just a thought

[wvmac]

This is just a thought to try and help ubuntu reach the "newbies" and give them the best computing experience they can have.

The applications in ubuntu (linux distros in general) feel as though they were all written by a couple of people. I know that they are not all written by one person but it sure feels that way. The applications need to have a sense of individuality. OS X has a lot of freeware and shareware. The apps have there own web pages, their own developers, and then a place for you to download them. Ubuntu has synaptic, or the extra software installer. It feels like every thing is one big group of software or written by a few people. The applications need to feel seprate from ubuntu. I don't just want apple's apps on my mac. I install lots of third party apps. Ubuntu needs that feeling. I know that many of these apps are third party, but when they are listed together in one program they lose that individual feeling. Linspire's CNR (IMHO) is another way not to do it. It does list a lot of apps, but it does it in the company's own software. It makes you feel as though the only software you can have is what Linspire thinks is OK for you. Ubuntu needs to feel open. When you are on the web downloading applications it gives you that feeling of openness.

Maybe a link (find more apps) on on the desktop or in the menus launches firefox which takes you to a web page which is a front end of apt on your machine. It knows what is in your apt/sources.list. It list software titles broken down into categories much like the software installer in breezy already does. Each app has a short description, install now link and a link to the apps home page. There are web pages (versionstracker) that list lots of software for the mac that you can either download or visit the apps home page. It helps give the applications a feeling of individuality. It helps give people the sense that there are a lot of developers out there supporting the OS.
Just a thought.

[mstlyevil]

This is just a thought to try and help ubuntu reach the "newbies" and give them the best computing experience they can have.

The applications in ubuntu (linux distros in general) feel as though they were all written by a couple of people. I know that they are not all written by one person but it sure feels that way. The applications need to have a sense of individuality. OS X has a lot of freeware and shareware. The apps have there own web pages, their own developers, and then a place for you to download them. Ubuntu has synaptic, or the extra software installer. It feels like every thing is one big group of software or written by a few people. The applications need to feel seprate from ubuntu. I don't just want apple's apps on my mac. I install lots of third party apps. Ubuntu needs that feeling. I know that many of these apps are third party, but when they are listed together in one program they lose that individual feeling. Linspire's CNR (IMHO) is another way not to do it. It does list a lot of apps, but it does it in the company's own software. It makes you feel as though the only software you can have is what Linspire thinks is OK for you. Ubuntu needs to feel open. When you are on the web downloading applications it gives you that feeling of openness.

Maybe a link (find more apps) on on the desktop or in the menus launches firefox which takes you to a web page which is a front end of apt on your machine. It knows what is in your apt/sources.list. It list software titles broken down into categories much like the software installer in breezy already does. Each app has a short description, install now link and a link to the apps home page. There are web pages (versionstracker) that list lots of software for the mac that you can either download or visit the apps home page. It helps give the applications a feeling of individuality. It helps give people the sense that there are a lot of developers out there supporting the OS.
Just a thought.

You can already do that if you know where to look. You can download all the third party software just as you do in Windows but it may not be compiled already for Ubuntu and would require more work to get it installed. The reason all this software is linked to in the repositories is to make it easy to find software that will install in Ubuntu without jumping through hoops to get it working. Nothing is stopping you from finding it seperate on the web if that is what you want to do.

[briancurtin]

Ubuntu needs to feel open.

It helps give people the sense that there are a lot of developers out there supporting the OS.
do you have ubuntu installed on any computers, or have you used it before?

[Brunellus]

I find it slightly amusing that you should say this.

The free software community, generally, has been striving for ever more consistency throughout its various components. You will note, for instance, that within GNOME or KDE, the focus has been on consistent user interfaces throughout. (Which sort of UI you prefer is another question altogether)

What you are describing in other communities is a certain IN-consistency, generated by a number of closed-source projects each reinventing the wheel. In this climate, a bewildering number of UI environments has sprung up.

Usually, it's the free software movement that gets accused of inconsistency and non-integration. But in your case, apparently, it's that very lack of integration that creates a sense of "variety"--that many different people are developing for a platform.

Interesting.

[midwinter]

Certainly an odd position you've got there. When I moved to Linux, I LOVED the fact I didn't have to go hunting for stuff all over the web. And you realise there are what, 16,000 apps available in the standard repos? .. of course they are 'third party'.

[endersshadow]

http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/trove_list.php

Have at it, kid.

[Derek Djons]

The packetmanager is an essential tool in Linux from my point of view. Especially in Linux where an application needs extra dependancies the packetmanager shows it's strenght. If 'newbies' would have to wonder around the internet searching and gathering all those bits and pieces they wouldn't have lasted for long.

The way most Linux distro's are being developed shows people the logical ease and productivity over other operating systems. Also for developers I think it's heaven. No more long nights writing installation guides and installation troubleshootings. More time and effort can be invested in actual development. For the user more time can be invested in actually working with Linux rather than maintaining it.

[Sirin]

Certainly an odd position you've got there. When I moved to Linux, I LOVED the fact I didn't have to go hunting for stuff all over the web. And you realise there are what, 16,000 apps available in the standard repos? .. of course they are 'third party'.

There definitely aren't over 16,000 apps. The Mac has only 12,000. BTW, on Linux, there is no such thing as first-party. ;)

[poofyhairguy]

This is just a thought to try and help ubuntu reach the "newbies" and give them the best computing experience they can have.

The applications in ubuntu (linux distros in general) feel as though they were all written by a couple of people. I know that they are not all written by one person but it sure feels that way. The applications need to have a sense of individuality. OS X has a lot of freeware and shareware. The apps have there own web pages, their own developers, and then a place for you to download them. Ubuntu has synaptic, or the extra software installer. It feels like every thing is one big group of software or written by a few people. The applications need to feel seprate from ubuntu. I don't just want apple's apps on my mac. I install lots of third party apps. Ubuntu needs that feeling. I know that many of these apps are third party, but when they are listed together in one program they lose that individual feeling. Linspire's CNR (IMHO) is another way not to do it. It does list a lot of apps, but it does it in the company's own software. It makes you feel as though the only software you can have is what Linspire thinks is OK for you. Ubuntu needs to feel open. When you are on the web downloading applications it gives you that feeling of openness.

Maybe a link (find more apps) on on the desktop or in the menus launches firefox which takes you to a web page which is a front end of apt on your machine. It knows what is in your apt/sources.list. It list software titles broken down into categories much like the software installer in breezy already does. Each app has a short description, install now link and a link to the apps home page. There are web pages (versionstracker) that list lots of software for the mac that you can either download or visit the apps home page. It helps give the applications a feeling of individuality. It helps give people the sense that there are a lot of developers out there supporting the OS.
Just a thought.


What you want exists in the Linux world. Look here:

http://klik.atekon.de/

[xequence]

I don't just want apple's apps on my mac.

OSX is the worst example of what you are talking about.

iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, Garageband, frontrow, iWork, the list is massive.

[Lord Illidan]

What you want exists in the Linux world. Look here:

http://klik.atekon.de/

What about Autopackage : http://autopackage.org/

According to Linux Format, klik can only handle 6 packages at a time, and is not very fast..

[wvmac]

Thanks for the responses. I understand what you are saying. The package management on ubuntu is great through synaptic or whatever else you use. Apt has helped me a lot. I have installed lots of applications that way. Maybe linux does it the right way. Still users coming from another OS are going to feel that everything is made by gnome or kde. gedit, kwrite, koffice, kopete, gaim, Maybe the developers need to work on distinguishing there apps from one another. Make me want to use there app instead of someone elses. I guess that is not an ubuntu problem.

Desktop integration is nice, but can also get boring. When I'm on gnome or kde I like to run gtk or qt apps in the other environment at times just becauses it changes the look. To bad drag and drop do not work smoothly in some apps when you do this.
Like I said it was just a thought. I have tried klik before and is a start, it helps give apps some individuality. Klik still needs work. But ubuntu could setup a page similar but just make it a frontend to apt that would install applications as easily as synaptic would on your machine.

i do currently use dapper and love it. nice improvements.

thanks.
chris

[wvmac]

I had not heard of autopackage. Does it work good? Is it hard for develpers to make these packages. Looking at there web page it looks interesting.

[midwinter]

There definitely aren't over 16,000 apps. The Mac has only 12,000. BTW, on Linux, there is no such thing as first-party. ;)

Yes there are, though perhaps I should of said packages but even so.. As for your second comment.. no ****. ;)