Ubuntu QA:
BlogBrainstormPackage status
Log in
Ubuntu QA
Ubuntu Software Center
Idea sandbox Idea sandbox
Popular ideas Popular ideas
Ideas in development Ideas in development
Implemented ideas Implemented ideas

Popular ideas Here are the last 6 months most popular ideas about Ubuntu Software Center.

Display downloading speed software center  
Written by seiryu89 the 12 Apr 12 at 20:08. New
It will be a great idea to display the current downloading speed of a package that it's been installed.
145
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Display under the progress bar the current downloading speed and time remaining
Written by seiryu89 the 12 Apr 12 at 20:08.
Display under the progress bar the current downloading speed and the time remaining
12
votes
up equal down
Solution #2: Allow for simultaneous downloads.
Written by azhar the 10 May 12 at 04:54.
This maximizes the use of bandwidth. This options is available on iTunes when downloading apps, movies, or music....

Check out this screenshot:
http://www.kolhalashon.com/New/NewShowDoc.aspx?ID=1397&English=True

Also, it would be great if the user can set the maximum downloading speed. This option has been implemented in JDownloader. That way, if he wants to surf the net while downloading, the browsing experience won't be that slow.

Check in lower right corner of screen:
http://www.hecticgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/JDownloader-in-Ubuntu-11.1 01.png

See the 6 comments or propose a solution >>

KDE native application should be marked in Software Center  
Written by michal_s the 24 Feb 12 at 11:00. New
In my humble opinion, KDE native apps should be marked in Ubuntu Software Center to avoid UI incompatibilities and unwanted dependencies for less experienced user. Now, this situation is particularlny important, because we have KDE apps incompatibilities in GTK2/3 desktop environments and GTK2/3 apps incompatibilities in KDE.
87
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Marking based on dependencies
Written by michal_s the 24 Feb 12 at 11:00.
If some app have large KDE dependencies or some defined set of KDE dependencies (remember about Qt environment which have some KDE dependencies, but not so large), then it will be marked automatically as KDE app in Software Center.




18
votes
up equal down
Solution #2: But with a mouse-over explanation.
Written by pseudo the 26 Feb 12 at 20:55.
I know some inexperienced Ubuntu users. Just a small sign will nothing tell them. You will need to add a short explanation, on mouse-over on the sign, I suggest.
8
votes
up equal down
Solution #3: Marking based on testing
Written by Aielyn the 9 Mar 12 at 06:35.
How about having logos for each of the various environments, and marking products according to which environments they have been *tested* on?

That way, if a KDE-specific application hasn't been tested for Unity compatibility, it doesn't have the Unity logo, and vice versa.

This could also provide an option to only display products that have been tested for a specific environment. Think of this as a "certification" approach. It shouldn't add too much extra work, as the environment that the program is developed for would be marked immediately, and users who are more adventurous could test untested programs in their environment.

This goes beyond Solution #1, in that satisfying dependencies doesn't guarantee proper working of the program.
-1
votes
up equal down
Solution #4: Mark Gnome and compatible applications
Written by Sepero the 11 Apr 12 at 18:59.
Marking the incompatible software only brings more attention to them. Instead, put a little "star" or "check mark" by software that works well. Almost like editor approved software.

Also, there could be a way to open a window showing "314MB install. Listed dependencies are lib...", to indicate how much harddrive space will be used after installing the software.

See the 15 comments or propose a solution >>

Attract more games development  
Written by Ell the 17 Feb 12 at 19:53. New
Currently Games and Non-Games are far and few between appearing on the Ubuntu Software Centre For Purchase section, with only a odd few appearing per month.

With it currently not being attractive to the developer and then users due to lack of apps.

For example, here is a reply I got off a developer who was going to put there games in the Ubuntu Software Centre, which I think sums it up currently:-

"we just basically gave it a miss; it's more effort than we'll make back in money. To date only one single publisher has ever turned a profit for us."
59
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Have A Ubuntu App/Game Bundle
Written by Ell the 17 Feb 12 at 19:53.
To attract more developers and users to the Ubuntu Software Centre, it would be good to see a set of game or non-game bundles currently popular by the Humble Indie Bundle or Indie Royale, appear in the Software Centre.

So for example every quarterly of a year a Ubuntu Bundle could appear with a set of new apps appearing in the Software Centre for their first time and them apps will be a pay-as-you want scheme, with a certain amount going back to the Devs, Canonical and Charity.

Then once that bundle is over them apps that appeared can go to their standard prices set by the developers so can be purchased for any future use.
19
votes
up equal down
Solution #2: Display paid apps sided with free apps in the store
Written by gonemen the 26 Feb 12 at 13:35.
To me as a consumer its difficult to actually get to know paid apps that might interest me because the apps that get the most spotlight are free.
A simple solution would be dividing the ubuntu store window between PAID and FREE, so that we can easily search and find paid solutions (think apple's app store)
This equal visibility between the two types would make the store much more attractive towards for profit organizations.
Also in each category a banner could appear showing one of the following:

1) Ads payed by developers to promote their product. Revenue would help the development of ubuntu.

2) Newcomers (free or paid) that stand out

3) Most downloaded apps in that category in the current week
16
votes
up equal down
Solution #3: Cloud Gaming like Onlive
Written by n69 the 28 Feb 12 at 12:21.
I think if Onlive service release a Linux version , many of users can play the most newest games [onlive is a cloud gaming]. I hope canonical talking to them for Linux version or cooperative with them.

check : www.onlive.com
also i hope after tablet and smartphone version of ubuntu many arcade games will come to ubuntu.

Sorry for my English
12
votes
up equal down
Solution #4: Chromium Web Store Integration
Written by bfrey the 29 Feb 12 at 02:09.
Support for web apps that come from the Chromium web store. This would allow not only increase the amount of games available, but also the amount of apps in general. Apps would still open in Chromium by using short-cuts, and if the user wished the apps could look as if they were in their own window. Since most chromium apps come with an offline version they would still work if offline.

This idea is not meant to be a replacement for the software center. I chose Chromium over Firefox, since Chromium's web store is much more extensive and it was made for its own OS.

Please vote as if each solution was the only one, I ask that you don't vote as if the solutions are competing. I think that the other solutions above should also be used, this is because I believe this is a situation where many solutions are necessary. If you think there is problem with a solution, comment so we know what is wrong.
11
votes
up equal down
Solution #5: add in app purchase APIs
Written by manuelciosici the 5 Mar 12 at 17:57.
The Ubuntu Software Center should support in app purchases in order to give developers a revenue stream that doesn't require the users paying upfront for the game.

The rationale for this is that the most successful games are free games and the in app purchase model supports very well the freemium business model for apps and games. Freemium has worked very well on mobile platforms and it very successful at creating communities around games by using both paying fans and passionate, but less financial capable fans.

Adding this API would be just one of the changes that could help boost the number of games in the Software Center.
28
votes
up equal down
Solution #6: improve the Software Center so that it allows for more app / game exposure
Written by manuelciosici the 5 Mar 12 at 18:04.
The current version of the Software Center (Ubuntu 11.10) is just plain awful from a developer's point of view.

Allow more customization on app pages. Allow for a more Android market like layout where the app / game publishers can have a banner depicting their product. Allow for multiple screen shots of apps / games. Allow for YouTube trailers for the games.

Change the list of paid apps from using a one column list layout to a multiple column layout with a max of 5 columns so that it remains readable even of large displays.

These are just some of the changes that could help boost the number of games in the Software Center.
8
votes
up equal down
Solution #9: Integrate desura, a community driven digital distribution service for gamers
Written by puxkggn the 9 Mar 12 at 14:25.
Integration of software center with desura.
Things like a shortcut to desura in the default images could help a lot.
From the website: http://www.desura.com/about

"The aim of Desura is to provide gamers with a dependable interface which delivers the content they want to play in the quickest cross-pc way possible. At its heart is a digital distribution application which can serve (and patch) games, mods and addons to its members."

This should make it easier for developers.


(As a developer I still see many problems for developing for Linux. One of the main technical problems is the lack of good, stable drivers and continuous changes in distributions infrastructure. There are also a lot of small differences between distributions or even different versions of one distributions. Costs more to make tailored packages for 10 distributions. Costs for testing and debugging are multiplied a hell of a lot! The strong dependency of key components between drivers and specific versions of other things is a serious flexibility/functionality disability. Hopefully in the next ten years a lot of technical things will be solved with the following things: pulseAudio+OpenSL ES, Wayland+better OpenGL drivers and other improvements.)
11
votes
up equal down
Solution #10: Ubuntu to support game devs by holding contest's with prizes
Written by bigthinker the 9 Mar 12 at 15:48.
Simply put, Ubuntu should incentivise needed improvements, like expanding the gaming presence on Ubuntu by holding events that offer prizes for said needed improvements.

Sorta like the summer of code. Ubuntu could have category's like;

Best new game (determined by votes)
Most improved game

etc.
3
votes
up equal down
Solution #14: Pay-what-you-want option for any app
Written by Hell Pé the 30 Apr 12 at 01:55.
Every app in the Software Center should have, if the developers of said app are asking for it, a button like "Name your price" instead of "Install". That's basically what Bandcamp does with music albums (some are even Creative Commons-licensed).

As you may know if you've already bought a Humble Bundle, pay-as-you-want is actually a disguised donation, except you'll certainly pay more attention to it than to a small PayPal "Donate" button at the bottom of a webpage, like PiTiVi does, for instance. Would you consider giving some money to the PiTiVi project if their Software Centre page asked you for it before you can confirm the installation ?

To me, this solution could give to Ubuntu the appeal Apple app stores (or even Valve's Steam) have on developers, but in a more ethical, free-as-in-freedom friendly way : you're not buying any right to use the app, since the license already gives them to you. You're just incited to help the project and thank the developers.
2
votes
up equal down
Solution #15: Implement playn in ubuntu 12.10 and bring tonne of Games to Ubuntu
Written by Caracal the 11 May 12 at 12:02.
Implement playn in ubuntu 12.10 and bring tonne of Games to Ubuntu

playn is googles next gameing framework.
http://code.google.com/p/playn/

Google said this year: "This year we are talking about games for android, games for chrome and games for Google+...
...next year we will talking about Games for Google!"

URL: http://code.google.com/p/playn/
License: Apache License 2.0

[needs-packaging] playn
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/997852
1
votes
up equal down
Solution #16: An official Ubuntu platform for game development
Written by yman the 14 May 12 at 04:49.
A few things I think should be taken into consideration when making it:

1. The graphical shell should always be in control so that I could switch to another window while I’m in a fullscreen game.

2. The transition between gaphical shell and fullscreen game should be totally smooth.

3. The games should not be allowed to change the resolution of the screen. Instead they should change their own resolution and display at the screen’s native resolution.

4. It would be best to think of games as content rather than computer programs, distribute them as a single file, and have a "game player" the way we have "video players".

4.1. It would be usefull if the games could be compiled to run natively on one reference hardware platform like x86, but have a vm to run them on other hardware platforms like ARM. Compile once, run anywhere, but on certain hardware it would not only run, but run directly on the hardware.

4.2. It would be useful to have a format that would allow games to run without local installation from things like removable media, especially if it allowed multiple separate games to be installed on a single DVD perhaps the DVD with a custom menu system (similar to a DVD menu) for browsing the games and any other materials like manuals or bonus material.

See the 13 comments or propose a solution >>

Selecting fonts to install is cumbersome.  
Written by alms66 the 7 Dec 11 at 21:55. New
There are something like 100 packages to go through for fonts in the Software Center, which is a pain to actually do.
11
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Better Organization
Written by alms66 the 7 Dec 11 at 21:55.
Organize the font packages into Free and Restricted packages.

Also, remove any fonts from "Ubuntu Restricted Extras"

Have 2 basic font packages in Software Center, or the option for those that want more fine tuning, they can dig down into all the 100 or so packages and deal with them on a one-by-one basis.

Free Fonts Only (installs/removes all free font packages)

Restricted Fonts Only (installs/removes all restricted font packages)
39
votes
up equal down
Solution #3: Website with apturl links
Written by cheesehead the 8 Dec 11 at 15:32.
See the fonts first, then click-to-install.
31
votes
up equal down
Solution #4: Font preview in Fonts category list
Written by Spitfire 95 the 12 Dec 11 at 17:56.
Add a GtkImage Widget between the label for the font and the remove button in the fonts list on the Fonts category in the Ubuntu Software-Center.

See the 10 comments or propose a solution >>

Ubuntu Software Center and a split listing from full apps and "extras"  
Written by matzerath the 24 Apr 12 at 16:52. New
It is too cumbersome and complicated to find usable and desired software in the Ubuntu Software Center. Trying to find a full usable app amongst a sea of codecs or fonts or other extras can be time consuming and frustrating.
31
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Apps and Extras
Written by matzerath the 24 Apr 12 at 16:52.
There should be separate searches for full apps vs "extras". This would make the software center easier to navigate.

Default should be full applications, with maybe a selection tab for "extras".
2
votes
up equal down
Solution #2: add a packages button to open a new pane
Written by zomzilla the 5 May 12 at 13:24.
if by extras you mean non-GUI packages such as python or a command-line application then they could all be hidden much like "show technical items" already does. on pressing the packages button the software channel shows a pane for what looks similar to a simplified synaptic package manager (would it ask for admin pass?)

this way all packages and programs can be managed in one unified EASY way.
1
votes
up equal down
Solution #3: Catogory search
Written by benoyanthony the 15 May 12 at 10:16.
List of application can be divided into catagory's.

(1) All
(2) Network
(3) Desktop
(4) Development
(5) Education
(6) Games
(7) Graphics
(8) Location & Navigation
(9) Multimedia
(10) Office
(11) Science
(12) System
(13) Utility
(14) Meta
(15) Others

See the 3 comments or propose a solution >>

Purge, reinstall and change app's version in Software Center  
Written by mackuz the 2 May 12 at 07:32. New
Only because of theese options I'm using Synaptic.
20
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Add purge, reinstall and change app's version options in Software Center
Written by mackuz the 2 May 12 at 07:32.
Maybe theese options must be hidden for newbies but advsnced user must have a possibility to purge application, to change it's version back from PPA's for example, to reinstall installed application and to remove config files remaining after simple uninstall.

See the 6 comments or propose a solution >>

Meta packages are not easily identified  
Written by xav0989 the 10 May 12 at 16:05. New
Packages such as ubuntu-desktop, ubuntu-minimal and others are meta-packages, so packages that do not have any content in themselves, put rather depend on a number of other packages to provide a faster easier way to install common sets of programs. However, these packages are sometimes mistaken for regular packages, and users are wary of removing them (for instance, when apt-get tries to remove ubuntu-desktop, you may wonder if your desktop will start failing).
17
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Add a keyword to meta packages
Written by xav0989 the 10 May 12 at 16:05.
Add a keyword such as meta at the begining or the end of meta packages, so ubuntu-desktop would become meta-ubuntu-desktop, or ubuntu-minimal would become meta-ubuntu-minimal.
2
votes
up equal down
Solution #2: Add a category in Ubuntu Software Center
Written by benoyanthony the 15 May 12 at 10:22.
Can add catogory named "Meta" in ubuntu software center to get seprate list of meta packages.

See the 2 comments or propose a solution >>

Install all applications at once in Ubuntu Software Center  
Written by Celio Alves the 14 Apr 12 at 18:17. New
Currently, we have to install software by clicking the "Install" button on each one.
Would not it be more practical to select and install them all at once?
15
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: Checkbox "Select to Install" on each application
Written by Celio Alves the 14 Apr 12 at 18:17.
My suggestion is for each software, in addition to the "Install" button, had a checkbox called "Select to Install", just as there is in Synaptic (except for paid software).
By clicking the "Install" button, only that software would be installed (as currently).
By checking the box "Select to install" an application, a button fixed on the top called "Install All Selected Softwares" would be available for use.
When clicked, all selected softwares could be installed.
After clicking in the "Install All Selected Softwares" button, a window appears showing the programs and the amount of MB to be downloaded (like a Synaptic).
By accepting, will download everything as if it were a single package, leaving USC free to choose another software or a set of them.
2
votes
up equal down
Solution #3: add in the menu a checkbox "download without install"
Written by bmoez the 6 May 12 at 18:00.
if the checkbox "download without install" is active, the "install" botton off all apps become "download". so, USC download the necessary paquets when user click "download" of any app without installing. and to install them, user should click "install now" in the ~"applications to install" tab which become available once the user choise the first app. (i think this is available in deepin-software-center)
=> as installing paquets consume memory and CPU not downloading them, so USC should download them without install (as an option) to avoid wasting time

See the 7 comments or propose a solution >>

rotate wacom automatically with display rotation  
Written by wacom the 20 May 12 at 12:39. New
When I rotate the display, the wacom tablet does not rotate automatically. I would have to do this manually using xsetwacom utility.
8
votes
up equal down
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.

See the 3 comments or propose a solution >>

game and book centers: for seperating games and books from software center  
Written by bmoez the 5 May 12 at 18:56. New
the numbers of games is growing quickly on ubuntu (linux), and there are also many games ,engines and games management platforms coming to ubuntu in this two next years. and we will find some in ubuntu 12.10. the problem is ubuntu software center is ~slow and with this coming number of games, it will be slower. Other problem is that users will find many games management platforms and repositories(ex: Steam, Desura, playonlinux, djl, GetDeb-games,...) with Hmtl5 games, and may we will find in future games from others linux-based OS (like android, B2G, Tizen,..) => that will make it difficult to users to find their favorite games.
Also, the same for Books: the number is growing (although slower in this time) and they need for book center a special look and functions.
6
votes
up equal down
Solution #1: creating book center and game center
Written by bmoez the 5 May 12 at 18:56.
--separating games and books from software center (it will not import them but users can change this option) => software center will be more light
--user can change from one of them to other in the same window(for ex: "games", "books" as category the same way as in the current software center)
--game center uses plug-in to import the list of games from others game' services (managers,...) like Steam, Desura, playonlinux, djl, GetDeb-games,...
--game center is able to install games based on Html5 (to play them off-line and out browser) and other linux-based OS (android, B2G, Tizien,...) but,may it will in future not now.
--special theme and fonctions for each one (for ex for game center:try comercial games, watch videos and photos,...)
7
votes
up equal down
Solution #2: Create Ubuntu Store (for everything from apps to ebooks)
Written by puxkggn the 8 May 12 at 20:25.
What about having making the center it a little more general about what it allows you to get/buy?

Who is in favor of an Ubuntu store?

(delivering everything from apps to eBooks!!!)
Get apps/books/ rent movies/ order pictures(like desktop wallpapers and printable posters) and other things from the Ubuntu Store...

Allow things to integrate with other digital content delivery systems or/and platforms/api's. To enhance the user experience instead of working against it!!

See the 5 comments or propose a solution >>

2 Next >>