BrowserDefaults

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 * '''Created:''' [[Date(2005-09-07T20:54:03Z)]] by MatthewPaulThomas  * '''Created:''' <<Date(2005-09-07T20:54:03Z)>> by MatthewPaulThomas
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 * '''Packages affected:''' `epiphany-browser`, `firefox`, `ubuntu-artwork`  * '''Packages affected:''' `epiphany-browser`, `firefox`, `ubuntu-docs`, `kubuntu-docs`, `edubuntu-artwork`
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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. 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]]:
 ||<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 technical 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]]''||
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 ||<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]''||		 Epiphany's default bookmarks are confusing:
 ||<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]]''||
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 ||<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]''||		 And Firefox's default bookmarks link to plugins that don't actually work in Ubuntu.

We can do better.
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 * Sally, an ex-windows user, is greeted by a giant page of text upon opening her browser. She doesn't understand this.

 * Corey wants to 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.
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 * 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]		  * 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]]
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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. The default home page for Firefox and Epiphany will be `http://start.ubuntu.com/`. If we decide to change the effective default later on, we can do that by setting up a redirect.
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ChristofferOlsen: How will these pages be localised? Surely English only wouldn't be enough.
Possible elements include:
 * a feed from the fridge
 * a link to help
 * a link to participate.
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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 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 "Firefox Help", "Firefox Support", and "Plug-in FAQ".
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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: Vanilla Epiphany defaults to six empty topics in its Bookmarks menu, which looks broken, and a search field in its Bookmarks Bar, which is confusing:
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Default bookmarks for ''Ubuntu'': The Bookmarks Bar should include these items:
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 * 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		   - possibly remove this if space isn't there
 * Ubuntu Help (http://help.ubuntu.com/)
 * Forums (http://ubuntuforums.org/)
 * The Fridge (http://fridge.ubuntu.com/)
 * Participate (http://ubuntu.com/community/participate/)
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=== Code === Do these things early in the cycle to get good feedback.
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=== Data preservation and migration === === Bookmarks ===

 * Remove 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.
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== BoF agenda and discussion ==  * Can the bookmarks be localized?
  * If not, I'd suggest adding a link to support for all languages http://www.ubuntulinux.org/support/supportoptions/local/ (the page needs improving, as with all of the website, but it might be a start) -- [[mdke]]

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 a local file full of boring text:

  • 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 technical and fairly ugly text.

    -- Pete Shinners

Epiphany's default bookmarks are confusing:

  • 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?

    -- Raul Acevedo

And Firefox's default bookmarks 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 to 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.

Ubuntu

The default home page for Firefox and Epiphany will be http://start.ubuntu.com/. 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.

Possible elements include:

  • a feed from the fridge
  • a link to help
  • a link to participate.

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 "Firefox Help", "Firefox Support", and "Plug-in FAQ".

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

Ubuntu

The Bookmarks Bar should include these items:

Implementation

Do these things early in the cycle to get good feedback.

Bookmarks

  • Remove 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.

Outstanding issues

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