BrowserDefaults

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Comment: expand to include bookmarks
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 * 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`		  * '''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`
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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.
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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.

 ||<style="border: none; background-color: #ddd; color: #000;">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.||
 ||<) style="border: none; background-color: #ddd; color: #000;">''-- [http://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2005-September/010499.html Pete Shinners]''||

 ||<style="border: none; background-color: #ddd; color: #000;">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?||
 ||<) style="border: none; background-color: #ddd; color: #000;">''-- [http://mail.gnome.org/archives/epiphany-list/2005-October/msg00118.html Raul Acevedo]''||

== Use cases ==

== Scope ==

 * Home page
 * Bookmarks menu
 * Bookmarks Bar

Out of scope:
 * CA certificates
 * default browser chrome

== Design ==

=== Home page ===

==== Comparisons ====
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But 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]. We can do better. ==== Ubuntu ====
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 ||<style="border: none; background-color: #eee; color: #000;">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.||
 ||<) style="border: none; background-color: #eee; color: #000;">''-- [http://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2005-September/010499.html Pete Shinners]''||		 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.
ChristofferOlsen: How will these pages be localised? Surely English only wouldn't be enough.

=== Bookmarks ===
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== Use cases == ==== Comparisions ====
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== Scope == 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"
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== Design == 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:
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The default home page should, in approximate order of importance:
 * be useful
 * not steal focus from the URL field
 * not slow people down by discouraging them from the browser's/OS's toolbar Web search
 * be beautiful.		 ==== Ubuntu ====

Default bookmarks for ''Ubuntu'':
 * Ubuntu.com (http://ubuntu.com/)
 * Ubuntu Help Online (http://help.ubuntu.com/)
 * UserDocumentation on the wiki (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UserDocumentation)
  - perhaps UserDocumentation shouldn't exist once help.ubuntu.com is running
  - if a nice name is found for it
 * Ubuntu Forums
 * Loco teams wiki page
  - only link to Loco team if page is of high enough quality
 * Participate in Ubuntu

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

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.

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.

ChristofferOlsen: How will these pages be localised? Surely English only wouldn't be enough.

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

Default bookmarks for Ubuntu:

Implementation

Code

Data preservation and migration

Outstanding issues

BoF agenda and discussion

BrowserDefaults (last edited 2008-08-06 16:29:14 by localhost)