FreedesktopCategories
Freedesktop Categories
One of the main features of Ubuntu Studio is how we categorize software. Currently (2013) we are doing this in a custom fashion in our XFCE menu, but that doesn't help the rest of the Linux multimedia community, as not everyone are on XFCE, or even on Ubuntu. So, the answer to that problem is that we work on creating new standards for multimedia specific categories in the freedesktop registered categories http://standards.freedesktop.org/menu-spec/latest/apa.html.
The following tables show the Freedesktop Categories that fit with the Ubuntu Studio workflow categories, and also contain a little description to help categorise the Ubuntu Studio default applications. As the categories listed in a ".desktop" file determine the menu the application is desplayed in, the number of Additional Categories for an application needs to be limited to prevent the same application appearing in many menus.
Audio Workflow:
Main Category |
Additional Category |
Description |
Audio |
Recorder |
Application to record audio (single or multi-track) |
Audio |
Mixer |
Application to set levels and do signal processing on individual tracks |
Audio |
Midi |
Any application that has midi functionality (or relates to midi) |
Audio |
*Instrument |
A virtual or software instrument (synthesiser/sampler). An application that outputs audio when receiving data control messages (usually midi). |
Audio |
Player |
Application to play audio files |
Audio |
Sequencer |
Application that can record, edit, or play back audio using note and performance information (typically midi but also audio in the case of a DAW) |
Audio |
Application to edit audio/video files |
|
Application to burn a disc |
||
Audio |
*Processing |
Application or plugin to process audio signals (effects/signal processing/mastering) |
Graphics Workflow:
Main Category |
Additional Category |
Description |
Graphics |
2DGraphics |
2D based graphical application |
Graphics |
Application for viewing, creating, or processing vector graphics |
|
Graphics |
Application for viewing, creating, or processing raster (bitmap) graphics |
|
Graphics |
3DGraphics |
Application or viewing, creating, or processing 3-D graphics |
Graphics |
Viewer |
Tool to view e.g. a graphic or pdf file |
Graphics |
*Typography |
Tools to work with typefaces and fonts |
Video Subcategories |
To be added |
Photography Subcategories |
To be added |
Publishing Subcategories |
To be added |
Categories that are not reserved by Freedesktop
These categories do not exist in the list of standard Freedesktop categories, but could be used by Ubuntu Studio as a category extension (with an "X-" prefix):
- Audio - Instrument
- Audio - Processing
- Graphics - Typography