[Desktop12.10-Topic] Default application selection process

[Jeremy Bicha]

On 23 April 2012 16:58, Jonas Platte <jonasplatte at myopera.com> wrote:
> But there are still many people who don't think that those are "the perfect"
> programs. I, for example don't use any of those programs. I like them, but I
> know ones that fit my needs better. So what I would suggest is to improve
> the installation process so that everyone has the choice not to install
> special programs one doesn't need, and, if there is a working internet
> connection, choose to install alternatives, because the very first thing I
> do after upgrading / installing Ubuntu is to remove unwanted packages and to
> install new ones. It think it would also be a little "wow-factor" because
> that would really be something new.
> How do you like that idea and does this sound convertible for you?

One significant distinctive of Ubuntu since the beginning has been
that it tries to ask as few questions as possible during install while
including the "best" web browser, document editor, music player, etc.
Somebody new to Linux probably won't know what the best music player
is for them and asking them is just going to frustrate many of these
beginners and leave them thinking Ubuntu is difficult to get started
with. Advanced Linux users can easily install Banshee or VLC or
Clementine or mplayer or whatever. It's the same reason GNOME Shell or
GNOME Fallback or KDE aren't on the main CD either.

It also allows Canonical to focus their development efforts on a few
core apps to make the experience the best possible.

> To talk about specific packages, I think the gnome-media package is
> something quite nobody uses nowaday, because the most people don't record
> audio and if they do, they use their cellphone for that. Furthermore, the
> most people who have a microphone also have a webcam, so I would suggest to
> have a preinstalled cheese (perhaps it also would be good to only install it
> if a webcam is detected). I don't am the biggest fan of cheese, but it works
> as it should and it seems to be the best webcam app available in the
> Software Center.

I like the cheese-for-webcam-computers idea. It used to be on the
Netbook image, right? I think we should start a thread on "If we ship
an 800MB image or so, what would we use the extra space for?".

> btw: Even though I wrote that I'm just a user, I'm also learning C++ in
> school, and I think if I get over these 100-line programs in a year or so I
> might call myself a developer and I'm also willing to join the Ubuntu
> development ;)

Great! We'd be glad to have you! I didn't know a bit of programming
when I first installed Ubuntu.

Jeremy