Review coming changes in GNOME and what we will want to do

Registered by Sebastien Bacher

GNOME is working toward GNOME3 which means quite some changes will be done this cycle.

We should discuss what we will be doing for this cycle:

- which transitions or new technologies we want to see in maverick and how we can help those to get there (ie gsettings)
- which changes we will need to be careful with before integrating them in the default ubuntu installation
- which deprecated libraries could be moved out of the default installation without too much efforts

Blueprint information

Status:
Complete
Approver:
Rick Spencer
Priority:
High
Drafter:
Sebastien Bacher
Direction:
Needs approval
Assignee:
Sebastien Bacher
Definition:
New
Series goal:
Accepted for maverick
Implementation:
Implemented
Milestone target:
None
Started by
Sebastien Bacher
Completed by
Sebastien Bacher

Related branches

Sprints

Whiteboard

Work items for maverick-alpha-1:
[robert-ancell] update glib to the unstable serie: DONE
[robert-ancell] update gtk to the unstable serie: DONE
[robert-ancell] get dconf packaged and in universe: DONE

Work items for maverick-alpha-2:
get gnome-shell updated in universe: DONE
[robert-ancell] write a mir for dconf: DONE
[robert-ancell] update glib to compile gsettings schemas: DONE

Work items for maverick-alpha-3:
test the new gnome-panel version in a PPA and decide by alpha 3 whether to use: POSTPONED

Work items:
set up daily build ppa for gnome-shell: POSTPONED
change the stratchietalla session to use gnome-shell: POSTPONED
Ubiquity and other tools will need to be updated to change gesttings instead of gconf for as ported apps are picked up: DONE
Take gsettings, and then cherry pick apps that are stable and robust on the new gesttings: DONE

seb128, 2010-08-24: gnome-shell depends on gtk3 now which is not in maverick, postponing those items to next cycle

seb128, 2010-08-16: GNOME 3 is delayed to next cycle which means GNOME 2.32 will be shipped without need to select what to update, ubiquity doesn't need changes this cycle either

seb128, 2010-07-22: delaying gnome-shell updates until we get gtk3 and the new introspection stack

seb128, 2010-06-18:
* GNOME3 will require GTK3, we will get the GTK3 stack working in maverick but not in the default installation since the transition will require quite some work, deal with all libraries using GTK to provide gtk2 and gtk3 versions and deal with CDs limitations
* consequences is that we will not take updates for components that will depends on gtk3 (or we will need to distro change some selected on to build with gtk2 still)
* change to gnome-panel item to postponed to the next cycle due to those changes

[rickspencer3 2010-05-11]
NOTES FROM THE SESSION
 = Ubuntu Maverick GNOME =

 1. get on speed with what gnome did last cycle
  evo, etc..
 2. review what gnome is doing next cycle

 = Frederic Peters =
 GNOME is working 3.0
 release team meets next week to discuss new modules
 for the user the change will be gnome-shell
 stack cleaning and platform cleaning
  removal of bonobo
  move to gsettings instead of gconf
 the first gnome 3.0 release is not everything we want, but will be a nice
 release
 gnome-shell, want it to be usable and accessable to Ubuntu users
 not possible to get it by default because of schedules, can't release it
 2 days later and then get it by default
 but make it available to ubuntu users by default is important
 How much can Ubuntu put into integration of app indicators in gnome-shell?
 there are so many things similar in gnome-shell and Ubuntu app indicators
 already would like to see some people working together on this
 Knows that it is really hard to get people working together, but wish that
 people from Gnome shell and ubuntu can work together to have some
 integration of gnome-shell of the new Ubuntu technology like app
 indicator and gnome shell
 Don't want the Fedora desktop and the ubuntu one to be too different
 Would be really cool if gnome-shell was the default of Ubutnu in the next release

 = Ryan =
 What are your plans for dealing with the bulk of 2.30 versus 3.0 packages?
 fear that Gnome release schedule will impact Ubuntu release schedule
 what about maverick +1 will there be shell?

 seb128: yeah, shell is for desktops, unity is for netbooks

 pitti: what about the requirement for 3d?

= seb128 =
 * We need to ship on time, and we should be conservative
 * we should go apps by apps
 * would like us to be conservative by default
 * update to 2.30 and then over time get the new version in a PPA on the side,
 be careful and bring them in on time

 = pitti =
 * should upgrade base libraries early (things without gsettings)

 = gsettings =
 * doing all of the migrations in one release seems overly ambitious
 * there are migration tools
 * dh_gconf needs to write gsettings too
 * need to be careful about keys shared between softwares (lock screen, compiz/metacity, etc)
 * need tracking

= Zeitgeist =
 * not for gnome 3.0
 * GNOME Activity Journal proposed for 3.0, Zeitgeist would be a dependency

 = gobject-introspection =
 * Python introspection bindings well progressed at sprint
 * No resource for GLib introspection work
 * Libraries will stop making bindings and rely on introspection - we have to migrate at some time to keep bindings

 = POR =
 * Update platform to 3.0 (GLib, GTK+, ...)
 * Have a gnome shell session that you install from universe
  * maintain the daily build PPA
  * stratchietalla should provide gnome 3.0 as the default - pitti to still maintain stratch. sess.
 * Will test the new gnome-panel version in a PPA and decide by alpha 3 whether to use - seb128
 * Take gsettings, and then cherry pick apps that are stable and robust on the new gesttings
   * Make Wiki page tracking which packages we are using the latest and why packages are being held back (gsettings, gdbus, etc) - robertancell
 * Ubiquity and other tools will need to be updated to change gesttings instead of gconf for as ported apps are picked up

(?)

Work Items