Design/F18 Launcher Purge

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 F18.	In progress
Desktop Sharing Preferences	vino-preferences (vino)	GNOME Bug 681150		Needs to be integrated into System Settings or spun out into a separate app	Incomplete (needs design)
Eekboard	eekboard	Fedora Bug 847500	Don't install		Incomplete
Firewall	system-config-firewall		Don't install?		TBD
IBus Hangul Preferences	ibus-setup-hangul	GNOME Bug 662489	Integrate into System Settings, then hide launcher		In progress
Input Method Selector	ibus-setup	GNOME Bug 662489	Integrate into System Settings		In progress
Messaging and VoIP Accounts	empathy-accounts (empathy)	GNOME Bug 662489	Remove the desktop file		Fixed
Network Connections	nm-connection-editor		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	Incomplete
Search for Files...	gnome-search-tool	Fedora Bug 846278	Don't install	Might need some improvements to searching in Nautilus	Incomplete
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	Hide launcher (can be accessed via Add/Remove Software (which needs a better name))		Incomplete
Software Updates	gpk-update-viewer (gnome-packagekit)	GNOME Bug 676445	Hide launcher (needs to be accessible via Add/Remove Software (which needs a better name))		Incomplete
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	This is a second launcher for Aisleriot. This is broken - the launcher is labelled 'Freecell Solitaire', but the app menu reads 'Aisleriot Solitaire'. Also, you can't run Aisleriot Solitare and Freecell Solitaire at the same time.	Incomplete
Iagno	iagno (gnome-games)		Don't install	Could be a nice game, but it needs a lot of polish	Incomplete
Mines	gnomine (gnome-games)		Don't install	Feels very Windows 95; might be better not to include	Incomplete
It should be possible to individually add and remove games		Fedora Bug 846274	Split games to subpackages		In progress

Additional Notes

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