download such apps. This should be OPTIONAL! A dialog should come up and say something like "Would you like to install some extra features?" and then have a checklist of these kind of apps. That way, ubuntu could advertise these extra features that no other OS has installed by default!

If anyone has other suggestions for such kind of features, then please post them in the comments.

Remember this is completely OPTIONAL!!!! Don't vote this down because you don't want the extra apps, because they would NOT come installed by default!

1. Ubuntu (Kubuntu etc...) is over all better than the best from Microsoft or Apple. Yet, most people still never know this until they try it and use it a while. Many will not. Non-technical people (most people) want zero effort, zero time and zero risk. That's just the current reality. Besides continuing to improve *ubuntu, leaving no real benefit behind, and providing new and better real benefits, how can we do this? Else, at least get close to zero effort?

2. Historically the live CD was a step in the right direction but many regular folks are never going to burn their own CD or even wait for the mail. If you give them a CD, they will not even install it or even test the slow live demo. If they do run live, many will never install. Why should they change? They can't see why, until they use it. Catch 22. Still as far as we've come, it's still out of reach. It's sad but true. People hate change and are slow to change. They will not even buy a computer pre-set with Ubuntu (or other) because again, they can't know. They have never used it. You can encourage them till you're blue in the face and still, they don't have time and they are a slave to the many myths. So how do we get them using and therefore myth busting?

Idea:

Other than Wubi, there about Three ways that come to mind.

One is a java (or something) Kubuntu that runs in any web browser. This might require the most development effort and it would technically be a different animal but it could be made to exactly emulate the look and feel (and speed) of Kubuntu (that's the whole point) and just by clicking a link (auto loading, installing and any required browser plug-ins.) The whole point is it would allow many or most, of the actual (same working and be called Ubuntu "instant" or something) benefits so that a user would clearly see why a regular install would indeed be wise for them. Perhaps for certain needs, people could just use this as is.

The second possible way is related, and a cloud/internet browser based, Internet set of programs (open ones) that is labeled as "Ubuntu Online" (or something) that also looks and feels enough like the regular installed Kubuntu/ubuntu to motivate a massive shift. Remember the point is (nearly) absolute zero effort; on the part of the new and non-technical users (most everybody.)

[....]

When I first install an Ubuntu machine, I invariably go through synaptic and pick a number of packages to add to my install. By and large, I pick the same few each time.

Wouldn't it be useful if Canonical could review the logs from the repositories to see which packages are being downloaded most often when deciding what software should be installed by default, and which to leave in the cloud till the user asks for it?

Background:
The minimal install CD is the only way to get exactly the programs you want without any extra "bloat" unless you know exactly what pre-installed programs, libraries and drivers to remove.

Problem:
There is currently no support for wireless or dialup and these users are unable to access this functionality

Solution:
Include a method (and drivers) for connecting to the internet using all possible methods as part of the installer in the minimal cd. Some examples are wireless, bluetooth, PPPoe, dialup, and other connectivity capabilities that Debian and Ubuntu already have

Additional comment:
Even with this essential function added, it would still fit on a business card sized CD

i believe the partitioning tool should show some hints for newbies as to the size of the partitions required to set up Ubuntu...

for example, when one goes to set up their installation i believe there should be some suggested sizes for partitions listed on the right depending on their drive size...

i can partition a drive no sweat, but can i remember what sizes to set the "swap" and "root" drives? NO I CANNOT...

i run Ubuntu and microsoft's offering as dual boot with a few to running Ubuntu full time but i gave up trying to work out the partition size and just installed Ubuntu using Wubi, via Windows!