[Natty] Add a ubiquity slide for GDM Session choosing. Also add to help files.

[Matt Sturgeon]

Binary package hint: ubiquity-slideshow-ubuntu

It is important to advertise that Ubuntu still include the "Ubuntu Classic Desktop" in 11.04, and since the GDM session manager is not exactly obvious, i propose showing it featured on the Ubiquity Slide Show for Ubuntu Natty Desktop, and also in the "New to Ubuntu?" section of help and support, see below:

* A slide during the instillation of Ubuntu should demonstrate how one can log-into either the 'Ubuntu Classic Desktop' or standard 'Ubuntu Desktop Edition'.
* This should also be included in the help documentation, preferably between the "Welcome to Ubuntu" page and the "Getting around the desktop" page, with a page title such as "Login into Ubuntu".

I have never used bazaar before, or created a patch, but i will give this a go, support and guidance would be greatly appreciated (as would someone taking over ;) lol)

[Matt Sturgeon (mattsturgeon)]

I have begun development of a ubiquity slide for this bug, currently my branch is not on launchpad.

When I am finished with the slide should i upload a diff file (patch?) or request my branch for merging into trunk?

Someone/I still needs to look at the help document mentioned above, any help on the source package name where the help documentation for Ubuntu is developed?

[Matt Sturgeon (mattsturgeon)]

ok, my branch for the ubiquity-slideshow half of this bug is here:
https://code.launchpad.net/~mttza1/ubiquity-slideshow-ubuntu/login-slide

[Matt Sturgeon (mattsturgeon)]

Ok, the branch for the GDM login slide is complete, will now propose for merging.

[Evan (ev)]

I don't think this is the right place to convey this information. The installation experience is targeted at new users who in all likelihood have no previous experience using Unity or GNOME, and thus throwing this in front of them would, I presume, only lead to confusion on why they have to make such a decision.

Equally, the slideshow is a place to highlight key features of the operating system and community, of which this is not.

[Dylan McCall (dylanmccall)]

I really appreciate that you took the time to make a branch for this, Matt. It does look good, and from the looks of it you did everything right! :)
One other cool thing you can do: it's possible to make a bug that is fixed with a commit. If you're using the command line, it's something like bzr commit --fixes=lp:BUGNUMBER. If you're using Bazaar Explorer, there's a text box below where you enter the commit message to list any fixed bugs. This way, Launchpad can keep track of things a little better.
I'm also quite interested in the layered screenshot you mentioned in the merge request (although the link is broken). I had no idea what those were, looked it up and it's a neat idea. Could make things very smooth…

However, I do agree with Evan. This is the type of thing that shouldn't be necessary. It's kind of a mundane detail that the login screen should make clear on its own anyway. By presenting it front and centre here, we risk creating an illusion of complexity.

Now somebody reading this sees two choices they must weigh. It may be obvious to us that one is the default (and we can even say “Unity is the default because it's shiny and new and awesome”), but people brand new to Ubuntu are not always happy when they see “Some Assembly May Be Required.“ They've already made the choice to drop Windows and clean install Ubuntu on top, and that's enough choosing for one day. The important thing here is making them feel satisfied, like they've made the right choice already (because they have). Pointing out what they can do Right Now (without deviating from Ubuntu's standard experience!) and how cool it is.

On the other hand, this is certainly something to keep track of. If the appropriate stuff is put in place we won't need to, but it may be necessary to explain what the Ubuntu Classic Desktop / 2D desktop / whatever-we're-calling-it is, and what Unity is. We'll have to wait and see, I think.

Not that choices are bad, but I think they are better presented later on, after somebody has experienced the defaults and has some opinions about what is new. If I understand correctly, Yelp will finally be usable. Maybe now is a good time to promote the offline help for that purpose.

Just to clarify why I don't want the slideshow doing something it wouldn't need to do if another application was clearer: the slideshow should never, ever ever be necessary. If we use it to bandage UI blunders elsewhere, it risks being too important.

[Matt Sturgeon (mattsturgeon)]

Ok, thanks for the comments guys.

Regarding the "layered screenshot" its located here: http://www.kicks.co.cc/downloads/login.xcf or login_small1.xcf or login_small1.jpeg or login_small2.xcf or login_small2_wide.xcf (i cant remember which size i used on my branch.

I may add an index page to /downloads/ for convenience.

Do you think that adding a page on this topic to the "New to Ubuntu?" section of the help docs seems appropriate?

Howabout autostarting the "Welcome" page (within "New to ubuntu?") for first time logins?

[Dylan McCall (dylanmccall)]

On Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 1:32 PM, Matt Sturgeon
<email address hidden> wrote:
> Do you think that adding a page on this topic to the "New to Ubuntu?"
> section of the help docs seems appropriate?

Absolutely. I suggest you chat with the documentation team on their
mailing list (https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-doc),
or on IRC (#ubuntu-doc on irc.freenode.net). They may already have
something cooking, and if they don't I'm sure they will appreciate the
help.

> Howabout autostarting the "Welcome" page (within "New to ubuntu?") for
> first time logins?

That discussion has popped up a few times. Never seems to reach a
particular agreement. I think one concern was that Yelp was very slow,
so with Yelp 3 in this release (which uses Webkit and has been touched
up significantly) there will be more positives for doing it. Another
worry is it could look too noisy, so there's definitely some work to
be done implementing that in a way people can agree with. Again,
probably the best people to talk to are the docs team.
I have a hunch that idea really just needs somebody to commit to it
and all the pieces will come together ;)

[Matt Sturgeon (mattsturgeon)]

Thanks, I think that getting the Welcome page to autostart is very important, i mean, if users dont want it - just hit close and its gone forever, but the users who need it will never find it otherwize...

I think the simplist solution is a shell script that removes it'self from the autostart list after running yelp targeting the correct page...

But a more robust solution would be a checkbox in yelp's statusbar saying "autostart the Welcome page" or something.

[Matthew East (mdke)]

This has mutated into two ideas, as I read the comments on the report.

First is the idea that the help be autostarted on first login. That's an interesting idea, but probably deserves discussion on a wider basis that just in a bug report. Would you be willing to start a discussion on the ubuntu-desktop mailing list? Dylan is right that this is only really an option now that yelp loads very fast, and we have a really inviting front page for the help.

Second is the idea that the help should contain a page explaining the different login options. That seems to be a good idea to me. I've opened a separate bug report dealing with that at bug 813369.

Closing this one.