[Fwd: Debian objectives for lenny ... desktop]

[Luis Matos]

I forwarded this email to gnome maintainers because it is important to
ear from them too.

------ Mensagem Reencaminhada ------
> De: Luis Matos <a26652 at alunos.mec.ua.pt>
> Para: debian-desktop at lists.debian.org
> Assunto: Debian objectives for lenny ... desktop
> Data: Wed, 03 Jan 2007 19:28:58 +0000
> 
> Hello there
> 
> I know you are all busy with the etch release, but i will have time in
> beginning of February and i want to propose some issues, and get your
> opinion.
> See that i am available to help/make them all.
> 
> I'll start for one that is the beginning of this all.
> Debian is a good distribution that has everything that others have, but
> it is always more messy and simple ... i would like to turn that out.
> Unfortunately i am not designer ...
> The question i bring is enterprise related. I know many enterprises use
> debian as server and now ubuntu on desktop. I want to change that, by
> making debian an enterprise oriented distribution ( or at least try to
> get there).
> 
> some opinions here are not very welcome, please don't throw them away.
> Some of them are patches to upstream that many of you are not welcome.
> I will focus on gnome, because is the environment that i use and
> recommend. Please feel free to adapt or give your opinion.
> 
> First:
>  My proposal is to be created, if possible, a desktop-enterprise task in
> tasksel.
>  That task would include besides an enterprise oriented desktop, some
> enterprise oriented features.
> 
> Some of the features:
>  - depend on libpam-ldap for configuring out of the box ldap client (or
> at least have that option).
>  - depend on libpam-mount and the possibility for a 3rd party software to out-of-the box configure mounts (give the option to ...).
>  - enterprise oriented desktop applications (forget synaptic and some
> other administrating tools)
>  - Have an unified artwork for all possible applications (splash screens
> mostly), icons and so on.
>  - provide integrated software for the environment and provide the same on all 3 (gnome, kde and xfce)
>  - seek for group work application's compatibility out of the box.
>  - provide boot to shutdown artwork (splashy or usplash - also a target for common desktop)
>  - smoothier desktop with a nice theme to combine with the artwork (i find the current theme a bit missplaced, also the icons, but there's another story.)
>    ( industrial controls - more whitier - seem to be ok with clearlooks window)
> 
> In gnome specially, which seems the most widely used for enterprise features, i would like to seek on other distribution's features that could have in debian,
> such prefer gnome-control-center instead of administration/preferences [1][2]. It's easier for users to find that nice place where everything is and they can really see what want to change.
> I can be responsible to alert the maintainers of programs with a .desktop file entry in administration/preferences to put their program in the right place, according
> do the freedesktop.org spec [3]. This is a long time war in gnome, but i think general users are missing because of that. Ok, you'll point me to some 9999
> discussions in gnome mailing lists, wikis, blogs ... but ... think about debian ... think about their users. (well ... this is my point of view).
> 
> I once tried to do something like this. And in some way reached, but alone i cannot do. I can propose, but i need people to help to improve it.
> 
> In a final way, i think several enterprises trust in debian's security ans stability. Lets take the step ahead for lenny.
> 
> Please critic this mail. Constructive critics are better welcomed.
> 
> 
> [1] http://beranger.org/misc5/saga_0.png ( sorry it's small)
> [2] http://skatstadt.de/wp-content/fotos/sled-10-rc3/Bildschirmfoto4.png bigger 
> [3] http://standards.freedesktop.org/menu-spec/latest/apa.html
> 
> -- 
> Best Regards,
> --
> Luis Matos
> 
> 
-- 
Best Regards,
--
Luis Matos