Unneeded items in System > Preferences

[Andrew]

It seems strange that in the same cycle that we have had 'Software Sources' removed from the System > Preferences menu, that we have had around 4 new unneeded menu items added.

These include:
* Broadcast Preferences
* File Management
* Main Menu
* Messaging and VoIP Accounts
* Ubuntu One

First of all none of these should be in this menu, because the menu is for 'System Preferences'. When I see this I think of hardware or services that are at a low-level in the system, that are integral two it, not user-space applications that are not linked to the basic running of the system.

Broadcast Preferences (Gwibber Preferences) has no link to the system, it is merely a shortcut to the gwibber preferences. I believe this should not be here, as it is a duplication of the menu item Edit > Preferences in gwibber itself. It should be removed for the same reason of 'Software Sources' but also because a user will not logically look here for Gwibber's Preferences - they will open gwibber instead.

File Management, this is probably the one of the list above that has most reason to be in the menu, however I still believe that it should not be included. Nautilus is a user-space application and if a user wants to modify its preferences, he/she will open Nautilus and choose Edit > Preferences. This again comes back to the point that it is simply duplicating menu items and making the Preferences menu more flooded than it already is.

Main Menu is not an integral part of the system and so has no place in being here. This one seems to be even more unneeded by me, as the user has just opened the menu to get at it - they only need to right click instead of left click and they will have the 'Edit Menus...' menuitem. Again, not where a user will look and duplication of menuitems.

Messaging and VoIP Accounts is the same problem as Broadcast Preferences. Not an integral part of the system and I don't really know why it is here.

Ubuntu One this has a valid case for there being a menuitem, however it should be in Apllications > Internet. this is a userspace application, not integral and it is much more logical for a person to look in Internet rather than System Preferences for Ubuntu One.

If we hid all of these, it would make the preferences menu a lot easier to navigate, and a menu that contained concise items that were suited to their parent menu.

Of course I may be completely wrong and there are legitimate reasons why these are here. Any comments?

---

Other packages that do this, but aren't in the default install, are:
* AWN Settings
* VNC Settings
* Desktop Webmail
* driconf
* OpenJDK Settings

[Andrew (and471)]

Here is a screenshot of before and after the changes

[Benjamin Humphrey (humphreybc)]

I agree, it's completely overwhelming for new users.

http://twitpic.com/2ye69r

[Muhammad Negm (ravingeek)]

i use a netbook with 10.1 screen
the menu looks annoying

[Akila Wajirasena (akila-wajirasena)]

Agree and some other items also should should not be added like "Awn Settings".
These are not in the default installation, but they will be available after installing them.

[Gaurav Butola (gauravbutola)]

My take is -
Don't make a menu list for the preferences, just create a single Menu and add all the preferences into it, Like a central place to manage all the preferences.

[KennethSime (kennethsime)]

While the menu is bloated, I'd like to comment on Nautilus: In other OSes (Mac, Windows) their equivalent of Nautilus (Finder, Explorer) are not simply userspace applications, or at least are not seen as such by regular users. I believe the latter point here is true of Nautilus in Ubuntu as well. The file manager is such an integral part of the OS, and is not actually named anywhere where it will be encountered by beginning user (I went quite some time without knowing that the file manager was in fact just another application called Nautilus).

Also: I commonly remove items from the preferences/system settings menus based on how often I use them. It is fairly easy to do, and I am not an advanced user by any means.

[Johannes von Scheidt (jvonscheidt)]

Please add

 * vnc settings
 * desktop webmail
 * driconf
 * openjdk settings

to the list.

[Will Price (will-price94)]

So so bloated. Thankfully I avoid menus with gnome-do but still this is ridiculous.

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

I would say a better place would have been an appropriate mailing list like
ubuntu-desktop

On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 8:40 PM, rocker9455 <email address hidden> wrote:

> So so bloated. Thankfully I avoid menus with gnome-do but still this is
> ridiculous.
>
> --
> Unneeded items in System > Preferences
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/663119
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to
> nautilus in ubuntu.
>
> Status in Gwibber: New
> Status in One Hundred Paper Cuts: New
> Status in Ubuntu One Control Panel: New
> Status in “alacarte” package in Ubuntu: New
> Status in “empathy” package in Ubuntu: New
> Status in “nautilus” package in Ubuntu: New
>
> Bug description:
> It seems strange that in the same cycle that we have had 'Software Sources'
> removed from the System > Preferences menu, that we have had around 4 new
> unneeded menu items added.
>
> These include:
> * Broadcast Preferences
> * File Management
> * Main Menu
> * Messaging and VoIP Accounts
> * Ubuntu One
>
> First of all none of these should be in this menu, because the menu is for
> 'System Preferences'. When I see this I think of hardware or services that
> are at a low-level in the system, that are integral two it, not user-space
> applications that are not linked to the basic running of the system.
>
> Broadcast Preferences (Gwibber Preferences) has no link to the system, it
> is merely a shortcut to the gwibber preferences. I believe this should not
> be here, as it is a duplication of the menu item Edit > Preferences in
> gwibber itself. It should be removed for the same reason of 'Software
> Sources' but also because a user will not logically look here for Gwibber's
> Preferences - they will open gwibber instead.
>
> File Management, this is probably the one of the list above that has most
> reason to be in the menu, however I still believe that it should not be
> included. Nautilus is a user-space application and if a user wants to modify
> its preferences, he/she will open Nautilus and choose Edit > Preferences.
> This again comes back to the point that it is simply duplicating menu items
> and making the Preferences menu more flooded than it already is.
>
> Main Menu is not an integral part of the system and so has no place in
> being here. This one seems to be even more unneeded by me, as the user has
> just opened the menu to get at it - they only need to right click instead of
> left click and they will have the 'Edit Menus...' menuitem. Again, not where
> a user will look and duplication of menuitems.
>
> Messaging and VoIP Accounts is the same problem as Broadcast Preferences.
> Not an integral part of the system and I don't really know why it is here.
>
> Ubuntu One this has a valid case for there being a menuitem, however it
> should be in Apllications > Internet. this is a userspace application, not
> integral and it is much more logical for a person to look in Internet rather
> than System Preferences for Ubuntu One.
>
> If we hid all of these, it would make the preferences menu a lot easier to
> navigate, and a menu that contained concise items that were suited to their
> parent menu.
>
>
> Of course I may be completely wrong and t...

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

this should be discussed on a mailing list rather, please send an email to the desktop list.

[Andrew (and471)]

OK thanks Pedro, I shall continue the discussion on https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-desktop

[Vish (vish)]

The settings and preferences is being given a makeover as part of GNOME 3, for its new control center :
http://live.gnome.org/Design/SystemSettings

A library is available for developers wishing to implement new Settings Panels. If anyone is an app maintainer, they should look into porting the setting to the new panel api.

This is a major task and not a simple change, Hence marking as Invalid for papercuts.
I dont expect any changes from an Ubuntu desktop discussion either. Some of the items are there on purpose and intended, eg: Broadcast [Gwibber] preferences