Brainstorming page for upcoming Ubuntu Studio releases

Upcoming Releases

Contents

  1. Upcoming Releases
    1. PRECISE (12.04)
      1. integrate with release team
      2. lowlatency kernel
      3. update theme/UI
      4. update website
      5. live dvd
      6. misc
      7. documentation
      8. continuing projects
      9. -audio transition package
    2. PRECISE+1 (12.10)
      1. live dvd
      2. misc
      3. documentation
      4. dock
      5. community
      6. new user support
    3. Proposed Improvements
      1. Ubuntu Studio Controls
      2. User Help
      3. Release Notes
      4. ubuntustudio-menu
      5. GTK Theme
      6. music me menu
      7. Backports
      8. Documentation
      9. Testing Procedures
  2. Completed Releases
    1. Oneiric Ocelot (11.10)
      1. Desktop
        1. Desktop Environment
        2. Updated UI
        3. Dock
      2. kernel
        1. -lowlatency kernel in repos
        2. -irq threading
      3. Website Update
      4. Documentation Update
      5. Revised Package Selection
      6. ubuntustudio-controls update
      7. update seeds
        1. audio plugins
        2. ladish
        3. "unknown ship package"
      8. revised menu structure
    2. Ubuntu Studio 11.04 Natty Narwhal
      1. Revised Package Selection
      2. Revised Package Installation
      3. Art
      4. Website Update
    3. Ubuntu Studio 10.04 Lucid Lynx

PRECISE (12.04)

Let's make this one to be proud of!

integrate with release team

The release team has tools that can track progress of a team throughout the cycle. We should better integrate with the release team's processes.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuStudio/IntegrateWithReleaseTeam

lowlatency kernel

update theme/UI

update website

live dvd

misc

documentation

continuing projects

-audio transition package

responsible: [slavender] Can drop the ubuntustudio-audio transition package in this LTS release from the ubuntustudio-meta package. This transitional package was added to the ubuntustudio-meta package during Natty because the 'audio' seed/task was removed and supplanted by the 'generation' and 'recording' seeds/tasks (at least, we might actually release more, e.g. 'live' or 'performance' or 'academia' or 'programming'). Dividing the packages into more seeds/tasks allow the user greater control and choice when installing applications, the net yield is that a user does not have to install applications they neither desire nor use.

The ubuntustudio-audio transition package was created inside the control file of the ubuntustudio-meta package, which will depend on the generation and recording tasks, so that users updating will get the correct file. This is required because the audio task will no longer be extant as of Natty.

PRECISE+1 (12.10)

live dvd

consider making a livedvd, if it didn't happen for 12.04 we should probably be able to make it for 12.10

misc

documentation

dock

community

new user support



Proposed Improvements

List of proposed improvements. They might be incorporated, they may not, but at least they are accreted into a single, useful location for discussion.

Ubuntu Studio Controls

Some uses of the ubuntustudio-controls are no longer needed and others may be added.

User Help

Release Notes

ubuntustudio-menu

The goal would be to make the menu better parsed by adding additional submenus so that no particular menu has too many items. Below are suggestions for updates:

Option #1 This is based on what tango studios (ubuntu studio derivative) has done.

Option #2 This is based on rosea.grammostola's email http://www.mail-archive.com/pkg-multimedia-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org/msg07029.html.

GTK Theme

music me menu

Think of this like the current ubuntu "me menu" where it helps you post to various social media, like twitter or facebook. But this menu is focused on publishing music.

It could help you upload to Bandcamp, Alonetone, or Soundcloud (are maybe all of them at once) and even post an identica dent or twitter post about new music pushed.

The though behind this would be to try to help users distribute web media.

Backports

Work on developing procedure and getting people involved in backporting key applications for at least the LTS versions.

Care should be observed when backporting libraries as well as the requirements for LTS+2 and LTS+3 releases.

Documentation

Documentation is a mess. It needs to be better organized, updated, and appended.

General note: wiki.ubuntu.com should be reserved for development notes while help.ubuntu.com should be reserved for using ubuntu studio.

Testing Procedures

Need to develop codified testing procedures for varying tiers of checking.

Below is just a suggestion on framing the testing paradigm.

Primary Testing ISO testing (http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/) should happen within days of notice (sign up for emails at http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/build/ubuntustudio/all, choose appropriate architecture). The purpose is to validate the ISO images, not the applications, operating system, or settings.

Secondary Testing This might be considered as making sure the operating system and/or settings work properly. Making sure that JACK can be started, connections can be made, and will devices (e.g. firewire) work might be considered in this level.

Tertiary Testing Lastly, does a particular application or new feature work might be considered tertiary testing.

The general framework as described would be that each level depends on the level before it working, obviously excepting the first level.

The first two levels, for the most part< can also be codified fairly easily and with broad sweeps (e.g. does JACK start or does firewire interface work) based on project goals rather than on particular applications.





Completed Releases

Oneiric Ocelot (11.10)

Desktop

Desktop Environment

With Ubuntu moving to Unity and GNOME3 replacing GNOME2 (aka gnome-panels) we should reconsider our desktop environment.

Updated UI

Replacing the desktop environment will be a good time to update the UI.

Cory has suggested a no-panel with dock at bottom approach.

We are hoping the Libre Graphics people (Ricardo and Ana?) might help with some design concepts for this and the website.

Dock

If we do consider using a dock we need to determine which to use. Choices include docky, AWN, wbar.

Scott would like to consider trying to work with the dock developers to incorporate selectable "context" work flows into the bar.

kernel

dtchen says "Congrats! I may see you there if I can take off work. As far as getting -lowlatency (back) into Ubuntu, I recommend writing a blueprint for it. You'll definitely want to cover: 1) who or which team will maintain it in git for Ubuntu; 2) who or which team will be syncing with upstream (cross-distro coop really helps here, so try and get that squared away ASAP);"

-lowlatency kernel in repos

We have the opportunity to develop and place a -lowlatency kernel into the repository if it provides better performance than -generic.

We need to adequately test and contrast the performance between the -lowlatency and the -generic kernels.

If we determine that -lowlatency is preferred then the general plan is for Abogani will prepare it in his git repo, ScottL will package and maintain it, and persia will push it into the repository.

-irq threading

It seems like the 2.6.39 kernel will see the inclusion of -irq threading allowing firewire device users to adjust the priority on their devices to avoid -irq conflicts.

Website Update

Kokito (Jorge Mare) has offered to help with the website update and has already provided several "work in progress" screenshots.

He expects to have the basic website ready within a couple of months.

Cory would like to see it going "live" to coincide with the 11.10 release.

We are also considering hosting it on our own servers (to be rented) rather than continue to use Canonical's servers due to the difficulty in access and using their servers.

We are hoping the Libre Graphics people (Ricardo and Ana?) might help with some design concepts for this and the new UI.

Documentation Update

Ailo and Scott want to update the documentation for users.

Generally, it will feature a new organization and will include supporting documentation for the work flows.

Revised Package Selection

Scott hopes to have external help in developing a better package selection for graphical and/or video applications.

The loose plan is to identify graphical/video tasks users would want, develop work flows for those tasks, and establish tool chains that support those work flows. The package selection would be based on these tasks/work flows/tool chains.

It is possible that the Libre Graphics people can help in this.

ubuntustudio-controls update

Ailo and paultag continue to work on ubuntustudio-controls.

Giving user realtime privilege will be handled by this app, but ailo.at will look into other ways of doing that as well. ubuntustudio-settings could include a new set of default groups for new users. Also, installing ubuntustudio-settings could perhaps add current user to audio group. The best option would be if Vanilla Ubuntu would let all Desktop users to be members of audio group by default.

update seeds

audio plugins

See about adding the following also try to replace ladspa with lv2 versions of the same package.

ladish

ladish is now in Deiban and should be imported during Oneiric Debian import.

We should need:

"unknown ship package"

clean up the language packs in the seeds that keep showing "unknown ship package"

revised menu structure

Ubuntu Studio 11.04 Natty Narwhal

Development for Upcoming release.

Revised Package Selection

Changing the current package selection set, including adding packages, removing packages, and replacing packages.

The packages shipped in the pre-Natty releases seem to be rather disparate and not focusing on supporting a larger task and have the begginings of an application warehouse or library feel to them. The desire is to make sure that each application is required to support a desirable task.

To achieve this we are focusing guarenteeing a solid and complete toolchain to help users accomplish desirable tasks.

By focusing on identifying desirable tasks user want to accomplish, developing a workflows to accomplish those tasks, and then designate preferred applications to support the workflow we can provide a stronger, more effective package selection.

Applications that do not support a complete and desirable toolchain will be removed from the selection. This may yield a secondary effect of reducing the image size.

Additionally, some packages will be replaced by others. Reasons may include additional functionality, stagnated development, and new implementation/specifications.

Additional benefits: the workflows also generate a framework for develop documentation and a path for testing.

See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuStudio/Workflows and https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuStudio/PackageSelectionDevelopment for more information.

Revised Package Installation

too many audio applications installed by default

subdividing the 'audio' tasksel into other choices: generation, recording, and possibly live

this provides better granularity for control over audio applications control to users to isntall only the applications they desire

second benefit includes a smaller audio menu

Art

Website Update

Website update is still in process. For details see:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuStudio/TaskWebRevamp



== Ubuntu Studio 10.10 Maverick Meerkat ==

Ubuntu Studio 10.04 Lucid Lynx

So what do we wanna tackle?

UbuntuStudio/ReleasePlanning (last edited 2012-01-18 02:49:58 by lfkn-adsl-dhcp-64-92-16-215)