DapperDesktopPlan
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Comment: first draft of the BOF notes
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| ## page was renamed from ExtraDesktopPlanning | |
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| All the elements of the default desktop should be nices, easy to find and contribute to a good user experience. | Changes to the default Ubuntu desktop configuration for Dapper will include improvements to GDM's language list; incorporating NetworkManager; changes to the logout/shutdown workflow, the update notifier, and the "Add to Panel" dialog; and tweaks to various applets. |
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| == Use cases == | * Michael finds the list of language screen of the login screen pretty ugly. It doesn't match the nice default theme. * Scott thinks that the in/out activity of the default network applet is pretty disturbing. * Claire has just discovered how to change workspaces while clicking by error on the corresponding applet. She thinks that's a nice feature but it should be easier to figure what these squares on the bottom panel do. |
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| == Scope == | == Desktop Changes == |
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| == Design == | === GDM === ''See also'' GdmRoadmap. The current language list is ugly and doesn't match the login screen theme. We are going to: * make it use the Human GTK theme * add icons to the context menu (shutdown, restart, suspend, change language, session) * replace all the bottom/left actions with a single "Advanced" item that brings up the context menu * remove the language and session options, because they can be accessed through the "Advanced" context menu * change the way to list the languages * give indications on how to add a new language in the language list selector. The options for the list of languages are still to discuss: * list only the language (''i.e.'' english) with a disclosure widget for the variants * sort the languages by region? The session menu has a "Default System Session" item. [http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=302165 What it does is not clear], so we are going to rename it. === network-applet vs. Network Manager === The in/out activity of network-applet is annoying. This will be fixed by moving to Network Manager. It should be pushed as soon as possible to get feedback on it. === "Log Out" is not easy enough to find === We are going to put a button in the top-right corner for this. This will bring up a new logout / shut down session dialog (see below), with no radio buttons, and "Cancel" as the default button. === The session dialog need to be reworked === The current dialog is quite ugly. We are going to design a new one, which: * uses different categories for logout/switch user and shutdown/reboot * doesn't use radio button, but has each option as a button instead * has "Cancel" as the default action. === Workspace switcher === We want to keep this applet on the default panel because it's a nice, powerful feature that users like and that Windows doesn't have. It's not obvious though, so we are going to add a tooltip for it (like the clock applet one). The tooltip will say "Switch between Workspaces" or "Switch to Workspace X". === battstat applet === {{{XXX mpt: "We need to get a description of the artwork we want during UBZ" needs replacing with the actual description. (I'll happily provide such a description if desired.)}}} The artwork needs to be reworked. Nokia has a nice icon for this. We need to get a description of the artwork we want during UBZ. The icon should take no more space than the current battstat, and it needs to have the same basic style (battery when on battery, plug when on power), but it needs to show the battery charge level ''while'' the battery is charging too. === update notifier === * We will try to behave similarly to the Windows user experience * The notifier popup will just have an [x] to close it, to click on. * Clicking anywhere in the notifier popup will actually close it. * This means that the only way to activate the update manager is to click on the notifier icon itself, not on the popup. === "Add to Panel" dialog === We are going to rework the first category ("Launchers & Menus"). * Make clear the difference between "Main Menu" and "Menu Bar" with new icons: "1 menu opening up" and "3 menus opening down". * move the two menu items into "Utilities" * move the launcher icon to a button, so it is seperated from the rest of the applets, due it requiring further interaction by the user * having tooltips on mouseover would be nice but GnomeCanvas doesn't support this. This needs to be done upstream {{{XXX: mpt: silbs explained the first point for me so I could rewrite it, but I still don't understand the rest.}}} MatthewPaulThomas: Using menu direction to distinguish the kinds of menu will fail almost every time, since the Add to Panel dialog has been invoked from a particular panel, and ''any'' menu added to that panel will open in the same direction. How about "All-in-one Ubuntu Menu" and "Applications, Places, and System Menus"? === applets === We are going to review all the applet icons and labels. {{{XXX: mpt: Are the results of the review supposed to be part of this spec?}}} === Top panel icons === We will just keep the browser/mailer icons. === Volume control applet === ubuntu express/hardware database collector {{{XXX: mpt: What's the relationship between hwdb and the volume control applet?}}} === Workrave === Workrave should use the applet icon, not the status one, and show the time for micro/rest breaks next one to the other. We need to fix the icon for it which is not set at the moment. === contact-lookup-applet === We are going the fix the greyed entry if evolution-data-server has not contact configured {{{XXX: mpt: Sorry, I don't understand what this means. Fix in what way?}}} |
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| These changes will be implemented early for user feedback, and possibly updated based on that feedback. | |
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| === GDM === | == Future work (not for Dapper) == |
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| (read GdmRoadmap about that too) | === Recently used applications === |
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| The language list is ugly. * language, checkbox for variants * disclosure widget * default language variation by region * instructions for adding languages/changing default? ( ) New languages can be added through the Language Selector U in the System/Administration menu. * the button label should be the currently selected language * the context menu should have icons * "advanced" instead of reboot/shut down/quit => candidate for an another spec try to get a humant theme that just have an advanced button and see what reaction we get. Add nice icons to the menu. --In the next coule of weeks! For the session list: * Default System Session = users xorg: Get a better name! |
* menu item that shows the recently used applications * popup notification to tell users when it adds an application |
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| === network applet === | == Discussion == |
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| The in/out activity is annoying, network manager will fix that | Duffman25: * During breezy development, I made a comment in gnome's bugzilla about the dropped "run applications" menu item. A gnome developer told me that there are plans to make the gnome menus completely editable: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=167090#c8. Could this be discussed to see if it's possible to include in dapper? Maybe help out with the implementation? |
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| === the "log out" is not easy enough to find === * we are going to have a button, to the top right corner, for this |
SebastienBacher: that's probably not going to happen for the next GNOME or dapper and is not related to this spec, we already have a menu editor. |
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| === the session dialog need to be reworked === * no radio buttons, and "Cancel" as the default button * nice dialog with group of options it should have logout/switch users in one part and then with shutdown stuff in another part. |
* On another note, but related to this, as a user, I don't understand why I have a menu item to capture a screenshot but I don't have one to run any application, which it's even more frustating since I can create a menu item for the screenshot app since there's a command for it: gnome-screenshot, but I can't re-add the application launcher to the menu since it's a built-in command in the panel and therefore there's no command for it, just an keybinding or applet. |
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| === workspace switcher === The applet needs a tooltip describing what it does (ie: "switch workspace") |
SebastienBacher: The screenshot item will be moved to the applications menu. You may be interested by the MenuRevisited spec. |
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| === volume control applet === ubuntu express/hardware database collector |
MatthewPaulThomas: Taking a screenshot isn't an application, it's an action. |
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| === battstat applet === nokia has a nice icon for this => another BOF about the artwork? |
* I think something cool could be to add the posibility of creating menu items out of applets, for example adding the run application dialog applet as a menu item, this would satisfy the previous comment. |
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| === network manager === we should get it as soon as possible for dapper to get some feedback now |
OlafurArason: Doesn't deskbar solve the run applications usecase and also add a nifty search capibility if combined with beagle, plus loads of other cool features. I think it also replaces contact-lookup-applet. |
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| === update notifier === * an issue is that's different of the window version * has an x on it, just have to click |
Duffman25: Not exactly. While I agree that the deskbar is cool, the version provided in breezy doesn't let you launch applications with parameters. Try launching rhythmbox with --play |
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| HiddeBrugmans: Deskbar has been completely reinvented since, and the version living in gnome cvs is not comparable. It should be quite functional for Dapper. | |
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| == Outstanding issues == | ØivindHoel: How about using libnotify or similar to tell the user something like "You are currently working in workspace 1" ? |
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| == BoF agenda and discussion == | MatthewPaulThomas: The only thing I strongly disagree with in this spec is adding a placebo close button to the notification balloons. In the long term that will slow people down hugely (because they are being shepherded into a ~99%-smaller mouse target), ''and'' confuse them when they click somewhere other than the close button and nothing else happens. A better approach would be to make the whole balloon more obviously clickable, by editing a subtle relief effect to it. |
Launchpad Entry: https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/extra-desktop-planning
Created: 2005-10-31 by SebastienBacher
Contributors: JeffWaugh, MarkShuttleworth, MattZimmerman, ScottJamesRemnant
Packages affected:
Summary
Changes to the default Ubuntu desktop configuration for Dapper will include improvements to GDM's language list; incorporating NetworkManager; changes to the logout/shutdown workflow, the update notifier, and the "Add to Panel" dialog; and tweaks to various applets.
Rationale
- Michael finds the list of language screen of the login screen pretty ugly. It doesn't match the nice default theme.
- Scott thinks that the in/out activity of the default network applet is pretty disturbing.
- Claire has just discovered how to change workspaces while clicking by error on the corresponding applet. She thinks that's a nice feature but it should be easier to figure what these squares on the bottom panel do.
Desktop Changes
GDM
See also GdmRoadmap.
The current language list is ugly and doesn't match the login screen theme.
We are going to:
- make it use the Human GTK theme
- add icons to the context menu (shutdown, restart, suspend, change language, session)
- replace all the bottom/left actions with a single "Advanced" item that brings up the context menu
- remove the language and session options, because they can be accessed through the "Advanced" context menu
- change the way to list the languages
- give indications on how to add a new language in the language list selector.
The options for the list of languages are still to discuss:
list only the language (i.e. english) with a disclosure widget for the variants
- sort the languages by region?
The session menu has a "Default System Session" item. [http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=302165 What it does is not clear], so we are going to rename it.
network-applet vs. Network Manager
The in/out activity of network-applet is annoying. This will be fixed by moving to Network Manager. It should be pushed as soon as possible to get feedback on it.
"Log Out" is not easy enough to find
We are going to put a button in the top-right corner for this. This will bring up a new logout / shut down session dialog (see below), with no radio buttons, and "Cancel" as the default button.
The session dialog need to be reworked
The current dialog is quite ugly. We are going to design a new one, which:
- uses different categories for logout/switch user and shutdown/reboot
- doesn't use radio button, but has each option as a button instead
- has "Cancel" as the default action.
Workspace switcher
We want to keep this applet on the default panel because it's a nice, powerful feature that users like and that Windows doesn't have. It's not obvious though, so we are going to add a tooltip for it (like the clock applet one). The tooltip will say "Switch between Workspaces" or "Switch to Workspace X".
battstat applet
{{{XXX mpt: "We need to get a description of the artwork we want during UBZ" needs replacing with the actual description. (I'll happily provide such a description if desired.)}}}
The artwork needs to be reworked. Nokia has a nice icon for this. We need to get a description of the artwork we want during UBZ. The icon should take no more space than the current battstat, and it needs to have the same basic style (battery when on battery, plug when on power), but it needs to show the battery charge level while the battery is charging too.
update notifier
- We will try to behave similarly to the Windows user experience
- The notifier popup will just have an [x] to close it, to click on.
- Clicking anywhere in the notifier popup will actually close it.
- This means that the only way to activate the update manager is to click on the notifier icon itself, not on the popup.
"Add to Panel" dialog
We are going to rework the first category ("Launchers & Menus").
- Make clear the difference between "Main Menu" and "Menu Bar" with new icons: "1 menu opening up" and "3 menus opening down".
- move the two menu items into "Utilities"
- move the launcher icon to a button, so it is seperated from the rest of the applets, due it requiring further interaction by the user
having tooltips on mouseover would be nice but GnomeCanvas doesn't support this. This needs to be done upstream
{{{XXX: mpt: silbs explained the first point for me so I could rewrite it, but I still don't understand the rest.}}}
MatthewPaulThomas: Using menu direction to distinguish the kinds of menu will fail almost every time, since the Add to Panel dialog has been invoked from a particular panel, and any menu added to that panel will open in the same direction. How about "All-in-one Ubuntu Menu" and "Applications, Places, and System Menus"?
applets
We are going to review all the applet icons and labels.
XXX: mpt: Are the results of the review supposed to be part of this spec?
Top panel icons
We will just keep the browser/mailer icons.
Volume control applet
- ubuntu express/hardware database collector
XXX: mpt: What's the relationship between hwdb and the volume control applet?
Workrave
Workrave should use the applet icon, not the status one, and show the time for micro/rest breaks next one to the other. We need to fix the icon for it which is not set at the moment.
contact-lookup-applet
We are going the fix the greyed entry if evolution-data-server has not contact configured
XXX: mpt: Sorry, I don't understand what this means. Fix in what way?
Implementation
These changes will be implemented early for user feedback, and possibly updated based on that feedback.
Future work (not for Dapper)
Recently used applications
- menu item that shows the recently used applications
- popup notification to tell users when it adds an application
Discussion
Duffman25:
During breezy development, I made a comment in gnome's bugzilla about the dropped "run applications" menu item. A gnome developer told me that there are plans to make the gnome menus completely editable: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=167090#c8. Could this be discussed to see if it's possible to include in dapper? Maybe help out with the implementation?
SebastienBacher: that's probably not going to happen for the next GNOME or dapper and is not related to this spec, we already have a menu editor.
- On another note, but related to this, as a user, I don't understand why I have a menu item to capture a screenshot but I don't have one to run any application, which it's even more frustating since I can create a menu item for the screenshot app since there's a command for it: gnome-screenshot, but I can't re-add the application launcher to the menu since it's a built-in command in the panel and therefore there's no command for it, just an keybinding or applet.
SebastienBacher: The screenshot item will be moved to the applications menu. You may be interested by the MenuRevisited spec.
MatthewPaulThomas: Taking a screenshot isn't an application, it's an action.
- I think something cool could be to add the posibility of creating menu items out of applets, for example adding the run application dialog applet as a menu item, this would satisfy the previous comment.
OlafurArason: Doesn't deskbar solve the run applications usecase and also add a nifty search capibility if combined with beagle, plus loads of other cool features. I think it also replaces contact-lookup-applet.
- Duffman25: Not exactly. While I agree that the deskbar is cool, the version provided in breezy doesn't let you launch applications with parameters. Try launching rhythmbox with --play
HiddeBrugmans: Deskbar has been completely reinvented since, and the version living in gnome cvs is not comparable. It should be quite functional for Dapper.
ØivindHoel: How about using libnotify or similar to tell the user something like "You are currently working in workspace 1" ?
MatthewPaulThomas: The only thing I strongly disagree with in this spec is adding a placebo close button to the notification balloons. In the long term that will slow people down hugely (because they are being shepherded into a ~99%-smaller mouse target), and confuse them when they click somewhere other than the close button and nothing else happens. A better approach would be to make the whole balloon more obviously clickable, by editing a subtle relief effect to it.
DapperDesktopPlan (last edited 2008-08-06 16:23:30 by localhost)