Ubuntu Wiki

• Launchpad entry: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/browser-defaults

• Created: Date(2005-09-07T20:54:03Z) by MatthewPaulThomas

• Contributors: MatthewPaulThomas

• Packages affected: epiphany-browser, firefox, ubuntu-artwork

Summary

Ubuntu's default home page for Firefox and Epiphany will be changed to http://start.ubuntu.com/, and the default bookmarks will be altered to include information accurate for Ubuntu.

Rationale

When you install Firefox or Epiphany for Ubuntu, its default home page is [file:///usr/share/ubuntu-artwork/home/index.html a local file full of boring text]. Epiphany's default bookmarks are confusing, and Firefox's default bookmarks don't link to plugins that don't actually work in Ubuntu. We can do better.

Use cases

• Sally, an ex-windows user, is greeted by a giant page of text upon opening her browser. She doesn't understand this.
• Corey wants let more people know about help.ubuntu.com and get more docteam members.
• Jeff wants more people to know about the cool things happening in Ubuntu.

Scope

• Home page
• Bookmarks menu
• Bookmarks Bar

Out of scope:

• CA certificates
• default browser chrome

Design

Home page

Comparisons

Modern dedicated Web browsers have useful default home pages that let you search the Web.

• mozilla.org Firefox: [http://www.google.com/firefox Firefox Start]

• gnome.org Epiphany: [http://www.google.com/ Google]

• Internet Explorer: [http://www.msn.com/ MSN]

• Safari: [http://apple.netscape.com/ Netscape.com (Apple edition)]

• Opera: [http://portal.opera.com/ Opera Search]

Ubuntu

The default home page for Firefox and Epiphany will be http://start.ubuntu.com/. It may be possible to use this to count new Ubuntu users, and if we decide to change the effective default later on we can do that by setting up a redirect.

What is presented on this site is yet to be decided, but it should:

• be useful
• not steal focus from the URL field
• provide links to local (GeoIP-detected) Ubuntu resources
• not slow people down by discouraging them from the browser's/OS's toolbar Web search.

Specific items, from top to bottom are:

• A feed from the fridge
• A link to help
• A link to participate
• A link to About Ubuntu

Bookmarks

The default bookmarks should also be (a) useful, and (b) a subtle hint to how to use bookmark folders (Firefox) or topics (Epiphany).

Comparisions

Vanilla Firefox has "Quick Searches" and "Firefox & Mozilla Links" folders in its Bookmarks menu, including links to pages of plugins that don't work in Ubuntu. In its Bookmarks Toolbar it has a "Getting Started" bookmark (again linking to non-working plugins), in the Bookmarks Toolbar and "Latest"

Vanilla Epiphany defaults to six empty folders in its Bookmarks menu, which looks broken, and a search field in its Bookmarks Bar, which is confusing:

Ubuntu

Place the following items on the quicklaunch bar

• Ubuntu.com (http://ubuntu.com/)

  • - possibly remove this if space isn't there

• Ubuntu Help Online (http://help.ubuntu.com/)

• Ubuntu Forums
• Fridge
• Participate in Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/)

Implementation

Do these things early in the cycle to get good feedback

Bookmarks

• Remove any the existing FF bookmarks
• On the FF quick launch bar, remove the current buttons and add the above

Start.ubuntu.com

• Look to community to get a good layout, possibly including a design contest

Code

Data preservation and migration

• None

Outstanding issues

• Can the bookmarks be localized?

Comments

• My only other cosmetic gripe would be the default web browser home page. It is pretty ugly and scary as well since its a solid page of small text text text. In fact more than a single screen of text. You've got to scroll to read all the fine print. Confusing and techinical and fairly ugly text.

  -- [http://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2005-September/010499.html Pete Shinners]

  The epiphany "bookmarks bar" shows no bookmarks, only a "Search the web" entry box. What can I do with it? Is there similar functionality to the firefox bookmarks toolbar where I can define my own bookmark buttons and menus?

  -- [http://mail.gnome.org/archives/epiphany-list/2005-October/msg00118.html Raul Acevedo]