Project ideas that need a developer

• Automation of Daily LiveCD/DVD creation for current release (not current dev release)
  • For testing purposes, someone needs a LiveCD to see if they can reproduce an issue on a desktop that has not been changed. Unfortunately the CD ISO (once released) is not changed for 6 months. LTS get dot releases (type of "bundled upgrade/servicepack").
  • This project would apply all updates and create a Daily LiveCD/DVD which has current packages and updates.

    • From persia: Easy way to do this today is: 1) run livecd-rootfs, 2) insert that into install image. The alternative would be to use something like http://bazaar.launchpad.net/%7Eubuntu-mobile-dev/ubuntu-mobile/mobile-scripts/annotate/head%3A/image-tools/edit_squashfs.sh . Add the -updates and -security lines to /etc/apt/sources.list, and run apt-get update; apt-get dist-upgrade. Still has the hassle of remastering the CD, but that's a well-solved problem.

• Offline Bug Holder
  • Apport Bug Client - For the "I am offline" use case
  • Allows users to keep their bug submissions to a later date
  • Allows users to type up a description to the bug while offline.

    • From persia: apport can already do this to some degree, there's just not a wizard (again, just a bit of glade and python). Because the .crash files are later recoverable. And you can (later) run apport on a .crash file and do the network stuff. Thats only for crashes though, I'm talking about doing Help>Report a problem offline too.

• Better Hardware Database

  • Brainstorm

  • Blueprint

    • From persia: Historically nobody seems to care about the data collected. Solve the social issues first, and getting the data becomes easy. The data is not being properly parsed, calculated and displayed, but it is useful.

• Thunderbird/Lightning/GNOME Integration
  • Thunderbird needs to have better integration into the GNOME Desktop
  • Calendar (Lightning) to EDS (Evolution Data Server) communication
  • OR
  • Creation of a new Thunderbird/Lightning applet

<persia> Mozilla isn't going to use EDS.  I'd recommend focusing on a sync-based solution.
<persia> And then, because of the magic of sync, it suddenly integrates with e-d-s and akonadi.
<komputes> I don't mind ditching evolution, the calendar applet and EDS all together
<komputes> every attempt to create a sync tool or mechanism fails miserably
<persia> Well, yes, but the u1 devs are well-funded to solve the problem.
<persia> (and expressed significant interest at UDS Karmic)
<komputes> I've given up on sync, I think the code for the applet can be rewritten to interface with thunderbird directly
<persia> That works too.  I'm less sure where you'd find a developer for that model

• Softphone: USB to GSM (SIM Card) Adapter
  • There are many SIM readers and 3G (DATA ONLY) USB adapters
  • Provide what is missing: Allow audio through microphone and speakers to make calls on GSM
  • Requires
    • hardware that allows voice communication
    • softphone application that has the same features as a cell phone

      • From persia: SIM readers don't have radios, and the 3G (DATA ONLY) modems *can't* do voice (hw issues). How it gets handled in other environments (e.g. N900) is that there are internal channels. The issue is that nobody sells the hardware as a pluggable module. empathy is the only project working on this I know that is fully open-source, telepathy has all the right channels to be able to handle it. The hardware is likely to come out as an integrated module first, as more and more "smartphones" get linux removable modules for laptops/desktops will probably come later (not that it's hard to buy 10,000 integrated modules and stick them in USB keys, but that nobody is going to do it because of how the carrier sales ecosystem works).

• PDF Editor
  • pdfeditor or Open Office PDF Editing Plugin does not quite work as expected, improve on these projects.
• Three part authentication
  • Password, USB authentication key, (and voice/thumbprint recognition) set up to log in.
  • Unlocks GNOME/KDE keychain, encrypted filesystem and firefox/email master password

    • From persia: Needs pam hacking. Given the state of consumer-available biometrics, it doesn't really add security to have the voice/retina/thumbprint stuff. But I remember password + passkey (either OpenSC or USB with encryption key) being documented on the wiki for Gutsy. Might need a refresh.

• Application CDs kmandla blog post, andrew blog post, Packagedepends project Keryx project

  • Application which downloads a package, its dependencies and it's sub dependencies onto a CD (make sure it is satisfied to be installed on a minimal ubuntu system) and write an ISO with an offline repo on it. When the CD is inserted into an offline machine they are offered the following dialog "This medium contains software intended to be automatically started. Would you like to run it? "The software will run directly from the medium "Application CD". You should never run software that you don't trust."
  • When the CD is inserted into an offline machine they are offered the following dialog "This medium contains software intended to be automatically started. Would you like to run it?" The software will run directly from the medium "Program_X_CD". You should never run software that you don't trust." The user can then easily create and distribute application(s) by CD.
    • This is probably a trivial modification to aptoncd. It doesn't solve the "I want to hand out a CD with a package to random people" part, but it does solve the "I have a slow modem" part. Basically, it captures the state of the target (offline) system, then uses *that* apt-cache to determine what needs downloading, writes a CD, and one can use that CD as a software source on the target machine to update / install / etc. Just intitiate an aptoncd session from the LiveCD of the release you expect the software to be installed on.
• Create a transparent daily image backup/restore system
  • Can be used while the filesystem is mounted and being used
  • Only backs up what it has to (progressive)
  • Saves data to an image file which can be dd'd or burned to CD
• Desktop Firewall interface with customizable "Zone Alarm style" notifications
  • Incorporating projects like Tux Guardian and moblock.
  • The goal is to make a very easy to use, yet very powerful which includes custom alerts through libnotify and per-application network rules (i.e. do not let program "foo" have Internet access).
  • Per process Internet configuration (blacklist by default, then whitelist traffic per process and specify IPs, ports or fully open.

    • From persia: devfil is around a fair bit. Maybe he could help you work with upstream to get notifications support. per-process limitations are basically GUI exposure issues. iptables *can* do it, but it's not obviously needed for most users. Same as why it took *so* long to get per-process volume controls into default UIs.

• Virtual video device
  • Very much like GTK-recordmydesktop it will allow the user to select a portion of the screen but instead of recording it to a file it will pass it along to a device file which can be used by a number of programs (seen by the program as a webcam).
  • This would allow you to use pre-recorded video OR cheese OR visualizer as your webcam input program.
  • This program should also allow a playlist of video files to be used as device which other applications can use.
  • See if v4l2loopback which allows for creation of "virtual video devices" can help with this project.
  • Can be used for loops, live screencasts, filters (including background manipulation).
  • Interface for switching video sources
• HD capable NLE (Non-Linear [video] Editor)
  • Linux native professional non-linear HD video editor
  • The community and many professionals are requesting a solid stable video editing tool.
  • Take a look at the Lumiera Project. If we can have GSoC students and investors add interest and development work on this project we may be able to advance this project.
• Nautilus Improvements
  • Improvements to the Nautilus File Manager
  • Allocates space before it copies.
  • Checks all the files to be copied before they are copied.
  • Resistant to inter-filesystem name errors, hidden files
  • Brings any issues to be resolved to the user before copy starts.
  • Does not stop in the middle of a large transfer to tell you there is an error.
  • File Manager should calculate and displays the size of directories in detailed list view.
• Firefox add-on that plays flv (flash video) on the site with ffmpeg.
  • This makes us work with a tool which is a little more open and less bloated than Adobe's Flash player.
    • Current workaround (add to .bashrc): alias playflv='vlc $(ls -tr /tmp/Flash* | tail -1)'
• Video Conference
  • Multiplatform
  • Multi-user
  • No port forwarding
  • Encrypted option

    • From persia: Main issue here is a coordination server (synchronisation of multiuser without a server is painful). There's work to be done on Ubuntu SIP integration. Encrypted SIP is something the ubuntu-voip team is expecting to have working for lucid. Multiuser kinda requires a server, just because of sync issues (but multiple simultaneous point-to-point should work). How well that handles pushing video is something to be investigated.

• Packet Trace Map
  • Live representation of internet packets, port numbers etc. on a world map (references geolocate IP database)
  • Shows all packets leaving and entering your computer.
  • Gives your ip, their ip, all bounces in between, dns info
• iPodHack
  • Use ipod wheel as FFW in movies or volume control for system

    • From persia: 1) expose the input to the machine (this involves fiddling the iPod driver). 2) use gizmod

• Splash screen customization application
  • Graphical application to create splash screen, custom throbbers and animations
• FS-Clone
  • Created a clone of an existing filesystem and makes it bootable
  • Application which allows a clone of the files on a filesystem (without using dd)

  • Started with [[https://launchpad.net/bugs/582778|Bug #582778

  • For technical details on this this is accomplished see Making a copy of a bootable drive (clone filesystem)

• Accessibility Improvements - Better Voices and Better Speech Recognition