With Google’s annual Summer of Code poking its ahead around the thinning pages of the calendar armies of Open-Source organizations are once again interning themselves at idea meeting round-tables and entering into proposal speculation to decide which projects they will spend the summer getting paid to work on.
Ubuntu
Once again our favourite operating system is participating and as such a list of ideas is currently being generated, all vying to be the idea, improvement, tweak, port or application chosen as one of the projects Ubuntu chooses to submit to GSoC.
Whilst it is ultimately Google who decides how many ideas Ubuntu can actually “take” to GSoC, the idea process nevertheless provides an exciting and innovative glimpse at some potential new improvements that could be heading to a desktop near you…
It is a great opportunity to expose new students to the wonderful world of Ubuntu, get some exciting projects off the ground and get good exposure for the projects, students and organisations alike.
Ubuntu GSoC Idea Proposals
So what are some of the proposed ideas for Ubuntu to work on over the summer? Below is a very brief selection of some of the projects that excite me as an end-user. Note that this are only a handful of many, many others.
- Developing an UbuntuOne KDE Client
- Creating a Kubuntu version of the Ubuntu Software Centre
- USB Creator improvements such as Server and Mac frontends.
- Splash screen customization tool
- Integrating Thunderbird into GNOME
- Create a new Hardware Device Manager
- Create a simple-to-use desktop user backup application
- Implements sound theme configuration
- Many Nautilus improvements including file space allocation before copying as well as “wait free” transfers
Other projects: GIMP, GNOME, LXDE & Pidgin
Ubuntu are not, of course, the only big Open Source project attending. Some other notable ideas from other notable projects include: –
Everyone’s favourite photo editor GIMP may finally add a free transform tool and support for on-canvas drawing two ideas alongside many others. (Read more on GIMP in GSoC 2010 @ the awesome GIMP blog gimpusers.com)
GNOME are heading to GSoC once again, too. Some GNOME-related projects with proposed ideas include Chapter/marker support for Totem, adding service support to awesome to-do/list application GTG! and a self-described “A fancy clutter based GUI for Cheese” adding support for real-time effect previews.
LXDE the desktop environment that powers Lubuntu also have posted their GSoC list ideas online. Tablet support, a revamped panel for desktop users and social network integration “…into an LXLauncher Dashboard tab” all feature.
The Pidgin team are also flapping to GSoC with improved MySpace IM protocol support and the introduction of an emotion cache amongst ideas sat in their bird feeder.
A full list of participating organizations can be found @ socghop.appspot.com/gsoc/program/accepted_orgs/google/gsoc2010