Features/FedoraStudio

Organize Media Applications

Summary

Classify multimedia applications into subgroups for easy access.

Owner

• Name: Orcan Ogetbil

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 12
• Last updated: (2009-05-24)
• Percentage of completion: 10%

Detailed Description

Motivation

We have a wide range of applications and libraries dedicated to media production. See , for instance, the AudioCreation page for a list of our audio creation related applications.

Currently, the media production applications go into the Multimedia group (Sound&Video group in Gnome) in the desktop menu, mixing up with audio/video players (we also have a wide range of such applications), and make this group rather cluttered.

Outline

The key is to make the applications easily accessible. Too many subcategories and the inexperienced user will get lost. In the table below, we propose a solution to this problem by grouping applications that show similar features. The (sub)categories are bulleted and are in bold. The numbered entries indicate what type of applications will fall into the corresponding (sub)category.

• Multimedia / Sound&Video
  • Capture&Import
  1. AV Demultiplexing
  2. Audio Recording
  3. Optical Media (CD/DVD/...) Ripper
  4. Stream Recorder
  5. VNC Recorder
  6. Video Capture
  7. ...
  • Creation
    • Digital Processing
    1. Audio effect (racks)
    2. Audio Mastering
    • Editors
    1. Sound/Audio/Wave editor
    2. Video Editor
    3. Soundfont editor
    4. ...
    • Jack
    1. All jack supporting GUI applications
    • MIDI
    1. MIDI sequencer
    2. Virtual keyboard
    3. Synthesis applications
    4. Fluidsynth GUI applications
    5. ...
    • Multitrack
    1. Digital Audio Workstation
    2. Multitrack sequencer
    • Notation
    1. Lilypond editor
    2. MusicXML editor
    3. Tablature editor/viewer
    4. ...
  • Mixer
  1. Volume control application
  • Output Generation
  1. AV Multiplexing
  2. Audio Streamer
  3. Optical Media (CD/DVD/...) Writer
  4. Subtitle Editor
  5. Format Changer
  6. Video Streamer
  7. ...
  • Tools
  1. Instrument Tuner
  2. Metronome
  3. ...

1. Audio/Video Players
2. Media Library
3. TV Playback

Benefit to Fedora

The number of available desktop applications of both player and production types is increasing every day. Listing these programs under different (sub)categories in the desktop menu, will make the Multimedia group (Sound&Video group in Gnome) look sane and make both type of applications more accessible.

Scope

1. Assign a .desktop file category for each of the above groups.
2. /etc/xdg/menus/*.menu files need to be made aware of this categorization. This affects packages redhat-menus and kdelibs.
3. The .desktop file for each Multimedia GUI application needs to be revisited and the proper "Category" key(s) will be assigned.
4. comps?

Note that certain applications will fall in more than one category. There is nothing wrong with that. Listing the application in the correct category(ies) will make it more accessible.

Test Plan

Once /etc/xdg/menus/*.menu files are edited, it will be straightforward to observe the progress of categorization (in rawhide).

User Experience

This feature promises easy access to all types of multimedia applications for every user level.

Dependencies

None

Contingency Plan

The /etc/xdg/menus/*.menu files will be reverted to their previous state.

Documentation

None

Release Notes

To be added

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