Note to Mods: This Idea is NOT a Duplicate of Idea #14003, which has been marked as "Already Implemented" (see below). The already implemented functionality is only available on the Alternate CD. This idea is to add the functionality to the Standard CD.

According to Ubuntu's Upgrade Notes, the Alternate CD includes functionality to allow for upgrading from the CD, rather than from the repositories.

This functionality should be included in the Standard (i.e. "Live") CD.

This idea is in response to Idea #14003 being marked as "Already Implemented". Idea #14003 requested dist-upgrade-from-CD functionality be included, to which the developer response was "It has been possible since day 1. See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes."

According to the linked Upgrade Notes, dist-upgrade-from-CD is available, but only from the Alternate CD.

Either the contributor for Idea #14003 was not clear enough, or - more likely - the developer who commented didn't consider that the vast majority of people do not know/think about/use the Alternate CD.

More importantly, while the Alternate CD is a logical place to have edge-case installation functionality, I think that one could make a strong argument that dist-upgrade-from-CD is not an "edge case".

Therefore, dist-upgrade-from-CD functionality that is available on the Alternate CD should be included also on the standard LiveCD.

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I would like to see an Ubuntu machine with the following characteristics:

iPhone form factor.

USB 3.0 port(s) both for charging, and for docking with an honest to goodness keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers, and gamepad.

A powerful Field-programmable gate array that can emulate any modern multi-core CPU/GPU/chipset/soundcard combination popular up to say 3 years ago, capable of running any OS currently on the market, including a new custom Ubuntu*.

unencumbered wifi, an integrated webcam (on the same side as the screen!), and speex and h.264 hardware acceleration built in, and a pidgin plugin to connect p2p automagically over any network already available (MySpace, MSN, AIM, Yahoo, Gmail, ICQ, IRC, etc.) for VOIP, video chat, high speed file xfr, VNC, and automatic speech to text to babelfish to text to speech capabilities.

Tom Tom like GPS capabilities.

A microSD slot.

a mode of ad-hoc wifi on by default that can leap frog phone to phone until it finds an internet connection from any location near a likewise enabled phone, thereby extending wifi service, VOIP, VidChat, VNC, and file xfr to any phone in range of a phone in range of a phone in range of a phone in range of a wifi router.

*The New Custom Ubuntu

Will act exactly like an iphone (but with better GPS, ie TOM TOM level usage) when in phone mode (but with no DRM, all based on FOSS), but also have real time VNC capabilities to and from any other machine connected to the internet, having the touchscreen act as the mouse cursor in that mode.


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