Most popular packages in universe (Re: Installing recommends and the CD size)

[Emmet Hikory]

Matt Zimmerman wrote:
>> > A list of "the most popular non-main packages" would be interesting to look
>> > at.
<...>
> It looks like it's updated now.  The list is (unsurprisingly) skewed in
> favour of packages which were previously part of the default installation
> but are now in universe, but allowing for that and other fudge factors I
> interpret the "top ten" as:
<...>
> 4. sox
>
>        Surprising.  Perhaps a dependency of something not on this list, or a
>        common dependency of multiple applications.

    It's a common dependency or recommendation of a large number of
apps dealing with sound.  Also, it is a simple means to do format
conversation, so those who might have a lot of content in e.g. WAV or
OGG, may find this a useful means to generate .mp3 files for a
portable device.

> 5. compizconfig-settings-manager
>
>        Not surprising, given how many web pages recommend it.  People
>        desperately want to tweak these knobs.  Should we consider adding it to
>        the default installation (perhaps as an "Advanced..." button rather than
>        a completely separate menu item)?  It's surprisingly large (about 4M
>        Installed-Size).

    I've heard (at a rumor level) that using this tool can break the
standard compiz configurations, and that the use of the tool is
deprecated?  Is this actually the case?  If so, we should look at
removing it entirely, and providing another means by which users can
adjust the settings.  If not, we ought fix it and better integrate
with the existing compiz configuration.

> 6. Audacity
>
>        Surprising (to me) as it's a specialized application...

    Although somewhat specialised, it has wide appeal as the most well
documented and advertised of the audio recording applications (and no,
gnome-sound-recorder doesn't count).  Common uses include recording &
mixing a podcast, cleaning up hiss and noise from audio digitised from
vinyl or cassette, and similar things.  It can also be used as a GUI
to do audio format transformation, etc.  I suspect jokosher is another
application that fits this niche, although it is not nearly as well
publicised or referenced in mailing lists, web pages, etc.  For more
specialised application, tools like MuSE, Rosegarden, and ardour are
more common.

-- 
Emmet HIKORY