Slab

Revision 3 as of 2006-07-11 18:55:22

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Introduction

Slab is the codename for SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10's new menu and application managment system. It consists of 3 parts; main-menu (the new menu applet), and Control Center and Application Browser, a nice simple and easy to use interface which uses our existing menu system to present all options for preferences and applications right in front of you with nice big icons! The 2 sections are also searchable with this neat little search box, automatically narrowing down options to what you want based off title and descriptions!

Rationalle

Better Desktop is a project sponsored by Novell to do usability tests on portions of the KDE and Gnome. The new main-menu applet and control-center (codenamed Slab), were designed using this data to improve usability on the Gnome desktop. Ubuntu has been doing usability changes to Gnome as well to make things more usable as well. Slab would be the perfect addition to the desktop as it adds a nicer cleaner menu system that looks alot more friendly. It even features intergration with Beagle, our desktop search system!

Scope

This specification deals with improving the usability of the default Gnome desktop included with Ubuntu. Many operating systems have been moving away from cascading menus for accessing applications, so it makes sense that Ubuntu should do that too.

Use Cases

* Joe enjoys using Gaim and OpenOffice Writer for his instant messaging and word processing (which are the only things he does on his computer). He hates having to cascade through menus each time he wants to access those applications. Using Application Browser's "Add to Favourites" function, he can add his favourite applications to the main menu panel for easier access.

* Sandy is working on a document, but accidentally forgot where she saved it. Using Main-Menu's recent documents listing, she can easily find the last files she worked on...leading her to her lost file.

Design

Slab is actually 3 portions, the Application Browser, Control Center, and the Main Menu applet. The main menu applet also features a drop down menu offering access to recently used applications, recently used documents, and their favourite applications. The More Applications button opens up Application Browser, which can be used to easily find the application you want. Words cannot describe how easy it is to use, so here are some screenshots for your consideration:

Application Browser

attachment:appbrowser.png

Control Center

attachment:controlcenter.png

attachment:mainmenu.png

Implementation

We would not only by default offer Main Menu in the corner as a replacement for the current menu applet, we would also put links to Control Center and Application Browser right next to the menu, but also on the desktop for easier access.

Potential Problems

Due to it's intergration with SLED 10, we will have to do some changes to make it work a bit less sloppy on our desktop:

Interface Adjustments

We could change it so that the applet displays the word "Menu" instead of "Computer" and change it to use distributor-logo as the icon instead of computer.

Package Managment Intergration

By default, it intergrates with XenSource, SLED 10's new RPM managment system, offering options to upgrade or remove the application in the right click menu.

We would have to make a decision, should the functionality be removed, or we could make it so that it intergrates automatically with our current "Add/Remove Programs" tool? I am kinda crossed between both actually...

Control Center and Application Browser Improvements

We might want to look into this particular mod of control-center:

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=207894