User Observation Hackfest GNOME Customizations And Anticipated Future Requirements Greatest GNOME Customizations • Software settings (ensure it's working, and configured correctly) • Interaction with files and pictures ( make it easier to save, and open in software) • Photo and file size management ( easier files saving, getting from A to B) • Avant-window-navigator instead of panel ( gnome-panel has some design problems) • Using main-menu • Thumbnailers • Killing errant software •Automated bug-buddy and reporting • Gunslinger, Launch Observation • Busy and Success Launch • One Click Observation •Automatic Restarts User Observation Trends - Shortcuts In File Picker - Panel Comfort Level - Recent Documents - When All Else Fails, Paper Anticipated Future Requirements • Elimination of standard file and folder design • Document storage in Alfresco • SAN storage, moving certain files to the right type of disk drive. Pictures are moved to slower drive. Aging files moved to near offline media • Session relocation, automatic resolution changes ( 1440x900 becomes 1024x768) • Not browser based, client software • Development Tools • Chart Widgets Anticipated Future Requirements • Elimination of standard file and folder design • Document storage in Alfresco • SAN storage, moving certain files to the right type of disk drive. Pictures are moved to slower drive. Aging files moved to near offline media • Session relocation, automatic resolution changes ( 1440x900 becomes 1024x768) • Not browser based, client software • Development Tools • Chart Widgets GNOME Other Issues • How to grow market share • Areas of growth Greatest GNOME Customizations Software Settings Approximiately 60 gconf keys are hard coded at login. This ensures a working session if the user stumbles into a poorly designed feature. What happens if the user selects 100x2 workspace switcher? Gconf forces it back to 3x2. GNOME should focus on levels of reasonableness. A user should always get a working session on each login. This adds several seconds to the login, fired in the background as multiple processes. Interaction With Files And Pictures If GNOME has feature parity with MS Windows, we're going to lose. Most users have low skills. When they fail on MS Windows, they consider it a training issue. When they fail on GNOME, it's because we don't have Windows. EVEN if the steps are identical. – “A poor carpenter blames his tools”. GNOME Desktop MIME Helpers Were engineered to make GNOME easier than Windows, especially for those with no file management skills. They usually know what they want to do, but do not know how to do it. If software gives them a file manager we fail. Everything should be drop and drag. IPAD: When you save a picture it does not ask for a file name nor a folder; it just works. - Only ONE person out of 800 disabled the MIME helpers for a more traditional PC environment! Photo MIME Bar WhatWhat are are the the apps apps thatthat work work with with pictures?pictures? Which Which ShowShow a a larger larger onesones are are for for viewview of of the the photo photo viewing?viewing? oror document. document. This visual cue This visual cue WhenWhen we we allow allow users users helps greatly. helps greatly. toto right right mouse mouse and and pick an application Just put it into pick an application Just put it into itit fails. fails. GIMP GIMP won't won't thethe clipboard, clipboard, why why open an ODT. DisplayDisplay the the pixels, pixels, save the open an ODT. but also convert save the but also convert intermediateintermediate file? file? thatthat into into language language thatthat is is simple. simple. Is Is thisthis picture picture too too big big forfor email email or or not? not? WeWe can can make make a a reasonablereasonable guess guess asas to to what what size size theythey might might use. use. WhyWhy make make them them learnlearn GIMP? GIMP? WhyWhy must must they they open GIMP to do open GIMP to do Why do I have They don't know how to get a file basicbasic functions functions Why do I have They don't know how to get a file that are done toto wait wait for for a a into email. I can see it right here, that are done bulky app to into email. I can see it right here, often. bulky app to whywhy must must I Inavigate navigate in in another another file file often. open when all manager? If all I want to do is send open when all manager? If all I want to do is send I Iwant want to to do do is is this via email, why do I have to open print it? this via email, why do I have to open print it? aa full full composer composer window? window? PDF MIME Bar SoftwareSoftware applications applications that that workwork well well with with PDF PDF are are displayed.displayed. Have Have to to have have AcrobatAcrobat Reader, Reader, but but give give the the optionoption for for Evince Evince which which if if faster. faster. PDFPDF Mod Mod allows allows merge, merge, XournalXournal allows allows writing writing inin another another channel. channel. UsersUsers have have PDFs PDFs that that they they wantwant to to fax. fax. Their Their technique: technique: 1)1) Open Open in in LibreOffice LibreOffice (slow) (slow) ( (hope hope that that it it renders) renders) 2)2) Use Use the the fax fax feature. feature. NowNow they they can can do do it it with with a a single single step.step. Text MIME Bar ShowShow that that LibreOffice LibreOffice is is available;available; no no attempt attempt then then toto open open ODT ODT with with another another application.application. You You are are able able to to printprint the the document document without without openingopening LibreOffice LibreOffice first. first. ShowShow the the first first page page of of the the document;document; helps helps users users findfind the the right right document. document. TextText files, files, is is it it text text for for a a document?document? Is Is it it a a fixed fixed column column reportreport that that should should be be landscape-courier-8?landscape-courier-8? Is Is it it a a CSVCSV that that should should import import into into Calc?Calc? avant-window-navigator More modern appearance vs gnome-panel. Looks great on all resolutions including 1024x768. Excellent applets which are stable and eliminate having users fumble around the Internet. The biggest feature: Users cannot understand the concept of launcher and window list. Avant works like Mac, once a launcher is clicked it instantly becomes window list. This reduces users double launching the same applications because it's in another workspace or minimized. avant-window-navigator OurOur city city seal seal always always is is on on the the left side so users have a left side so users have a AppletsApplets are are hard hard coded coded into into predictablepredictable way way to to find find software software position, reset if the user packages that are not shortcuts. position, reset if the user packages that are not shortcuts. modifiesmodifies them. them. This This creates creates a a predictablepredictable environment. environment. IfIf this this icon icon is is deleted, deleted, it's it's hard hard codedcoded to to always always come come back back Folder shortcut: For quick access again. Folder shortcut: For quick access again. SpeakerSpeaker Volume: Volume: easy easy to to change change WorkWork space: space: hard hard coded coded to to 3x2 3x2 Weather:Weather: hard hard codes codes to to Largo Largo LaunchersLaunchers appear appear in in the the Clock middle area and become Clock middle area and become Logout:Logout: Always Always on on the the far far right. right. aa window window list list once once the the softwaresoftware is is launched. launched. TheThe panel panel is is disabled disabled from from beingbeing moved moved to to the the left, left, right right oror top. top. This This ensures ensures that that all all resolutionresolution and and application application variablesvariables are are QA'd QA'd main-menu Main-menu was used because we have 280 desktop icons. Cascading menus have too many clicks and sub-menus, cannot all be at the top level. Main-menu allows you to type and filter icons and find what you want. Icons are groups by Category and it's easy to scroll through the whole list, find what you want and drag them to the menu. Main-menu tries to stay running as a process, we kill after 30 seconds in order to prevent huge slowdown when new icons are added. main-menu IconsIcons are are displayed displayed in in categories.categories. The The filter filter area area allowsallows you you to to type type in in strings strings toto look look for for packages. packages. Thumbnailers The default desktop did not have robust thumbnailers. Giving a user a visual cue of the first page helps greatly with usability. As many documents are thumbnailed as possible, including text files. Problem: Many of the thumbnailers do not have a timer to give up after a specified number of seconds and have to be manually killed. Thumbnailers AsAs many many files files types types as as possiblepossible are are generated generated thumbnails.thumbnails. This This seems seems to to bebe overlooked overlooked in in most most distributionsdistributions Killing Errant Software GNOME has a PC/Windows design for errant software. If it locks, reboot the computer to release it. Users cannot usually handle a kill process utility. They have them at home and what they have learned is to reboot when things stop working correctly. Obviously we cannot reboot a server that has hundreds of users.