TrackProgress
Introduction
This page covers the xubuntu-dapper tasks to accomplish in order to meet our main goal - getting ubuntu-express/install CDs out for Dapper. If you want to help out by taking over one of the tasks or doing a new one add yourself next to it. Discussing it previously on xubuntu-devel is required. Tasks not having explicitly specified owners mean they are assigned to me (janimo). As goals crystalize and we decide upon them they can be put into launchpad as more formal specs/tasks.
The tasks:
Artwork
- DONE: we have nice usplash, proposed wallpapers and gdm theme
- TODO: somebody qualified volunteering to oversee artwork direction
- TODO: upload/integrate all current work
- TODO: get more works/feedback
Documentation
- DONE: Julio has written a nice about-xubuntu ff start page which is packaged in xubuntu-docs (on REVU only)
- TODO: somebody qualified volunteering to oversee xubuntu doc writing
- TODO: get doc people to use ubuntu-docs svn and go on freely with writing xubuntu docs.
- TODO: get xubuntu-docs voted for in REVU so it can be uploaded.
Sync with debian unstable (ongoing task)
Current status: we already have reduced the diffs between us and debian with the 4.2.3.2 sync, but there are still packages which diverge. Most of it is noise though, not real diffs. http://utnubu.alioth.debian.org/scottish/by_maint/pkg-xfce-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org/
- TODO: sync newer exo and thunar when they are uploaded to debian.
- TODO: push upstream our packages which they don't have (notably some xfce-goodies)
As both of these depend on debian upstream there's not much we can do besides becoming DDs and lending a hand.
Promoting packages to main (ongoing task)
The CD build infrastructure works only with packages in ubuntu main. So xubuntu related packages need to be promoted. Also needed for them to be supported in ubuntu-updates and ubuntu-security.
- DONE: main inclusion reports written and enqueued, pending review (by pitti probably)
- TODO: respond and correct the issues raised during review
- TODO: sync exo from debian (see above) as having it come from there makes the review process more straightforward and less risky.
App selection
The key apps we need to be usable are listed here. For more details go to XubuntuProposedPackages
A display manager: gdm seems like the best choice as it is used by ubuntu, has features, looks ok and is actively maintained upstream. Xdm/Wdm/Slim/qingy were considered but dropped for various reasons - ugliness, lack of features, immaturity, lack of ubuntu integration and not least nobody advocating them actively enough. This is a task still open for experimenters who can convincingly argue for one of the alternative DMs.
- TODO: see below - building it w/o gnome deps
A volume manager: - most likely ivman. It is already in main as it was used by kubuntu until 5.10.
- TODO: wait for new upstream version which includes specifying alternate config dir so we do not mess up current
setting in /etc. Upstream promised this week.
- DONE: ivman config files uploaded to REVU as part of xubuntu-default-settings package. Waiting for votes.
Default file manager: - thunar.
- TODO: wait for it to come in through debian
Configuration apps: There are no nice networking/printer config apps for Xfce.
- TODO: evaluate writing them using system-tools-backend. Anyone interested?
Only packages without gnome dependencies in xubuntu-desktop
A contentious subject, but lacking more scientfic data to be able to differentiate between heavy and light apps one guideline is 'no gnome dependencies'. Obviously also no kde/mono/java deps either. Actually I have used exmap, so there is some scientific data but on the machine I am developing on (1,73GHz, 512M) using an additional 4-5 Meg or loading 29 additional .so objects does not seem to make a visible difference. It probably does on lesser hardware.
- TODO: gdm w/o gnome.
gdm uses very few gnome functions calls. I built a gdm w/o gnome deps and sent part of the changes upstream a week ago. No response yet, I will follow up shortly with the rest of the changes.
- TODO: evince w/o gnome.
Built and runs fine, needs packaging, upload to REVU.
- TODO: gnumeric w/o gnome
both libgoffice and gnumeric have --without-gnome config options (they have a win32 port) upstream debian packager said he would accept clean patches to make gnumeric-gtk binary debs too.
Xfce version to use
Initial goal was using 4.4 since it was supposed to come out by April. However Xfce upstream is divided whether that release will be stable enough to base a distro on by that time. Still an ongoing research
- 4.2 pros:
- -already packaged/used/tested since Hoary -stable -translations very complete
- 4.4 pros:
- -really nice new features in the wm and the panel especially
Colaboration with Xfce upstream
Need to investigate whether ubuntu can offer anything besides user feedback to Xfce. Maybe rosetta could be pitched to their i18n team but I don't know much about rosetta's maturity. They use bugzilla and svn so LP is probably not tempting either, especially not at this stage. Once bzr is default we'll import their svn anyway for testing purposes.
Other specifications relevant to Xubuntu
Ubuntu express, specifically the gnome ui https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/ue-gnome-ui
Desktop specification https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/dapper-desktop-plan (particularly regarding what to have in the menus, logout dialog icons instead of radio buttons)