Use based meta packages

[Jono Bacon]

Hi folks,

I just wanted to get your views on something. I think it could be useful
to have pre-configurations for different uses. So, for example, it would
be useful to have a pre-configured Kubuntu with all the needed software,
setup, bookmarks and tools for 'KDE development'. My question is if we
could take a stock Ubuntu/Kubuntu and allow a user to install a single
meta-package and it install all required packages but to also configure
existing software for that use.

So, imagine I install "kubuntu-kde-devel", it would pull in
build-essential, kdevelop, qt-dev, unit testing software, kdbg and
various other tools to allow KDE development, but also configure Firefox
so there is a toolbar bookmark to the Qt online docs as an example.
Imagine a use case was "embedded development" - the package could
install and configure cross-compilation tools, which are traditionally a
real pain to set up.

If this is doable, it could open up Ubuntu and Kubuntu to really
interesting use cases, which are a pinch to set up. Then imagine we
allow the community to create these meta-packages (with a process to
ensure quality), we could have a little GUI application which could
browse a bunch of these use cases and install the relevant package for
that use case.

There is every possibility I am smoking crack with this idea, but I
wanted to get your feedback before it gets forgotten in the mist.

        Jono

-- 
Jono Bacon
Ubuntu Community Manager
jono(at)ubuntu(dot)com
www.ubuntu.com / www.jonobacon.org