CommonCustomizations

Revision 1 as of 2006-06-21 06:53:01

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Summary

Rationale

Use cases

Scope

Design

Implementation

Code

Data preservation and migration

Outstanding issues

Gobby dump

EasyUbuntu

Swapping totem-xine for totem-gstreamer we believe is now obsolete Freecodes is covered by the easy-codec-installation spec libdvdcss is something we're not going to touch right now midi - this merely installs timidity, timidity-interfaces-extra and freepats: midi playback in the desktop still doesn't seem to work, but selecting a midi file in firefox will launch timidity in the background (Soren: i think there's some sort of integration between alsa and timidity available that emulates a midi playback device which in turn sends the midi stream to timidity.) dsilvers: Indeed there is, and it's documented in the timididy README.Debian so it needs to be made easier(default when there's no hardware midi device available?) perhaps?

Flash -- We already have flashplugin-nonfree -- do we need more? gnash is supposedly getting better support for newer SWF features -- may be useful for amd64 systems in the future

Java -- Is there a suitable free implementation? Videos -- embedded into web pages -- installs totem-gstreamer-firefox-plugin and kaffeine-mozilla

  • totem-gstreamer-firefox-plugin has proven unstable in the past, but is under consideration for Edgy already. mozilla-mplayer from multiverse (or something like that) is working quite nicely for me.

RAR - installs non-free rar tools * the free version of rar doesn't even support listing the content of an archiveACE - installs unace from universe

  • doesn't seem to integrate with file-roller, so only command-line support (dsilvers:is this up to file-roller or the packages to provide some descriptor?) (file-roller)

Repository list - this is covered by https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/enabling-additional-components

Fonts - installs msttcorefonts (non-free), gsfonts-x11 (free, but useful?), xfonts-intl-european (free, but useful?)

  • Expect that most users benefit from msttcorefonts and the others are noise users on the forums install msttcorefonts a lot. I am not familiar with the other packages.
  • the installation of the ms fonts is covered by the desktop guide and we also have got a virtual "application" for it in gnome-app-install

DMA - on Breezy, this installed a hardcoded hdparm.conf. On Dapper, it does nothing

  • dsilvers: doesn't our kernel now enable DMA where it's known-safe anyway?
  • mdz: yes, that's why it does nothing

nvidia - installs non-free driver ati - installs non-free driver almost all users on the forums install the non-free videodrivers I think that they want to install the latest driver mainly, since they are required by some war games wengo - installs wengophone (free SIP phone universe)

  • How does it compare to ekiga?
  • i use ekiga on a daily basis. it works quite well on i386 but often crashes on powerpc

skype - installs non-free package ekiga has actually gotten a lot better (at least with sip it seems) than when I've used it in the past as gnomemeeting.

Automatix

  • http://www.getautomatix.com/

  • No source packages in repository... (quality)
  • seems to be written in sh, though _i386, _amd64 and _powerpc debs are distributed?
  • the german version has some serious issues currently: removes its own files instead of using the packaging system. uses apt-get --force and --assume-yes

Acrobat reader - installs non-free package (does anyone actually use it?)

  • Yes, we install it on our machines, researchers seem to find pdfs that
    • do not display under free pdf readers all the time, however I've not yet unleashed evince/dapper on them. acroread also does a better job with high-vector documents, like systemwide bus maps. It shows the drawing in progress and does not render the entire page if only a zoomed in section is in view.IMHO most users like evince. Yes, evince is very good, its just

      not perfect. Smile :) :-P (fun fact: The published ubuntu books available in PDF format are not viewable by evince)

AMSN - installs package from universe (how does this compare to gaim?) amsn is nice and pretty for ex-msn users but it can't handle other protocols.(It does support webcam but I don't know how well) aMule - installs package from universe Let's not install this one it almost has no legal use. rar, unrar, ace - same as for EasyUbuntu DVD - same as for EasyUbuntu avidemux - installs package from universe; I've used this before and found it to be rather primitive (mdz) backup and restore - installs sbackup from universe

bittorrent - installs bittornado and azureus from universe both?seems overkill. also the default bittorrent that comes with Dapper has a far easier GUI so it's more useful for new users

  • doesn't install the GUI for bittornado; what's the point?
    • Umm, don't we have gnome-bittorrent anyway? (dsilvers)

  • does azureus work with free Java?yeah. (on a side note the current azureus has a bug -> most/all? users can't hide/close warning messages)

    • it does work, not fully functional - may have changed with beta azureus?
  • azureus would be a good option for advanced users (sdier)I agree. Definetely not suited for the new user / average desktop user.

boot-up manager - installs bum from universe

checkgmail - installs checkgmail (universe) by downloading hardcoded .debs from Debian ctrl-alt-del - configures GNOME shortcut for ctrl-alt-del to launch gnome-system-monitor (similar to Windows)

  • gconftool-2 -t str --set /apps/metacity/global_keybindings/run_command_9 "<Control><Alt>Delete" && gconftool-2 -t str --set /apps/metacity/keybinding_commands/command_9 "gnome-system-monitor"

DCPP - installs linuxdcpp (P2P client) by untarring in /opt

Debian Menu - enables the Debian menu

  • we don't want this; packages should provide XDG .desktop files instead

DVD ripper - installs dvdrip (command-line program) from multiverse Eject CD - disables tray locking on CD-ROM drive

  • We do better than this in Dapper; HAL sends a signal and the device is unmounted cleanly

GAIM beta - adds a people.ubuntu.com source to get beta GAIM .debs

  • for use as a msn replacement, more usable than gaim1.5 (offical MSN client has increased functionality)

Firefox 1.5 plugins - installs Sun Java, Flash, msttcorefonts(?), mozilla-acroread, mozilla-mplayer Frostwire - yet another P2P, installed by downloading third party .deb gdesklets - installs gdesklets gdesklets-data from universe gftp - installs gftp from universe gnomebaker - installs gnomebaker from universe

  • comparison with Nautilus/Serpentine?

wifi-setup: installs ndiiswrapper and network-manager-gnome gnomeppp: installs gnomeppp listen media manager - installs third party deb of Listen

MS ttf - installs msttcorefonts media players - installs totem-xine vlc vlc-plugin-arts wxvlc beep-media-player vlc-plugin-esd and inexplicably hardcoded dependencies(?) from universe/multiverse, downloads third-party realplayer .deb and bmp bocklet nautilus-scripts:

  • - open a root terminal in the correct direcotry - open the selected file in gedit as user root - start the gnome-search-tool with the current path

Ubuntu Guide

  • Repositories -- as before, enables universe and plf(on a side note cipherphunk which is not installed by unbuntuguide has w32codecs AFAIK)
  • Clipboard daemon for GNOME
    • - Download and unpack a tarball directly to /usr/bin - chown and chmod it - run it. - Seems to recommend running gnome-clipboard-daemon in a crontabb @reboot rule
    • Surely we can do better?
  • J2SE+firefox plugin
    • - Installs sun-java5-jre from the plf repository
  • Flash
    • - Installs flashplugin-nonfree from ubuntu
  • Acroread
    • - Installs non-free acrobat packages including a mozilla plugin
  • Download manager for X
    • - Installs d4x from universe
  • gFTP
    • - Again from universe
  • DC++
    • - Download and untar a built tree into /opt - manually create a .desktop in the /usr/share/applications tree
  • Azureus
    • - Having done J2SE as above, download and unpack tar into /opt - manually create a .desktop in /usr/share/applications
  • P2P emule client
    • - Installs amule from universe

  • Gnutella client (FrostWire)

    • - Download and install deb from ~stubby on a bizarre random host
  • Skype
    • - Add the skype repository to sources.list - Install the skype deb
  • Winpopup (linpopup)
    • - Install linpopup from universe - Manually create a .desktop in /usr/share/applications
  • Multimedia codecs
    • - installs all the gstreamer plugin packages from Ubuntu
  • DVD support
    • - install libdvdread3 from main - Run the install-css.sh - Install totem-xine
  • Multimedia player (xine-ui)
    • - installs xine-ui from universe - Bodges the autoplay_dvd_command to run xine - Futzes the default app from totem to xine in /usr/share/applications

IMHO all average desktop users benefit by having universe and multiverse enabled by default. But this is not useful for corporate use. as long as the ui continues to indicate main vs. universe/multiverse when installing packages through synaptic/smart/etc in the future. I agree. also in enterprise use if the selection packages is centrally deployed they can take care to avoid universe when necessary. We still install lots of universe packages at umn.

needed : firefox totem plugin installed byu deault (or mplayer or something else) its nice to use totem for playback because it follows gstreamer preferences, but mplayer seems to have the highest success of playback. in my personal experiences mplayer and totem-gstreamer are almost equal .. some videos don't play using totem and other don't play using mplayer. but therefor totem-gstreamer is probably the better choice How does totem-gstreamer handle non-free win32 dlls these days -- it seemed to be difficult to configure. It does some magic with ffmpeg, I think. It seems to kind of work.. sometimes theres some package on cipherpunk .. pitfdll or something. i think it works for most wmv's except the newest ones(wmv 10 doesnt work at all AFAIK) it appears pitfdll is in dapper at least.great! I know I'm jumping in late, but what about VLC?

I always advice people to install mplayer,totem-gstreamer xine-ui/gxine and vlc (and a bunch of codecs). That way there's (almost?)always a player which works (except for wmv10) and real play video you need realplayer for that yeah. But IMHO most users don't need it Wink ;) Try to listen to lugradio then Wink ;) doesnt it have an ogg podcast ? should have, but sometimes mirrors are not available Anyway, I'm quite happy with the bunch I have.

I have written a multimedia guide on the forums. It's in the howto section. It's intended for gnome.My nick is ubuntu_demon

What's happening wrt midi? probally use timidity with a default patch set?

extra artwork

  • gnome-themes-extras nice Smile :)

  • ubuntu-calendar AFAIK it doesn't get used very much by users but it can't hurt Smile :)

compiz/aiglx/xgl currently needs a warning

  • ((I tried it on a geforce 3 when Dapper was still in development I stopped trying after a bit of time though))
  • compiz.net -forums for aiglx/xgl/compiz howtos for ubuntu (and other distros) * xgl.compiz.info repositories contain cvs debs of compiz, aiglx, xgl and
    • associated xlibs, as well as patched parts of gnome to make compiz function
    • many users report sucess
  • aiglx/compiz/i810 has wacky breakages in it like password dialogs don't draw right and sustpend is broken. must make sure users understand that this has a

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