From Fedora Project Wiki
< 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:
- 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 | 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 | 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 | 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.