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Some of the launchers that appear in GNOME 3 by default are confusing, use the same icon as another launcher, or are for applications that are redundant with newer / refreshed applications. (The new accounts dialog vs system-config-users is a good example of this.)
{{header|design}}
Fedora includes an extremely large number of application launchers by default. Many of these are confusing, unnecessary and irrelevant to the majority of users. Problems caused by these issues:


Below is a list of the application launchers on a '''default''' install of the '''Fedora 17 Desktop Spin'''.  For each one, let's review whether or not it's really needed, or if it causes confusion or needs an icon refresh or whatnot, and try to have a squeaky-clean application list for Fedora 18!
* A high number of launchers makes launching applications inefficient and difficult - it takes a long time to find the launcher you are looking for, and is an unpleasant experience.
* Introduces redundancy and disinterest - many of the launchers aren't relevant to the majority of users. This makes the application view an uninteresting place.
* Undermines the mental model for an application - some of the launchers aren't actually for applications; this goes against the model for launchers and applications.
* Undermines the model for system-level changes - System Settings is the central, primary place for system level configuration; the inclusion of additional system configuration utilities goes against the principle that systems settings live in System Settings.
* Prevents personalisation. Installing apps is an important way in which people can change their system to make it suit them. If installed applications are lost within a sea of preinstalled launchers, the OS will never feel like it belongs to the user.
* Makes people feel like the OS isn't designed for them. 'If it contains lots of launchers which I don't understand or don't care about, it obviously isn't for me.'


{| tableclass="t1" class="sortable"
This page tracks the progress of an initiative to tackle these problems by reducing the number of application launchers included in a new Fedora install. It requires making improvements to upstream software as well as fixing distribution-specific issues.
! Icon !! Launcher !! Application !! Bug Numbers !! Maintainer !! Discussion
 
== Status ==
 
Some applications need to be removed from the default install, others just need to have their launchers hidden.
 
{| tableclass="t1"
! Name !! Command (package, if different) !! Bugs !! Action !! Notes !! Status
|-
| Authentication || system-config-authentication (authconfig-gtk) || || Don't depend on it, then don't install by default || Required by firstboot, but then first boot [https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/InitialExperience should be going away for F19]. ||style="background-color:#f57900;"| In progress
|-
| Desktop Sharing Preferences || vino-preferences (vino) || [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=692480 GNOME Bug 692480] || || Integrated into GNOME Control Center ||style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| Eekboard || eekboard || [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=847500 Fedora Bug 847500] || Don't install? || ||style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| Firewall || system-config-firewall || || Don't install? || || TBD
|-
| IBus Hangul Preferences || ibus-setup-hangul || [http://code.google.com/p/ibus/issues/detail?id=1495 iBus Bug 1495] || Integrate into System Settings, then hide launcher || iBus integration is being tracked in [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=662489 GNOME Bug 662489] ||style="background-color:#f57900;"| In progress
|-
| Input Method Selector || ibus-setup || [http://code.google.com/p/ibus/issues/detail?id=1494 iBus Bug 1494] || Integrate into System Settings || iBus integration is being tracked in [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=662489 GNOME Bug 662489] || style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| Messaging and VoIP Accounts || empathy-accounts (empathy) || [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=662986 GNOME Bug 662489] || Remove the desktop file || ||style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| Network Connections || nm-connection-editor || [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=682456 GNOME Bug 682456] || Hide launcher? || GNOME Control Center currently uses nm-connection-editor for settings dialogs ||style="background-color:#ef2929;"| Incomplete
|-
| Power Statistics || gnome-power-statistics (gnome-power-manager) || [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=846287 Fedora Bug 846287] || Don't install || Part of gnome-power-manager - this can be dropped from the desktop spin (nothing else depends on it right now) || style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| Printing || system-config-printer || [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=846290 Fedora Bug 846290] || Don't install || ||style="background-color:#ef2929;"| Incomplete
|-
| Release Notes || xdg-open file:///usr/share/doc/HTML/fedora-release-notes/index.html || [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=846316 Fedora Bug 846316] || Remove the launcher || Add to the Firefox bookmarks ([https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=847459 Fedora Bug 847459]) and default homepage ([https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=847461 Fedora Bug 847461]) instead ||style="background-color:#729fcf;"| On Ice
|-
| Screenshot || gnome-screenshot || [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=681844 GNOME Bug 681844]  || || Integrate screenshots into GNOME 3, then don't include the app by default ||style="background-color:#ef2929;"| Incomplete
|-
| Search for Files... || gnome-search-tool || [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=846278 Fedora Bug 846278] || Don't install || Might need some improvements to searching in Nautilus || style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
|-
| [[Image:launcher-f17-addremovesw.png | 84px]] || '''Add/Remove Software''' || file-roller || * [http://foo.com Upstream Bug] * [http://bar.com Fedora Bug] || Richard Hughes || Foo bar baz qux.
| SELinux Troubleshooter || sealert || || Nothing for now || Provides access to logs, which means that we can't hide the launcher; in the long run this needs replacing by a generic desktop logging/error reporting app ||style="background-color:#729fcf;"| On ice
|-
|-
| [[Image:launcher-f17-archivemanager.png | 84px]] || '''Archive Manager''' || PackageKit || * [http://foo.com Upstream Bug] * [http://bar.com Fedora Bug] || Richard Hughes || Foo bar baz qux.
| Software Settings || gpk-prefs (gnome-packagekit) || [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=676445 GNOME Bug 676445] || Remove launcher (can be accessed via Add/Remove Software (which needs a better name)) || ||style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| Software Updates || gpk-update-viewer (gnome-packagekit) || [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=676445 GNOME Bug 676445] || Remove launcher (needs to be accessible via Add/Remove Software (which needs a better name)) || ||style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| System-Config-Date || system-config-date || [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=803833 Fedora Bug 803833] || Don't depend on it, then don't install by default  || Required by anaconda, firstboot and system-config-kickstart. ||style="background-color:#ef2929;"| Incomplete
|-
| Users and Groups || system-config-users || || Don't depend on it, then don't install by default || Required by firstboot, but then first boot [https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/InitialExperience should be going away for F18]. || style="background-color:#f57900;"| In progress
|-
! scope="row" colspan="6" | Games
|-
| Freecell Solitaire || sol --freecell (aisleriot) || [https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=681645 GNOME Bug 681645] || Remove the desktop file || The package has been fixed upstream and Guile has now been updated (see [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=678238 Fedora Bug 678238]). We just need a new package rolling. ||style="background-color:#ef2929;"| Incomplete
|-
| Iagno || iagno (gnome-games) || || Don't install || Could be a nice game, but it needs a lot of polish || style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| Mines || gnomine (gnome-games) || || Don't install || Feels very Windows 95; might be better not to include || style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|-
| colspan="2" | It should be possible to individually add and remove games || [https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=846274 Fedora Bug 846274] || Split games into subpackages || || style="background-color:#73d216;"| Fixed
|}
|}
== Additional Notes ==
Designs for a [https://live.gnome.org/Design/Apps/Usage GNOME 'Usage' application] would combine Disk Usage Analyzer, Power Statistics and System Monitor into a single launcher.

Latest revision as of 20:44, 26 August 2013

Fedora includes an extremely large number of application launchers by default. Many of these are confusing, unnecessary and irrelevant to the majority of users. Problems caused by these issues:

  • A high number of launchers makes launching applications inefficient and difficult - it takes a long time to find the launcher you are looking for, and is an unpleasant experience.
  • Introduces redundancy and disinterest - many of the launchers aren't relevant to the majority of users. This makes the application view an uninteresting place.
  • Undermines the mental model for an application - some of the launchers aren't actually for applications; this goes against the model for launchers and applications.
  • Undermines the model for system-level changes - System Settings is the central, primary place for system level configuration; the inclusion of additional system configuration utilities goes against the principle that systems settings live in System Settings.
  • Prevents personalisation. Installing apps is an important way in which people can change their system to make it suit them. If installed applications are lost within a sea of preinstalled launchers, the OS will never feel like it belongs to the user.
  • Makes people feel like the OS isn't designed for them. 'If it contains lots of launchers which I don't understand or don't care about, it obviously isn't for me.'

This page tracks the progress of an initiative to tackle these problems by reducing the number of application launchers included in a new Fedora install. It requires making improvements to upstream software as well as fixing distribution-specific issues.

Status

Some applications need to be removed from the default install, others just need to have their launchers hidden.

Name Command (package, if different) Bugs Action Notes Status
Authentication system-config-authentication (authconfig-gtk) Don't depend on it, then don't install by default Required by firstboot, but then first boot should be going away for F19. In progress
Desktop Sharing Preferences vino-preferences (vino) GNOME Bug 692480 Integrated into GNOME Control Center Fixed
Eekboard eekboard Fedora Bug 847500 Don't install? Fixed
Firewall system-config-firewall Don't install? TBD
IBus Hangul Preferences ibus-setup-hangul iBus Bug 1495 Integrate into System Settings, then hide launcher iBus integration is being tracked in GNOME Bug 662489 In progress
Input Method Selector ibus-setup iBus Bug 1494 Integrate into System Settings iBus integration is being tracked in GNOME Bug 662489 Fixed
Messaging and VoIP Accounts empathy-accounts (empathy) GNOME Bug 662489 Remove the desktop file Fixed
Network Connections nm-connection-editor GNOME Bug 682456 Hide launcher? GNOME Control Center currently uses nm-connection-editor for settings dialogs Incomplete
Power Statistics gnome-power-statistics (gnome-power-manager) Fedora Bug 846287 Don't install Part of gnome-power-manager - this can be dropped from the desktop spin (nothing else depends on it right now) Fixed
Printing system-config-printer Fedora Bug 846290 Don't install Incomplete
Release Notes xdg-open file:///usr/share/doc/HTML/fedora-release-notes/index.html Fedora Bug 846316 Remove the launcher Add to the Firefox bookmarks (Fedora Bug 847459) and default homepage (Fedora Bug 847461) instead On Ice
Screenshot gnome-screenshot GNOME Bug 681844 Integrate screenshots into GNOME 3, then don't include the app by default Incomplete
Search for Files... gnome-search-tool Fedora Bug 846278 Don't install Might need some improvements to searching in Nautilus Fixed
SELinux Troubleshooter sealert Nothing for now Provides access to logs, which means that we can't hide the launcher; in the long run this needs replacing by a generic desktop logging/error reporting app On ice
Software Settings gpk-prefs (gnome-packagekit) GNOME Bug 676445 Remove launcher (can be accessed via Add/Remove Software (which needs a better name)) Fixed
Software Updates gpk-update-viewer (gnome-packagekit) GNOME Bug 676445 Remove launcher (needs to be accessible via Add/Remove Software (which needs a better name)) Fixed
System-Config-Date system-config-date Fedora Bug 803833 Don't depend on it, then don't install by default Required by anaconda, firstboot and system-config-kickstart. Incomplete
Users and Groups system-config-users Don't depend on it, then don't install by default Required by firstboot, but then first boot should be going away for F18. In progress
Games
Freecell Solitaire sol --freecell (aisleriot) GNOME Bug 681645 Remove the desktop file The package has been fixed upstream and Guile has now been updated (see Fedora Bug 678238). We just need a new package rolling. Incomplete
Iagno iagno (gnome-games) Don't install Could be a nice game, but it needs a lot of polish Fixed
Mines gnomine (gnome-games) Don't install Feels very Windows 95; might be better not to include Fixed
It should be possible to individually add and remove games Fedora Bug 846274 Split games into subpackages Fixed

Additional Notes

Designs for a GNOME 'Usage' application would combine Disk Usage Analyzer, Power Statistics and System Monitor into a single launcher.

Retrieved from "https://fedoraproject.org/w/index.php?title=Design/F18_Launcher_Purge&oldid=350774"