||<>|| <> = USB-creator Improvements = = Project Description = Let's make ubuntu easier to install without burning CD's. Ultralight, Ultraportable CDROM-less notebooks are gaining popularity and we would want owners of those machines to still have an easy way to install Ubuntu using USB Stick. Linux Command-line & mac frontends to usb-creator will open up live-USB creation to all major existing environments. Merging Windows frontend with Wubi will allow wider distribution of the app. If Mac bundle is small enough we might as well fit that on the isos. To allow anyone install Ubuntu onto USB drive. Running Software-centre at the stick preparation on Linux will allow endless customization of Ubuntu iso's and live-USB's. I would personally would love to have a live-USB with full TeXLive & emacs installed. It will create an easy way to customise Ubuntu for any purpose. = Why did you like this idea? = Part of it is scratching an itch =) I was once stuck with non-working Ubuntu on my Macbook and I couldn't manage to create bootable live-usb stick. I own a Macbook and have experience with developing on Mac, porting/compiling open-source software stacks (Gnome) and I would love to make it easier for Mac users to switch to Ubuntu. It will be fun to learn how to develop apps under Wine. I'm looking forward to that. Usb-creator is often the first Ubuntu experience for new users. I'd love to make it more accessible. = Please describe a tentative project architecture or an approach to it = == Mac backend/frontend == Will use PyCocoa/PyObjC bridge with minimal extra dependencies such that we can fit the app on the CD. GUI will mimic GTK frontend while following Apple Human Interface Guidelines. == CLI frontend == Targetting only udev backend for Linux. Pure command-line utility with options passed as flags. (Not ncurses interface) == Wubi integration == I haven't looked deeply into this, but both projects use Python and can be developed using Wine. The idea is to strip windows backend from usb-creator and included it in wubi; patch wubi interface to become usb-creator frontend. == Software-centre == Mount iso's squashfs using aufs, running software-centre and creating a new iso using the modified squashfs instread of original. Time permitting I'll try to make this work with KPackageKit / Synaptic as well; such that Kubuntu/Debian will benefit as well. = Give us details about the milestones for this project = The milestones are mostly heading from above: * Mac: * backend using DiskUtils & shipped utilities in OS X * Cocoa frontend * Packaging App bundle & Publication * Linux: * CLI fronend * Software-centre task test / prove of concept * GUI for running Software-centre * Win: * Analysis of Wubi and Win back/frontend codebase * Agreement on merge stategy * Splitting backend out of usb-creator & Integrating in Wubi * Either modifying Wubi to become usb-creator fronend (porting Win fronted to become part of Wubi) Mac port, Linux CLI, Running software-centre and merging with wubi can be all merge separately. I will further discuss the exact order of completion and overlap of these with my mentor. = Why will your proposal benefit Ubuntu? = It will make Ubuntu installation accessible to even more people. It will make the process of creating custom CD's / Usb-sticks easier leading to fascinating, cool, new customized *buntus. With these features Ubuntu will become the linux choice for Netbook owners.