ExplainingUbiquity

Summary

Modify the somewhat technical lingo of the Ubiquity installer to convenience the casual user with no previous experience with installer processes. Keeping with the KISS principle.

Rationale

A user wants to try Ubuntu, but is not educated in the lingo used by the installer. Questions appear asking "How do you want to partition this drive", yet the user has no idea what the term "Partition" means. The user either aborts installation or risks losing precious data.

User stories

Installing Ubuntu Wiped out Windows XP 1 "I have installed UBUNTU on a computer running Win XP. I used guided install, which worked fine but has completely wiped XP and all its files from the computer. Wouldn't it be a good idea if UBUNTU gave a warning about this. If UBUNTU is going to take on Windows, these matters should really be given more attention. Users of windows expect, and get help when they do something drastic,they are not IT experts and have become used to the defaults being safe."1

Is Windows Gone? 2 A user wants to install Ubuntu on his/her computer, but didn't understand the prompts, and with little warning, removed XP from said computer.

"Guided-- use entire disk" Wiped out Vista?? 3 A user wanted to install Ubuntu on her computer, but misinterpreted the information given, and again, with little warning, wiped her Vista partition.

Design

This should contain easy to recognize speech and give more warning about events that could potentially destroy existing user data. Also, being more specific in and on what it is editing.

Implementation

This should replace most of the lingo used in the Ubiquity installer, e.g. instead of "Partition Ubuntu with X amount of space", It should say "This HD has X amount of space on it, and recommended amount of space to give Ubuntu is X or X% and leave XP with X or Y%"

Expanded

All (Automatic)

  • Label Disks By DISK LABEL If possible so it says, Will DELETE "WINDOWS"

Guided - Use Entire Disk

  • Provide a link or pop-up showing what files will be deleted
  • Warning when this is the only option, NEXT should not be clickable
  • NEVER preselect this as an option, make the user click it

Guided - Resize Disk

  • Reads Like: "Shrink WINDOWS partition by 50%, Install Ubuntu on freed space. This will make the WINDOWS partition 20 GB and the Ubuntu partition 20 GB."
  • Preselecting this is ok

Move Things Out Of Install

  • This is to try and get rid of the click Next mentality, by having less questions. For all of these we could ask for corrections on the first screen.
  • Set Language on Bootup instead of install
  • Set Keymap at Bootup instead if install
  • Magically do timezone?

Isn't it better to have the LiveCD using the right keymap, language, and time zone anyway?

This would make the install: An intro, Partition, Who Are You?, and Summary.

1 Installing Ubuntu Wiped out Windows XP: https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/17346

2 Is Windows Gone?: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=606698

3 "Guided-- use entire disk" Wiped out Vista??: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=583705

4 gQuigs comment on launchpad: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubiquity/+bug/155185/comments/1

ExplainingUbiquity (last edited 2008-08-06 16:21:59 by localhost)