unity-design team mailing list archive

[Niklas Rosenqvist <niklas.s.rosenqvist@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi! I've been thinking about the discussion at UDS concerning the problem
with fitting extra content on only one CD. There has been some debating on
whether Ubuntu should stick to it's one CD policy or go with a DVD sized
installation image or multiple CD's. I myself haven't attented UDS I've just
read about it on blogs.

Anyway, the problem seems to be that the 700 MB that one CD offers is very
limiting for the Ubuntu developers to be able to ship more default programs,
e.g. Unity 2D, though it's also good in forcing developers to create
lightweight programs. There are also negative sides to start with a DVD
sized image since everyone doesn't have access to a DVD-writer but almost
everyone with a computer has a CD-writer. And people have never been fans of
having to insert new CD's during installation so I have to proposed two
solutions to this problems and my favourite is the "Ubuntu Welcome Center".

Today Windows greets you with a "Welcome Center" on a fresh install and
gives the user some options to do some basic configurations with the system.
Hardcore users often just closes it and never opens it again but for first
time users I believe it could be very helpful. If Ubuntu created a Welcome
application with the options to download "Ubuntu Extras" - meaning a meta
package with more "default" programs which can't be fit in the "one
CD"-installation image. Together with an option to install the "Ubuntu
Restricted Extras" which many new users have a hard time figuring out it
even exists since it's not mentioned anywhere except for in forums and blog
posts. Maybe this can be grouped with some basic configuration options like
launchers for the user settings and appearance settings applications.

The other solution I propose which shouldn't really be discussed in Ayatana
is to offer one CD-installation image for default Ubuntu, and one DVD-image
for "Ubuntu Extended" which could also be installed through the Software
Center or the "welcome center".

What do you guys think about the "Welcome Center" idea?