Desktop

Desktop Experience Plans

• Process & Maturity Model are a bit incomplete. Engineering prototypes could be an idea..

• KDE has an extensive notification system. What can we learn from their work? And what can we provide back to them through ours?

Desktop Bugs

This session covered working with bugs in Launchpad from the perspective of developers.

Usability Problems

• back button not usable because pages have the same title
• the bugs list doesn't make easy to know what bugs are upstreamed or not
• threading on bug emails is broken
• closing duplicates is too hard sometimes, moving all the dupes from one bug to another to combine two master bugs is a pain
• it's hard to correlate status/importance changes with comments

Feature Requests

• should be easier to send bugs upstream -> ubuntu bugs will have a link to make

easy to open the bug upstream, open the right page with prefiled informations

• 'invalid' bugtasks should not generate email (unless it is the only bugtask)
• should be easier to add several attachments to a bug
  • - how about to add an attachment and change status/importance at the same time? Those separate textboxes are a problem. - the files in tarballs should be listed directly
• having customized searches that can be applied on any product would be nice
• would be nice to have questions specific to the product when filing a new bug
• would be nice to be able to split out unrelated (though well-meant) posts

into a different bug, instead of telling users to go away and file anew.

• would be nice to be able to convert some postings in some busy bug rpts

into more meaningful symbology/data...moderation process?

• - Changing a me-too post into an 'Affects me too' click - Changing a "I tried the workaround and it worked" post into a smiley feedback on the original workaround instruction.

Other

• priority based on how many people are annoyed and how annoying the issue is,

high priority bugs are the one worked

• will be possible to mute bugs

Coming Changes

• UI changes
• bug tracker plugin for any bug tracker
• make easier to search for upstream bugs and file bugs in their trackers
• measure of the number of users having a bug

NetworkManager connection policies

Discussion regarding changes to NM from upstream, mostly regarding the new behavior that NM will maintain connections through multiple interfaces, and automatically connecting to "better" connections.

Multiple approaches for defining connection policies were discussed:

• always fastest
• always cheapest
• preferred network by location
• user created detailed list including fine grain control over priorities for different wireless access points

Ultimately, it was decided that the best course of action is to work with upstream to see if we can get NM to go back to a single connection at a time.

Kubuntu Jaunty Gap Analysis

This session covered functional gaps and differences between Intrepid and Jaunty based on moving to KDE 4.

• Need a good way to install restricted codecs, etc...
• Flash installer needs to be ported to KDE 4
• Add "About Kubuntu" to Konqi front page
• Konqueror Home Page to change links to home, network folder to launch dolphin instead of Konqueror
• rodderick working on basic config editor for ufw
• Celeste looking into user setup
• Tonio investigating fast user switching (as per Ubuntu)
• Tonio to work on blue tooth support

Make applications aware of network changes

In this session we discussed how to ensure that applications gracefully respond to changes in network status.

• Communicate with Mozilla upstream that they should start responding to NM again so that interrupted downloads are handled gracefully.
• Confirm that fixes to Pigin in version 2.5.3 or 2.6.0 work, especially in cases where one of two simultaneous connections disconnect.
• Confirm that evolution's reconnection to IMAP connections are working in Jaunty.

• Confirm that LifeArea reconnects by default upon new connection.

• Confirm that Ekiga handles changes to network states properly. If not, log bugs.
• Modify Update Manager so that it does not automatically download new indexes when connected to a 3G network.
• Log bug against stock ticker.
• Modify GVFS so that it automatically unmounts shares when a connection is lost. See bug #563793.
• Ensure that existing services on Kubuntu are connected.

Kubuntu Jaunty Installer

• Better interactive time zone map
• Possibly should hold this after the ubiquity session instead of this session
• Use graphics instead of cairo
• Port time zone map from cairo into qsvg -- Riddell to do this
• Automatic partitioning label sessions don't make sense
• People think "guided" means they will be walked through the steps, where it is currently automatic.... will be changed on the backend
• Start with Kwallet's password strength widget. Seele will work with MPT on a general design for both the Kubuntu and Ubuntu versions
• Show all mount points for GRUB (hd0, /dev/sda,/dev/sda1, /dev/sda2, /dev/sdb, ...)
• Riddell will grab the code from Ubiquity and add it to the Kubuntu version

• Actions: JonathanJesse to create oem docbook build for both ubuntu OEM Installer and also Kubuntu OEM Installer http://ur1.ca/03wp

• http://ur1.ca/03wk

• Riddell to port kde ubiquity to native kde4
• Option for autologin on the Kubuntu side -- Riddell has volunteered for this, it goes on the user account page
• Actions: Ken to provide b/g image in KDE colors + purple
• Choose language selector changes already in oem installer, possibly be changed in ubqiuity, if it does then change in kubuntu ubiquity
• Differences b/w Ubuntu and Kubuntu Installers
• Ubuntu might use the OEM language selection, but haven't decided how to handle language selection with isolinux.
• We will do whatever they decide to fix this

Xorg.conf Options Editor

• X config, how to stop users destroying their system
• Discussed UI as a simple grid
• Intended audience is intermediate users. Advanced users will go strait to config files, other users should not tweak their settings.
• Task specific functionality should be handled in separate applications. For example, tablet configuration should be handled in a tablet configuration application.
• Users can turn on cntrl-alt-backspace from this config editor.
• Options and format are read out of man files.

Components and required tools

• X-Kit backend
• Policykit
• GTK frontend
• options data store: man page to xml

Desktop Experience Integration

• Discussing Synchronous Notifications; Synchronously displayed as events happen, e.g. Volume, Brightness.
• Jaunty Dx-Notifications will ignore time-out hints for notifications; will likely affect lots of applications. Bugs to be filed!
• Notifications with actions (buttons) are bad. These will need apps to be patched.

Disable the ctrl-alt-backspace combination by default in xorg

• Upstream will be setting this as the default, and Ubuntu will honor that default.
• Users can re-enable the function if they choose.

Improve ibus in order to replace scim

Session to explain SCIM, the current input method for East Asian Languages, and iBus, and improved system in development. iBus is more robust than SCIM, and SCIM is no longer under development.

Improvements to iBus necessary before it is ready:

• Suggestion that the code be ported from Python to C for performance reasons.
• Some UI changes are necessary
• A KDE compatible front end needs to be developed.

iBus should be available in universe, but is out of scope for Jaunty.

Display Configuration Tool

• Display configuration to be redone with a new tool that has two modes: simplified (for old drivers) and advanced (with RandR support)

GDM Upgrade

Ubuntu still uses the old GDM code base. There are still some limitations to adopting GDM 2.4 that need to be addressed. However, the desktop team wants to adopt GDM in Jaunty +1.

Missing functionality in GDM 2.4:

• Lack of support for old-GDM XML themes (since new GDM runs as a GNOME session, could use GNOME themes)
• Flexiserver missing
• Migration of current settings (e.g. autologin, timed login)
• Fast user switching and guest session will need to be updated to use GDM 2.4

GDM 2.4 will be packaged for a PPA, or possibly in universe for Jaunty.

GNOME Power Manager and Device Kit Power

The new version of GNOME Power Manager will be based on DeviceKit Power. In turn, Device Kit Power has a dependency on Device Kit.

• get DK and DKP packaged, working and into Jaunty's universe
• get new gpm into a PPA, for people wanting to test it
• keep hal and gpm 2.24 as default for jaunty

During Jaunty will package new gpm into a PPA

Online Services Integration

Discussed time lines, and when to land client bits. Conversation was generally relevant to anyone who would like to integrate with the Ubuntu desktop. Focus was on code complete date in February.

Printer Driver Auto Download Service at OpenPrinting

• Web site tells you which printer tells you which printer works with which driver
• Put up facilities to automatically download drivers from the web site
• WebAPI to map a printer to a driver, point to a repository (yum, zypper, apt) and a package name (rpm, deb)
• Bona fide repository (can add to sources list)
• Currently Jockey only downloads no-arch packages (by and large, packaged PPDs)

Outstanding Issues

• Binary printer driver packages to be auto-downloaded must come from the printer manufacturers and they must be signed by them.
• Responsability on driver packages must be taken by the printer manufacturers.

• Appropriate key to verify the packages downloaded from OpenPrinting needs to be included in the Ubuntu distribution.

Font-Selector: GUI to manipulate fontconfig

• GUI interface to manipulate fontconfig settings per user / system wide
• uses ~/.fonts.conf to store configuration data
• allows users to adjust the order of the available fonts for each metafont
  • can be different for different lang codes (requires applications to support XML/HTML and to define the lang tag per paragraph)
• manage settings for hinting, anti-aliasing and embedded bitmaps on a per font (and optionally language) level.

This application should not be used to "unbreak my desktop", but select between different legitimate settings

• hinting on/off/autohint/binary hinting/embedded bitmaps
• RGBA on or off (anti-aliasing)

Superset of the current font tab in gnome-appearance-applet; should go upstream

• Extends the current font tab with a language selector, and possibly other widgets; the existing font widgets are downsized to not take too much space
• Current global font selection works fine for Latin-only users, but are useless for people needing both Latin and CJK
• per-font selection, sorted by preference
• By-language settings

Graphical Configuration Tool for Wacom Tablets & TabletPCs

Alberto showed mock ups of a configuration UI for setting up tablets and their pens. This tool is intended to solve the problem that there is currently no GUI tool for configuring Wacom tablets and pens. In order to use a Wacom tablet and set of pens users must discover a certain wiki page, and then hand edit their xorg.conf file.

• many tablet users have different pens and want them to be configured for different purposes, such as one is a pen, and another is a brush and yet another is an eraser.
• Planning something like a configurations wizard.
• Common use case involves two screens, one for doodling and one for drafting. Require different settings/parameters.
• Variety in reported features in different hardware.
• Important distinction between configuring tablet devices and configuring touch devices.

Plymouth

• Using kernel mode setting, boot experience can be smooth from boot screen to Logon (GDM)
• Few x video drivers support KMS today, only intel
• w/o kernel mode setting, fallback is to text only boot
• will package plymouth in PPA or universe when driver support is available

Intro

• uses KMS to create boot-time effects
• supports plugins
• more than just a progress bar
• flicker-free boot process on systems supporting KMS
• currently works on four Radeon-based systems, intel support to be landed in 2.6.29
• nvidia expressed interest in adding a KMS driver
• themes are complete programs, harder to create/change than usplash themes
• KMS detects outputs, sets them to "ideal" mode, no further mode switches any more
• Can be done without an initramfs if the theme etc. is loaded a bit later
• There is some support for using VESA, but this will always come with flickering (respects vga= option)
• There is a logfile plugin to give full scrollback for people who want to see it
• Switching back on panics, oopses, and sysrq

Init phase

• BIOS sets some text mode
• grub does never change this
• initramfs starts (if we have it)
• kernel runs silent until KMS is initialized
• kernel switches to graphic mode and starts plymouth
• X uses same graphics mode and is started flicker-free

Timeline

• ati and intel should be robust for 9.10
• 9.04: we could possibly have a tech preview PPA with a newer kernel and the theme packaged
  • This would help the artwork community to have enough time to develop designs and themes

Elements to integrate in the PPA

• new kernel, dave airlie kernel's branch
• new X drivers, compiled with support for KMS
• plymouth
• U theme
• new libdrm

Action Items

• DX Team to lead the integration of packages in a PPA
• DX Team to ask Platform/Desktop team for support for low-level packages
• Mirco to work on Plymouth with Ken for the theme
• To consider during the integration effort: identify ways to improve experience for resuming from hibernate

Kubuntu Jaunty Package Manager

Anthony Demos: KDE Package kit to replace Adept

• Celeste says "Yes"
• Working with existing upgrade notifier

Cons of Package Kit

• Broken dependencies result in an error message and can't be over ridden (no -f)
• No deb.conf
• It is unclear what happens when the user has changed a config file and package kit wants to update it
• On the settigns page you can't add repositories, recomend to use software properties KDS until this kpackage kit properties is

* Celeste to dtermie if the app should be part of system settings or if it should stand alone * Lacking compared to adept: simplified installer interface: would be nice to have that by default * Adept does this via teh desktop files today:

Having both notifiers

New notifier is incomplete functionaly, but

Existing Package Kit Notifier

• Remove package upgrade
• Upgrade notifier
• Reboot hook

Package Kit Notifier

• Tell you when a package is upgraded Discussion about how to provide a view that distinguishes "applications" from "all packages"
• GUi is appropriate for corp. environment, especially as it interacts correctly with policykit

TODO

• Celeste will review for UI weirdness
• Roderick to review code see if possible to integrate
  • add/remove programs
  • and Celeste usability changes
• Tonio to package it and upload to PPA
• Tonio to code changes if determined to go
• Jonathon to review possibility modifying sys tray icons

• Decision relies on PolicyKit being fixed in KDE 4.2 (slated for end of January)

• Tonio to review Fedora
• Tonio to talk to Peter

Kubuntu Jaunty KDE Packaging

KDE 4.2 (ninjas) akonadi

• ensure upgrade path works
• ensure installable without asking for a password (talk to Debian to ensure common approach) - appears that you can install mysql-server-5.0 without a password
• hopefully all done upstream, and just needs to be tested
• Ninjas to package

bzr? (Wait for Ubuntu changes) backports? updates?

• stable updates into backports then proposed then updates (ninjas)
• beta versions into kubuntu-experimental
• major updates kubuntu-members-kde4 (rename to kubuntu-kde-latest)

kdesudo vs kdesu

• They both do authentication
• keep kdesudo

Konqueror webkit vs khtml

• Ship webkit if before feature freeze:
  • flash works
  • and qt 4.5 is out
  • and there are no other major problems

How well did upgrades work?

• Need to ask the community generally, specific questions wrt upgrading
• Celeste to talk to Lidia about talking to the community regarding upgrade issues

Apps with KDE4 versions coming out

• amarok
• digikam
• KOffice beta 4 is out

No IRC Client on the CD

• Users can install Konversation

Drawing Tool

• Investigate using "KolorPaint"

• Vote on it at a council meeting (if there is space left over)

CD Burning

• k3b: actively maintain, #1 cd burning application on source forge
• Tonio to package in a PPA
• Ship beta unless show stopper issues (such as crashes)
• Tonio to package

Missing in Main:

• Include sKanlite (Jonathon to tell ScottK to trigger main inclusion review)

No scanning application. Need to promote skanlite in this cycle. Note: Akonadi and Amarok (the KDE4 version) both use mysql. Amarok needs mysql 5.1 for embedded capability. Akonadi currrently pulls in much more of mysql than it needs and is packaged to use 5.0. Need to work with Server Team to get both on 5.1 with it packaged such that only the neede mysql bits have to be installed.

embedded applications in Konqueror

• Set the option to the display certai files embedded
  • pdfs
  • text files
  • images
  • NOT Videos and Audio
  • Tonio to change the default settings and propose upstream

k-menu

• Keep patched kick off for now

Cleanup of broken archives

• Synching with Debian, who is shipping KDE 3.0
• Tonio to create a list all "ioslave" and "kparts" apps
• Tonio to create ubuntu archive bugs to show the list of packages to remove and ban

What to do with extra space? - options

• Langauges
• new plasmoids
• partition manager
• format usb sticks ( and try to get into KDE upstream )
• Disk partitioning editor: don't need to install by default

Jaunty Language Selector Improvements

The current language selector has some usability problems:

• list is serving two functions: show what is installed, and what you might want to install
• language "support" should be just "Languages"; "support is over-used and confusing
• "default" language is technical and confusing; drop the bold label "default language" and drop "default" from the long label
• Needs to be reformatted to fit a netbook screen
• Need to scroll through the whole list to see which languages are already installed

Kubuntu Jaunty Setup

=== Better interactive timezone map ===

• Ubuntu will make the map and Riddell will port it to Qt

Improve auto partitioning labels and manual partitioning tool

• Hopefully this will be fixed in the Ubuntu version, but if not Seele will come up with better labels for the Kubuntu version

Password match/strength widget

• Start with kwallet's password strength widget.
• Seele will work with MPT on a general design for both the Kubuntu and Ubuntu versions

Show all mount points for GRUB (hd0, /dev/sda, /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2, /dev/sdb, ...)

• Riddell will grab the code from Ubiquity and add it to the Kubuntu version

KDE Ubiquity

• Riddell to port to native KDE 4

Differences b/w Ubuntu and Kubuntu Installers

• language selection page
• Ubuntu might use the OEM language selection, but haven't decided how to handle language selection with isolinux. We will do whatever they decide to fix this
• Seele to facilitate the deciscion

KDE Colors

• Ken to provide b/g image in KDE colors + purple

OEM Install

• add some more helpful links/docs in folderview to help OEM's build a better customized install
• add shortcut to Add/Remove in folderview
• is there a wiki for OEM install? should there be? and provide a shortcut for it in folderview
• JJesse will work on this -- make sure the Kubuntu documentation gets done and keep track of what Ubuntu is doing with theirs

• JJesse will create docbook version of the wiki page (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ubuntu_OEM_Installer_Overview) for both Kubuntu and Ubuntu, Jesse will ping the OEM Installer Team when this is done

Disk Graphic

• Ubiquity has a Cairo bling which displays partitions and disk use
• RGreening will look in to how we could do it for Kubuntu
• This is low priority

Option for autologin

• Goes on the User Creation page
• Riddell will do this