Related Project (GNOME 2.0 Defaults)

[Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org>]

So... this list is quiet. :)

I'd like to start tackling a usability issue that - unlike other changes -
won't require any code: the default settings for the GNOME desktop. At this
stage, aiming for GNOME 2.0.

It looks like GNOME 2.0 will be similar enough to 1.4 to start work now,
before a lot of the 2.0 stuff is ready to go, due to the simpler aim of
porting to the new platform. Because of this, I hope that a lot of work can
be done before we even have a chance to play with new GNOME 2.0 features.

The sorts of things that we'd need to cover are:

 - GTK+ / GNOME UI settings (see Look and Feel section in gnomecc)

 - Sawfish settings

 - Panel settings (Menu, behaviour, etc)

 - Theme settings (default themes for various components, colours, hopefully
   some awesome 'Plain GNOME' desktop backgrounds, GDM images, new icons for
   menus and applications, etc)

 - Session defaults

 - File manager defaults, folders, desktop icons
 
 - First time panel setup (applets, icons, etc)

I think most of the work in this will be in the Sawfish and theme choices,
as they'll probably cause more argument. :)

Instead of allowing all-out flamewars and argument, the discussion would be
strongly directed towards contribution, getting answers, and talking to the
module maintainers about choices as they come up. The initial work will be
establishing the areas that we want to tackle beyond my summary above (but
in more detail, so we have a todo list).

This project will open up GNOME 2.0 to less "code-aware" contributors, and
set us up with an awesome desktop which can serve as a base for other GNOME
distributors.

- Jeff

-- 
             "jwz? no way man, he's my idle" - James Wilkinson