Default Apps Discussion

Registered by Jason Warner

That's another "classic" for UDS, we should probably not change a lot
but we said we would revisit having pitivi on the CD, we should also
have a look to GNOME new stuff like the sushi previewer for nautilus

Blueprint information

Status:
Complete
Approver:
Martin Pitt
Priority:
Essential
Drafter:
Jason Warner
Direction:
Approved
Assignee:
Martin Pitt
Definition:
Approved
Series goal:
Accepted for precise
Implementation:
Implemented
Milestone target:
milestone icon precise-alpha-1
Started by
Martin Pitt
Completed by
Martin Pitt

Whiteboard

For Precise we'll be making the following changes to default applications: FreeRDP and Remmina will replace rdesktop and vinagre. Rhythmbox will replace Banshee. Gbrainy and Tomboy will be removed.

I would also like to get Jupiter applet in by default. Jupiter uses a systray whitelist. We can use that, create an indicator or possibly a system settings. We'll need to work with design on how best to get this in for Precise.

Work items (precise-alpha-1):
Make RB default: DONE
Remove gbrainy: DONE
Remove Tomboy: DONE
[johnlea] Have design input on how best to integrate Jupiter: DONE

Work items (ubuntu-12.04-beta-1):
[jdstrand] freerdp 1.0 ssl verification audit: DONE
Replace rdesktop and vinagre with FreeRDP and Remmina: DONE
Review status of Banshee GTK 3 port and stability on ARM, and discuss whether to keep RB or switch back to Banshee: DONE
[gekker] get a list of sysinfo pieces that are interesting to know, which we should add to control-center: POSTPONED

Session Notes:
FreeRDP and Remmina to replace rdesktop and vinagre ?
- See also https://live.gnome.org/Design/Apps/Boxes (but won't be ready for Precise)

Sushi
- Doesn't respect window buttons on left, theming, or overlay scrollbars
- But except for that, it's nice to have and replaces Nautilus' audio previewer which was removed in 3.2

sysinfo
- Include sysinfo, or some other GUI tool for users to have access to system info
- Include a menu entry in the system indicator for accessing system information that will launch this tool

Boot-repair
- Small graphical tool to restore access to Ubuntu and other OS (Windows..; Very frequent issue, specially for dual-booting). .
- Repairs most frequent boot problems very easily (before this tool it was usually very hard and technical).
- Nice friendly interface. Actively maintained.
More info.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows
Has been reviewed by Debian-mentors. Awaiting sponsor for upload in Debian/Ubuntu reps. (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/806291)

Something like Jupiter Applet?
- Many have been reporting success with it.
Doesn't necessarily need a gui either.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1854019
- And the kernel seems to not be getting workarounds any time soon:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTAwNzY
- May be a good temporary fix.
- Final ASPM Power Regression Fix:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTA0MTM
- Jupiter 0.1.2 now uses Python by default instead of C# / mono.
http://www.webupd8.org/2012/03/jupiter-applet-officially-switches-to.html

Calendar: The calendar in Ubuntu's clock menu works only if Evolution is installed, and it isn't by default. Is there an alternative calendar we can ship? If not, what can we do instead? —mpt
  - there is another session about calendar integration, see https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/desktop-p-calendar-integration

User Suggestions:
- While I support all intentions to drop Banshee and the whole Mono stack, I don't think that it is necessary to revert back to rhythmbox. I suggest to improve the Unity Music Lens even further and use a player without an own database instead. Eg. using the lean music-only player Audacious with its new and shiny GTk3 default interface and patching the "Open File" button there to open the zeitgeist-driven music lens directly. Offering a seperate music player database and a separate Unity music database/lens seems to unnecessarily double the user experience with the music files. amano, 11/6 2011
- I'd like to suggest adding Gnote as a (C++ implemented clone) replacement for Tomboy to the defult apps stack. ockham-razor, 2011-11-11

mitya57, 2011-11-22: Do we really want Jupiter to be the only application on CD using Mono? Probably it's better to add some similar features to indicator-power (and we definitely don't want 2 different power indicators present by default).

pitti, 2011-11-22: We certainly do not; also, as you say, another indicator/applet is also bad from an UI POV. But we can take a look at it and see whether we can take the twiddling that it does into pm-utils/upower/indicator-power/etc.

pitti, 2012-02-17: Banshee is still using GTK2, so keeping RB for now (we also have a matching music store). This could be revisited once Banshee gets updated.

(?)

Work Items