[ubuntu-art] Community Themes Brainstorm

[Who]

On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 2:52 AM, John Baer <baerjj at gmail.com> wrote:
> Key points put forward on this list are:
>

This is awesome :) I'm pleased to see organisation and discussion in a
direction away from the default theme. Spot on.

I tried to instigate a process like this a few years ago - but there
was basically no take up. I think reading through
https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-art/2008-January/004821.html
Clearly, something in that process wasn't right because it didn't bear
any fruit! For edgy we were more successful, and Frank Schoep, who
coordinated that process replied with his thoughts to the thread
above.

Having a look at
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hardy/Alternate/ThemeTeams
and
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Blubuntu/
might be useful for ideas about how to organise this (The first link
was not a success, so bear that in mind!)

Before I start I think my answers to the below will make more sense if
I say that I think we should not limit what we make installable to a
selected set of themes. All the themes we make should be packaged
(with LP this is easy, right?) and then we should take a selection of
those packaged themes and make a metapackage called
'ubuntu-community-thmes' for the 'best' themes that we want to
showcase. If someone wants to find out about a theme we made on the
wiki and install it from the repos rather than manually, why should we
limit them?

> 1) Define guidelines for inclusion


a) Packaged
b) Provides unique GTK, Metacity (bonus points for wallpaper, GDM, usplash, etc)
c) Has a maintainer prepared to handle bugs for this theme through the cycle
d) Developed by people on the list, or with the explicit
collaboration/contact with the original author if bits from other
places ar used. I really wouldn't expect unique icon themes for this
cycle, for example!

I think completeness should be strongly considered - If someone/some
people create a theme with a usplash, GDM, Desktop, GTK, Metacity,
emerald, lock screen dialog, icon, GTK and QT  themes that match then
this should go in above a similar or even 'more popular' GTK/metacity
only theme. One reason I suggest doing this is that it incentivises
creation of complete, thorough themes!


> 2) Define milestones and deadlines dates

I thought through this before and lined up art deadlines with
deadlines in the release cycle.  (see
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hardy/Alternate/ThemeTeams)

We were late to the party back then, and so I think everything should
come forward a bit, probably.

I would say the milestones and rough deadlines are
a) Rules of Engagement - to be done by end of UDS
b) Themes put forward with idea/brainstorm page so other team members
can decide which theme to help with
c) Around alpha 2 get first set of packages done
d) Alpha 3 ish - Packes in REVU for inclusion in Universe THIS NEEDS
TO BE BEFORE UVF Universe!
e) official first release in alphas - publicity for testing - we want
to be operating with LP bugtrackers for each theme at this stage. I
suggest at this stage all themes have their name ON THE BACKGROUND so
bugs get reported to right community theme,
f) In line with the main distro final deadline we want images/artwork
finished to leave lots of time for bugfixing, final packaging, quality
improvements, etc


> 3) Define the decision process
>

All themes that get into universe should be in
ubuntu-community-themes-extra metacpackage

A select few complete and excellent themes in
ubuntu-community-themes

> I would add ...
>
> 4) Define the process to remove a submission

Why? But if we need to can't we just close the LP team for it and
remove the package?

> 5) Define packaging and support requirements

See above:
a )Must be packaged and in REVU by UVF for Universe. We should try and
use LP from the start.
b) Must have a 'maintainer' prepared to handle all bugs. Maintenance
team preferred.

> Are there others?

I think we should run a few 'Theme Schools' in IRC leading up to the
deadline for putting forward a theme

a) GTK themeing
b) GDM & metacity
c) PACKAGING and using BZR and LKP <-- maybe run this one twice to
ensure everyone can make it


> John

I also think there should be an 'Artist in Chief' to facilitate the
whole process and ultimately make the final decision of themes for the
showcase package (taking into account the opinions of the community).
This leader should probably be elected (I would not be against Ken
appointing someone either, tbh), but things like 'can make UDS' might
be important criteria for the leader.

This sounds exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do!
Who