New Intrepid Ibex Features... Just what will it be like?

[Mazza558]

What we know

- Ibex will have a focus on connectivity anywhere and everywhere.

What is very likely

- As a release following a rock-solid LTS release (Hardy Heron), Ibex will probably be quite unstable for some people as it will have a lot of groundbreaking new ideas/features. More risky ideas will be accepted, and so this release will probably be a departure from the old *buntus.

Some ideas from me...

- The new composited login theme should be introduced (was pushed back from Hardy. This new login theme was going to have fading effects and a very cool user display - on systems with lots of users, it would display a grid of them, which could either be clicked on, or users could type their name to narrow the choice down (the other users would fade away).

- Load compiz for this new login screen - this saves having to load it halfway through the session loading, and your panels disappearing and reappearing for a few seconds.

- Improvements to the wireless support - for broadcom cards, the restricted b43 driver just doesn't work properly. This'll be a priority as it's the aim of the Ibex.

- Network Manager autoconnecting to wireless hotspots if they have no encryption and have the strongest signal.

- The new theme! Create a title bar for metacity which actually blends into the window itself. The current metacity is fugly. Use a mod of clearlooks or murrine for the actuall gtk theme.

- Create several colour schemes for the new Ubuntu theme. Orange can be default, but during the setup, give users a choice of 4 or 5 colours (and different coloured desktops by default).

- New Ubuntu menu - this is a big requirement in my opinion, because we don't use desktop icons for programs. Something similar to the kde4 menu would be amazing. Perhaps a mod of the SLAB menu could be done.

[madjr]

another feature i would like:

-Don't brake working stuff...



- New Ubuntu menu - this is a big requirement in my opinion, because we don't use desktop icons for programs. Something similar to the kde4 menu would be amazing. Perhaps a mod of the SLAB menu could be done.

the ubuntu menus are good, fast and simple.

If one wants a slab menu, they could either use the linuxmint menu (or use mint), slab or USP menu.

i use the panel at the top with AWN, so slab like menus are aweful, i like more the drop down menus.

i complemment the menu with deskbar applet.

Normal menu + deskbar applet + AWN = great

[klange]

Things you can look forward to in the composting world are:
1. Desktop Sphere in C-F - just needs the caps (which may even be desktops themselves)
2. New window decorator - Emerald will be phased out as work speeds up on the new decorator
3. DRI2 for Intel users - Maybe not official, but I'm sure we can convince the packagers to get the intel-batchbuffer branch of the X driver into the repos (may even be an 'ati' with DRI2)

[agim]

I am really excited about the new wireless capabilities. I also hope they can do something with broadcom. I use ndiswrapper, but I would like the choice to use a bc driver.

[frup]

I like the looks of fusion and all but in no way is it that important.

I think a good start point would be getting the cube etc by default since they use it in some of the marketing images.

I personally think GIMP needs an easymode/advanced mode switch so people who don't know how to use it can begin learning without being intimidated.

Networking etc obviously still has room to be improved

Open Office 3.0 should be ready by 8.10

I can't really see that much more that needs to be improved (except relating to compatibility/hardware/devices) "improvement" for the sake of improvement leads to an OS like vista.

[ssam]

i would like to see inclusion for the radeonHD and nouveau open source graphics drivers. once these are done then a huge chunk of upgrade issues will go away.

[23meg]

I'd post my "wishes" to Brainstorm rather than here.

[saracen]

Support for more scanners and an easy-to-use GUI tool that is well integrated into the desktop. XSane kills me!!!

[Efros]

Have Samba browsing working again.

[cardinals_fan]

- New Ubuntu menu - this is a big requirement in my opinion, because we don't use desktop icons for programs. Something similar to the kde4 menu would be amazing. Perhaps a mod of the SLAB menu could be done.
I can tolerate many things in a GUI. I'm not a GNOME fan, but I'm posting from it right now. I don't like desktop icons, but I can use and even enjoy them in LXDE. However, the one GUI I have seen recently that I absolutely, undeniably, verifiably HATED was the wretched Kickoff menu in KDE 4. The sheer complexity of what should be a simple process (launching an app) was a drawn-out horror of sliding through the bizarre menu arrangement.

The goal of a menu system is to allow the user to launch the program they want as fast as possible. The current GNOME menu allows the user to launch any program with two clicks and one mouseover. I have yet to see any menu arrangement that can beat this in terms of speed.

[zmjjmz]

I have yet to see any menu arrangement that can beat this in terms of speed.

How about putting the programs on the panel itself?
It doesn't have to be fugly, you could use drawers.

[cardinals_fan]

How about putting the programs on the panel itself?
It doesn't have to be fugly, you could use drawers.
Not a menu system per se. Still a good idea, but a different concept altogether.

[Ms_Angel_D]

I hope the new Kernal fixes my microphone issue, seems to be an incompatibilty with sigmatel HDA

[mrgnash]

I don't really understand why (experienced) users use menus in the first place. Alt + F2 and you're done.

[cardinals_fan]

I don't really understand why (experienced) users use menus in the first place. Alt + F2 and you're done.
I usually use dmenu. Fast and nice :)

[Canis familiaris]

Faster Bootup Time.

[kevdog]

LTS - stability - Hardy Heron = Joke! Not that its specifically Ubuntu's fault, but the bugs contained in the kernels as far as producing random lockups are well documented and afflict millions of users. One year later, and the problem still is not solved. So much for a LTS!

[blueturtl]

LTS - stability - Hardy Heron = Joke! Not that its specifically Ubuntu's fault, but the bugs contained in the kernels as far as producing random lockups are well documented and afflict millions of users. One year later, and the problem still is not solved. So much for a LTS!

That and the PulseAudio fiasko. I can't believe they shipped in that state. Every time I set up Hardy for someone I have to fix PulseAudio by hand picking extra packages and setting up configuration files.

Stability is actually something I expect will be better with Ibex.

[EnGorDiaz]

you all have to remember ubuntu is still emulating unix in a way

[miggols99]

I can tolerate many things in a GUI. I'm not a GNOME fan, but I'm posting from it right now. I don't like desktop icons, but I can use and even enjoy them in LXDE. However, the one GUI I have seen recently that I absolutely, undeniably, verifiably HATED was the wretched Kickoff menu in KDE 4. The sheer complexity of what should be a simple process (launching an app) was a drawn-out horror of sliding through the bizarre menu arrangement.

The goal of a menu system is to allow the user to launch the program they want as fast as possible. The current GNOME menu allows the user to launch any program with two clicks and one mouseover. I have yet to see any menu arrangement that can beat this in terms of speed.
If you hate the kickoff menu, you should try lancelot. It doesn't need you to click loads of times like Kickoff does...hmm maybe I should try this for myself ;)

http://ivan.fomentgroup.org/blog/2008/08/26/lancelot-10-final-in-my-own-idiom/

[eragon100]

That and the PulseAudio fiasko. I can't believe they shipped in that state. Every time I set up Hardy for someone I have to fix PulseAudio by hand picking extra packages and setting up configuration files.

Stability is actually something I expect will be better with Ibex.

Yes, pulseaudio is horrible. I have 5.1 surround speakers, and it defaults to 2.0 sound. I have to manually edt /etc/pulse/daemon.conf, then logout and log in, then run alsamixer in a terminal to actually activate the speakers.

Then I must restart the computer and do sudo apt-get install libasound2 libasound2-plugins libasound2-dev padevchooser swh-plugins libao-pulse libsdl1.2debian-pulseaudio ladspa-sdk and restart it again to get sound working in multiple programs, say playing nexuiz deathmatch with internet radio music in the background. (unreal tournament 2004 has cool music, but I hate the music in nexuiz, openarena, sauerbraten and most other open-source fps's, tough there are very cool games.)

[quinnten83]

LTS - stability - Hardy Heron = Joke! Not that its specifically Ubuntu's fault, but the bugs contained in the kernels as far as producing random lockups are well documented and afflict millions of users. One year later, and the problem still is not solved. So much for a LTS!

So the complete lockups are a kernel problem?
Cause I have those on my Desktop. My laptop and my old computer working as a fileserver are rocksolid. But my desktop randomly freezes and the only thing to do is a cold reset. I knew it was a know bug, but I thought that the reason for it wasn't known and Ubuntu specific.

I would also like for them to include modules for my wacom bamboo one tablet. It's a hassle getting that to work and the current module destabilizes my system. Also i lose it with every kernel update.

[frup]

So the complete lockups are a kernel problem?
Cause I have those on my Desktop. My laptop and my old computer working as a fileserver are rocksolid. But my desktop randomly freezes and the only thing to do is a cold reset. I knew it was a know bug, but I thought that the reason for it wasn't known and Ubuntu specific.

I would also like for them to include modules for my wacom bamboo one tablet. It's a hassle getting that to work and the current module destabilizes my system. Also i lose it with every kernel update.


With out any research I was of the opinion that it was a GNOME problem, the 5 GNOME systems my family uses all experience the freeze, including a Debian 4.0 (etch) installation.

KDE 4.1 on 2 different installations doesn't seem to freeze the same way, although it crashes far more frequently... I have never ever experienced a crash in command line Linux.

[Sef]

Open Office 3.0 should be ready by 8.10

Maybe a beta or RC version will be in, but not the final version. It goes gold after the cut off for software.


LTS - stability - Hardy Heron

The S stands for support, not stability. Stability depends on one's hardware. For me Hardy was stable. (Upgraded to Intrepid Ibex.)

[frup]

Maybe a beta or RC version will be in, but not the final version. It goes gold after the cut off for software.



The S stands for support, not stability. Stability depends on one's hardware. For me Hardy was stable. (Upgraded to Intrepid Ibex.)

5 months ago OO.o 3.0 was touted for 8.10, now it seems unlikely.

Personally I don't really care.

[Exsecrabilus]

Better application defaults. What I mean is, applications from GNOME just have Help -> About, but third-party applications that Ubuntu decided to make default have Help -> About XXX, some applications have File as the first toolbar section, Transmission has Torrent, etc. And in Firefox's About Mozilla Firefox dialog, it has an OK button, while on every other application there is a Close button.

[TBOL3]

Well, they already have RC1 of OOo out. Maybe they might pull off another firefox 3, which I really thought was a bad move.

[graabein]

I hope fonts will be improved soon.

[MadsRH]

I hope fonts will be improved soon.

Yes, the fonts could use an update ;-)

Does anyone know if the stable 1.0 or the unstable 1.4 of Wine will be available?

Anyway, Ubuntu 8.10 is going to be fantastic, with a lot of updated software, the newest kernel and a new look - I can't wait!


//MadsRH

[stinger30au]

if you want more fonts, this may interest you

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=869626

[Stefanie]

does anyone know if it will finally be possible to annotate and highlight pdf files in evince? the gnome roadmap says annotation is planned for 2.24, but the evince roadmap lists it as to do for 2.26 and i really can't wait that long :-(
(also see this thread http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=886980)

[Keymaster]

I'd like to see an easier way to connect to WINS and samba shares, but to me personally I'd really like to see my ASUS G50v working (I had no audio, wired, wireless with 8.04, and couldn't get ndis to work)

[quinnten83]

I hope fonts will be improved soon.
Seconded@
they current fonts make my eyes bleed and I have to use the XP ones.

[cardinals_fan]

If you hate the kickoff menu, you should try lancelot. It doesn't need you to click loads of times like Kickoff does...hmm maybe I should try this for myself ;)

http://ivan.fomentgroup.org/blog/2008/08/26/lancelot-10-final-in-my-own-idiom/
Still looks like a ton of hovering. I hate things like that because they require the user to wait on the system. The current system is clean and simple.