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Popular ideas Here are this month's most popular ideas about Unity. New to Brainstorm? Learn how it works!

Backgrounds that "Changes throughout the day" are shocking during the transition  
Written by alanh the 1 May 12 at 21:10. New
I like the Ubuntu Community Wallpapers that "Changes throughout the day" for my background. However, when the background image changes, it is slightly shocking as the old image is instantly replaced by the new image.

38
votes
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Solution #1: Cross fade or dissolve between the two images.
Written by alanh the 1 May 12 at 21:10.
Rather than simply replacing the image, it would be more pleasant if the images cross-faded, fade-out/fade-in or dissolved between the two images over the course of a second or two. I imagine that Compiz could be utilized for this, but I don't know the technical details.

See the 2 comments or propose a solution >>

Lockscreen like Loginscreen?  
Written by sdtbluethink the 9 May 12 at 10:42. New
I would be great to replace the ugly lockscreen (Strg+Alt+L) with a new one like the Loginscreen.
23
votes
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Solution #1: replace
Written by sdtbluethink the 9 May 12 at 10:42.
replace it with new one
12
votes
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Solution #2: Update for lock screen
Written by Bezzy the 13 May 12 at 06:53.
Mockup for lock screen
[Lock Screen]
http://i.imgur.com/JRdej.jpg

[idea 3]
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/29582/
2
votes
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Solution #3: Locking the screen sends you back to login screen.
Written by chrisxsterling the 25 May 12 at 08:25.
When you lock the computer it should take you back to the login screen. All active users users would have some mark next of there profile ID or username or whatever. Of course you can leave them a message just as usual. If the multi-login environment is restricted so to would it's features be at the login screen.

See the 4 comments or propose a solution >>

No feedback for missing shared libraries on GUI apps  
Written by AndrewLuecke the 6 May 12 at 12:36. New

When an application/game is missing a shared library, it simply never launches. There is never an error, or any indication why. Those who are tech saavy, will open console and often find Error while loading shared libraries: libSDL_mixer-1.2.so.0". It is most common for commercial games and apps, or older linux apps. Having any program close without saying why, or no feedback on how to fix it is a clear obvious usability fail. Some real-world examples are:
* World of Goo from the humble bundles (deb).
* X-Plane 9 (I haven't tested X-Plane 10).
* Skype

This issue is widespread, and has likely gone unnoticed because the actual problem has never had a generic means of correction (and the solution offered is generally "install library blah blah blah", "oh, it works, thanks", "close bug"). Windows has similar issues, however, at least they show an error that the DLL is missing!
26
votes
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Solution #1: Monitor the console for missing shared libs errors. Install dependencies
Written by AndrewLuecke the 6 May 12 at 12:36.
When running an app:
1) Capture Stderr.
2) Analyse Stderr for missing libraries problem.
3) If something was missing, scan packagekit for the file, offer to install it. ("Libsdl.so.1 is missing, would you like to install LibSDL?")
4) Relaunch the app.

Benefits:
1) VERY easy to develop
2) Allows Ubuntu to self diagnose app launching problems.
3) Far better backwards compatibility.
4) Tar.gz's will be easier to run.
8
votes
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Solution #2: Go directly down to the linker
Written by LSenf the 11 May 12 at 13:44.
Just as #1, but instead of monitoring console output, the cleaner solution should be to handle the error directly in the linker (or whatever causes these errors ;) ).

The linker itself could then call another program handling the user dialogs, installation proposals etc.

Furthermore, the second program should also offer a console interface in case the error occurs in a non-graphical environment.

See the 5 comments or propose a solution >>

Unity should differentiate between same filename in different parent folder  
Written by a.s. the 25 May 12 at 10:51. 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.
7
votes
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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!--)

See the 1 comments or propose a solution >>

Progress adjuster in Sound Menu  
Written by mackuz the 16 May 12 at 07:26. New
Everytime the user wants to see remaining time for the song, he must open an audioplayer.

Sound menu already contains:
*song name,
*band name,
*album name,
*album art,
*volume control,
*play/pause/previous/next buttons.

But some information is missing:
*Song duration and remaining song time,
*Progress adjuster.
6
votes
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Solution #1: Progress adjuster
Written by mackuz the 16 May 12 at 07:26.
Progress adjuster would be convenient.
then users could see song's progress and scroll through song.
4
votes
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Solution #2: Song duration and remaining time
Written by mackuz the 17 May 12 at 06:49.
With #1, it would be useful.

See the 2 comments or propose a solution >>

more usage of keyboard less switching between mouse and keyboard  
Written by x3oo the 30 Apr 12 at 03:07. New
The classic desktop with floating windows, mouse and keyboard actually requires 3 hands. 2 for keyboard and 1 for mouse. Instead of having 3 hands we handle the problem by switching between mouse and keyboard. Switching requires a lot of time, we all know it. Its just unproductive.

So that many people prefer console, tilingwm and other keyboardoriented software. Usually those solutions have a steep learning curve and are unpopular for that reason.

Ubuntu HUD is a major step towards a solution.
1. It's cleaning your field of view.
2. Its building bridges between the classic gui-solution and the console fraction. Providing people with productive workflows and flat learning curve.

Sometimes its hard to learn new shortcuts. Its hard to find them and hard to remember them. UbuntuHUD does support learning shortcuts and ive got a suggestions to improve this.
11
votes
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Solution #1: list unknown shortcuts of active window
Written by x3oo the 30 Apr 12 at 03:07.
Here is something ive always dreamed of:
I wish i had a little app which does nothing more than show a 2 column table in a minimalistic little window.
First column shows a shortcutcombination and the second column shows the accordant explanation.
The content of this table always depends on the active window. For example ive got gimp and firefox open and the table shows firefox or gimp shortcuts depending on which programm is focused.
Since the table suggests me shortcuts, so that i can learn them faster, it doesnt show me shortcuts which i use often at all. Instead it shows shortcuts, that i dont use at all.
This improvement is usefull for ubuntuhud too. shortcuts that i use often arent shown at the top of my suggestions, but at the end.
Then theres another feature: Asumed i use the History-Button in firefox by mouse often but not its shortcut, the table would put the shortcut for history at top to further improve my workflow

The last two points would be applicable to ubuntuhud nonetheless this tableapplet exists or not.
4
votes
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Solution #2: cange list beaviour of ubuntuhud
Written by x3oo the 1 May 12 at 01:28.
a similiar approach would be feasable for ubuntuhud itself.
Just add those features to ubuntuhud
1. dont suggest entries which shortcuts i use often or show them at the bottom of the list

See the 2 comments or propose a solution >>

Searching for apps is time consuming  
Written by danielhanchen the 8 May 12 at 08:32. New
I've installed many programs, and I don't like to clutter my launcher. Then where else should I open apps other than the all apps area?
7
votes
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Solution #1: Allow users to permanently 'pin' apps to the launcher recent apps area
Written by danielhanchen the 8 May 12 at 08:32.
Allow users to right click on an app, and select "Add to dash", or the like.

Add a comment or propose a solution >>

Unity should be much smarter  
Written by mahdif62 the 4 May 12 at 13:38. New
Unity is not smart enough to understand and process simple human commands typed into the dash.
5
votes
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Solution #1: Siri Like Behavior When Typing Simple Commands
Written by mahdif62 the 4 May 12 at 13:38.
Unity should be able to understand simple, casual commands.
Examples:
typing "add foo@bar.com" shoud add foo@bar.com to contacts
"meeting with john tomorrow 9 AM" should automatically add an appointment in Evolution or Thunderbird Lightning or Google calendar.
"Shutdown system 9 PM" should schedule a shutdown at 9 PM.

3
votes
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Solution #2: Include option to add speech recognition after installation
Written by puxkggn the 9 May 12 at 15:45.
Include a speech recognition package.

I present Simon listens.
Open Source speech recognition package. Actively developed

http://simon-listens.org/index.php?L=1&id=122

Add it to the repositories.
Make an option in the setup after installing to choose a speech recognition software package from the repositories.

Add a comment or propose a solution >>

Open upper panel menus only by click, to avoid accidental logout  
Written by linuxlisa the 2 May 12 at 06:58. New
In the far right upper corner, there's the Ubuntu icon under which access to 'System Settings' etc can be found. When trying to select 'System Settings', it often happens that users accidentally hit 'Switch User Account' from the neighboring user accounts menu.

Reason:

The user accounts menu icon is directly next to the Ubuntu settings icon. And because the space these icons take up on the panel is so small, but the menu itself is much wider, it easily happens that users accidentally open the menu that is next to the left when trying to hit the first menu entry of the menu that was originally opened. This is because the menu entries start on the left side, of course. Users aim for these entries by making a diagonal move.

So, when making this diagonal move, they often accidentally hover over the neighboring user accounts menu if they don't move their mouse strictly vertical. This is very unintuitive and in the course of usage a thing users don't think of. And because this happens quickly and they expect to hit the desired menu entry, they also make a mouse-click right away. But then they end up hovering over the user account menu, thus opening it and accidentally clicking 'Switch User Account' (and effectively logging out *dang*).

This is very undesirable and should be fixed.
-1
votes
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Solution #1: Add a delay for opening a panel menu by hovering
Written by linuxlisa the 2 May 12 at 06:58.
In order to avoid accidentally opening the neighboring panel menus, at least a hover delay should be added. The diagonal move described in the problem is a fast move. So it would probably be enough to add a slight delay for opening a menu when hovering over it.

Of course, panel menus should still open immediately when clicking them. But when hovering, there should be a delay of 0.5 seconds.
5
votes
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Solution #2: Open panel menus by click only
Written by linuxlisa the 3 May 12 at 10:28.
An even better solution would be to disable the possibility to open panel menus by hovering. Panel menus should only open when clicking them. This avoids the above problem completely and has no drawback in usability.

See the 3 comments or propose a solution >>

The panel in unity is an unnecessary expenditure of screen area on widescreens.  
Written by weeeirdfishes the 10 May 12 at 21:35. New
The function of the panel does not warrant the use of such a significant area on a permanent basis. It undermines the popular tabs-on-top browser UI, where, by having tabs at the very top of the screen, they are easier to click on - as the pointer cannot pass them vertically. Menus are no longer integral either with the HUD.
-3
votes
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Solution #1: Remove the panel. Incorporate the time/date and indicators in the launcher
Written by weeeirdfishes the 10 May 12 at 21:35.
I suggest the indicators, including the time/date, are incorporated with the launcher - not dissimilar to how indicators are integrated into the Windows taskbar. The menus could be simply incorporated by adding another button to the Close/Minimise/Resize buttons on a window, which, when pressed, would reveal the menus in a drop-down fashion. That plus the HUD should be sufficient.
2
votes
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Solution #2: Repurpose dead/white space in the panel when unused
Written by ebnf the 14 May 12 at 20:12.
Unused space in the panel could be yielded to the currently active window to adaptively make use of this extra space to show more content.

Google's Chrome browser does this with the titlebar area that is traditionally displayed elsewhere in the OS as well so becomes redundant and ineffective use of space.

If these components could be shown when an activation region is hovered they would give more visible, but not interactive space.

See the 1 comments or propose a solution >>

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