short summary of UDS-N

[Allison Randal]

We had a productive and fun week at UDS-N! Thanks to all who 
participated on-site and remotely, or contributed ideas in advance on 
the list. To help navigate the information overload, here are some 
important highlights from the summit:

Package Selection and Defaults:
- In 11.04, Unity 3D will be the default desktop experience for systems 
that support it. The classic GNOME 2D experience will available for 
users that prefer it, and selected for systems that can't support Unity.
- Ubuntu Netbook Edition (UNE) will merge into desktop edition, one CD.
- Banshee will be the default music player.
- LibreOffice will be default, if no insurmountable issues encountered.
- Plan to deliver a technology preview package for OpenStack.
- Plan to make lxc production-ready (working with upstream developer 
Daniel Lezcano).
- Plan to package Hudson.

Project:
- Improving automated testing of packages, ISOs, and hardware is a core 
focus for this cycle (applies to server, desktop, and more).
- Kubuntu work planned on documentation updates, mobile, a new 
package-focused package manager, samba support, kolab groupware server, 
and community contributions for Ubuntu One support.
- Discussion of granting Debian Developers a fast-track to sync 
permissions (not automatic for all DDs, but at least available to those 
interested, potentially with some training/mentoring).
- Improve Backports so only requested packages are installed when it's 
enabled, and enable by default.
- A big push of community involvement in accessibility and 
accessibility-testing for Unity.
- Improve Sponsorship queue for better contributor experience. Daily 
schedule for acting as "Patch Pilot", available for queue reviews and 
assistance.


Hardware:
- Support for ARM hardware (armel architecture) continues to be a focus 
for this cycle.
- Linaro is working on device tree, multiarch, and multimedia (graphics 
acceleration) support, runtime detection of skia, buffer work for 
low-power pulse audio, and looking into a new ARM architecture for hard 
float (floating point values passed in FPU registers instead of integer 
registers).
- Work is planned on handling hardware that X can't detect, and support 
for (more) touchpad and touchscreen devices.
- Proposal in the works to move stable kernel updates to a two-week cadence.

Application Developers:
- Contributor experience is a core focus for this cycle, easing the 
burdens of active contributors, and helping new contributors through 
their first steps.
- Continued work is planned on multitouch/gestures, especially 
integrating more libraries and apps, and compatibility with other 
gesture systems.
- Improvements in features, usability, and APIs are planned for gwibber, 
quickly, Software Center, Ubuntu One.
- Work is planned on tools and resources for game developers.
- Plan for sandbox environment, to make secure "instant" distribution 
possible. Review of existing (partial) sandboxing technologies. Will 
begin work on more complete tools. Overall, it's a 2-5 year project.
- Software Center to add feature for donating to free software projects 
(starting with a small set of well-known projects).

Multimedia:
- Design work on color management, font tools, reinvigorating the 
artwork community. Also acting on usability research from banshee, 
rythmbox, Unity, and (location, not application) China.
- Work is planned on multi-monitor support.


For more details look in the Blueprints, the Gobby docs, and in the 
participant-generated proceedings at:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UDSProceedings/N/

Allison