What software will be preinstalled in Ubuntu 12.04? That’s one of the topics being discussed at the latest Ubuntu Developer Summit, taking place in Orlando, USA this week.
Ubuntu’s community of contributors and engineers are once again debating the merits of various apps, tasked with locking in a set of preferred choices.
Ubuntu 12.04 will be a Long Term Support (LTS) release backed with five years of post-release updates, including critical fixes for the software in the default install. Applications that ship by default need to be selected with that in mind.
So what’s are devs planning to add or remove in the next cycle?
Apps for Ubuntu 12.04
Thunderbird will stay the default email client in Ubuntu 12.04. It will receive some minor buffs, like opening the ‘compose’ dialog in a new tab, not a new window, but is seen as both reliable and well liked.
Mozilla’s Firefox stays as the default web-browser of choice, and LibreOffice remains the default office suite. In both cases: no surprise, given the lack of viable alternatives (and the enduring popularity of the defaults).
Some thought was given to adding a calendar application, which could be as simple as Google calendar integration in the Indicator Datetime applet. But with lots to work on elsewhere and few ‘drop-in solutions’ available, it’s unlikely.
Most other apps currently installed are considered the ideal choices, with little need or desire to shake things up for the sake of it.
Could we see the return of Rhythmbox?
Amongst the many traditions of a UDS is the classic tussle between fans of Banshee and Rhythmbox as to which should be Ubuntu’s default music player. Ubuntu switched to Banshee last year, but…
Rather unexpectedly to most attendees at the ‘default apps’ discussion, a strong case was made for switching back to Rhythmbox – a case so well made, it is likely to usurp Banshee in 12.04 – what a turn up, eh?
The most compelling arguments for switching back was because of LTS-to-LTS upgrades: users coming from 10.04 LTS will be used Rhythmbox, may have playlists and existing libraries, and so on.
And then there’s fact that Rhythmbox can offer a native GTK3 experience in 12.04 since the Banshee GTK3 port remains under active development by the app’s main developer.
Switching back won’t be trivial. Ubuntu One Music store needs to be ported to GTK3, and Unity’s Music Lens will need reconfiguration so that it can search through and surface matches from a users’ Rhythmbox library.
And a switch back to Rhythmbox would free up room on the ISO (which targets a <800MB size) to allow something else to be added.
But hasten ye!
The switch back is far from a done-deal.
As we saw with the ‘tentative’ replacement of Evolution with Thunderbird last cycle, there will be unforeseen implications of a switch that won’t be rear their pesky heads until later in the cycle.
Plus, consensus was split on which should be default.
With no decision made (yet), expect to see this saga turn into an extended remix.
New apps were discussed too
GNOME 3’s file-previewer tool GNOME Sushi was put forward for inclusion. But as the tool doesn’t respect window button placing, system themes or Ubuntu’s new overlay scrollbars, the idea wasn’t taken up. No sushi in precise.
Also mooted was shipping a graphical System Hardware Information tool. It was suggested as users seeking help and support are often told to check their hardware. Some don’t know; such a tool would make it easier to swot up on system makeup.
No decision was reached as it was unclear if such a tool is needed, or if adding details to a new entry in the Control Centre might suffice.
Finally, the PiTiVi video editor was put forward as an analog to the Windows Movie Maker that Microsoft bakes into their OS. It wasn’t taken up because of its poor reviews within the Ubuntu Software Centre.