Settings rationalization

Benedek Imre nucleo at indamail.hu
Fri Sep 7 00:10:37 UTC 2012


Hi Guys,

I've been looking at the Settings Manager and I've found there are quite a few illogical things - it could be better organised and rationalized.

Let's see what I'm talking about:

1. If I'd like to set something about appearance, I have to open 3(!) items: Appearance, Desktop and Window manager.

2. Window Manager has 2 Settings Manager items: 'Window Manager' and 'Window Manager Tweaks'. Personally I don't like Tweaks, just because it sounds a bit 'hacker' style. But it's not the point, it's more important that Window Manager and Tweaks has more tabs, which do not belong here I think. (Details later.)

3. Keyboard and mouse: in conjunction with them there are more options which placed in 3(!) different places: 'Keyboard' and 'Mouse & Touchpad', 'Window Manager' (Window Shortcuts) and 'Removable Drives and Media' (Input Devices).

4. Finally there are some possibility for rationalization in 'Workspaces' and 'Preferred Applications' also. 

Proposed solutions:

1. Join 'Appeareance' , 'Desktop' and Style tab of 'Window Manager'.
See the mockups:
http://ubuntuone.com/1GU13dVx561JuKanBQgZL4
http://ubuntuone.com/5F9Egs5l2jgIVSU8wOLesT
http://ubuntuone.com/0hwFfuQzveb8sAO4aHP7rC
http://ubuntuone.com/3ygBEgTXWhCKp22uBgFvQS

2. Join 'Window Manager' and 'Window Manager Tweaks'.
- Remember the Style tab went to 'Appearances'.
- Window Shortcuts should go to 'Input Devices' (see later).
- Workspaces tab should go to 'Workspaces' (see later).
See the mockup:
http://ubuntuone.com/5hJfXo73kHjjjI3qQzLJfQ

3. Maybe we should create a new item called 'Input Devices' which contains the adjustments for Keyboard, Mouse, Touchpad and Tablets together. (Something like this works well in KDE.)
- Window Shortcuts should come here from 'Window Manager' to Keyboard section.
(I think everything what belong to the keyboard (especially shortcuts) should be placed here.)
- The content of Input Devices tab of 'Removable Drives and Media' should come here to the appropriate section.
See the mockups:
http://ubuntuone.com/4cx55j2PFj4aZjzyYJlTc1
http://ubuntuone.com/2YdlA7g5lrHLyoqkAJ2Uej

4. Workspaces: remember the content of Workspaces tab of 'Window Manager Tweaks' came here.
I think it's unnecessary to use tabs in 'Preferred Applications' because those 4 settings can be placed together.
See the mockups:
http://ubuntuone.com/7C61jcllXeuSJZI0Cn7Cfs
http://ubuntuone.com/1aDa57A5dGAgrV588FP0GV

The Settings Manager could look like this:
http://ubuntuone.com/0RKrcRqegB6o3Z372lwtEe

I think with these changes we could get a better organised, consequently built Settings Manager.
Notice: I did not want to redesign, but only reorganise the Settings Manager.
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