Fedora includes an extremely large number of application launchers by default. This leads to a significant degredation of the user experience. The problem is compounded by the frequently confusing, unecessary and irrelevant nature of some of these launchers.
- 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.
- Creates work for users. Every time they want to launch an application, they have to process a large number of launchers, many of which are uninteresting to them.
- 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. There needs to be a process for each issue to identify the best course of action.
Discussions for individual launchers should take place in bug reports - not here.
| Name | aka | Bugs | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archive Manager | fileroller | Hide launcher? | Incomplete | |
| Authentication | system-config-auhentication | Don't install | Incomplete | |
| Document Viewer | evince | Hide launcher? | Incomplete | |
| Firewall | system-config-firewall | Don't install? | Incomplete | |
| IBus Hangul Preferences | ibus-setup-hangul | Integrate into System Settings, hide launcher | Incomplete | |
| Input Method Selector | ibus-setup | Integrate into System Settings | In progress | |
| Network Connections | nm-connection-editor | Don't install | Incomplete | |
| Power Statistics | gnome-power-statistics | Part of the gnome-power-manager module. Is this something we want to expose users to in its current form? If it is, link from System Settings > Power and hide the launcher | Incomplete | |
| Printing | system-config-printer | Don't install | Incomplete | |
| Release Notes | A link | Move somewhere else (Firefox bookmark?) | Incomplete | |
| Search for Files... | gnome-search-tool | Don't install, might need some improvements to searching in Nautilus | Incomplete | |
| SELinux Troubleshooter | sealert | Hide launcher? | Incomplete | |
| Software Settings | gpk-prefs | GNOME Bug 676445 | Hide launcher (can be accessed via Add/Remove Software (which needs a better name)) | Incomplete |
| Software Updates | gpk-update-viewer | 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 | Don't install | Incomplete | |
| Users and Groups | system-config-users | Don't install | Incomplete |
Additional Notes
Designs for a GNOME 'Usage' application would combine Disk Usage Analyzer and System Monitor into a single launcher.