There is no easy way for users to apply Scubuntu defaults to an existing installation

[Thomas Fogwill]

Users installing Scubuntu directly from the Scubuntu DVD get a system that is properly configured with the Scubuntu defaults, including the Scubuntu look and theme and artwork, the correct gconf settings for gcalctool, the proper usplash theme, etc.

However, users who install Scubuntu onto an existing Ubuntu installation do not. They need to manually configure their system by
 - selecting the Scubuntu Gnome theme
 - setting their preferences for gcalctool
 - running update-alternatives --set usplash-artwork.so /usr/lib/usplash/usplash-theme-scubuntu.so
etc.

[Thomas Fogwill (thomas-fogwill)]

Suggested solution: a script that users can run to apply all Scubuntu settings (with an appropriate .desktop file so it appears on the menu) - this could even later be extended into a little GTK app that let's uses choose what they want to apply.

[Jan Groenewald (jan-aims)]

Hi

On Sun, Nov 16, 2008 at 04:10:03PM -0000, Thomas Fogwill wrote:
> Public bug reported:
> Users installing Scubuntu directly from the Scubuntu DVD get a system
> that is properly configured with the Scubuntu defaults, including the
> Scubuntu look and theme and artwork, the correct gconf settings for
> gcalctool, the proper usplash theme, etc.
>
> However, users who install Scubuntu onto an existing Ubuntu installation do not. They need to manually configure their system by
> - selecting the Scubuntu Gnome theme
> - setting their preferences for gcalctool
> - running update-alternatives --set usplash-artwork.so /usr/lib/usplash/usplash-theme-scubuntu.so

It should just be aptitude install scubuntu-desktop, like all the other variants.

++ on this one.

Jan

[Thomas Fogwill (thomas-fogwill)]

The problem is that we want to preserve the user's customisations (if they've made any). The Scubuntu theme packages install the proper defaults in /usr/share/gconf/defaults, but these don't overwrite any local config the user has.

Version 0.3 of scubuntu-defaults includes a script that sets all the gconf values correctly (overwriting whatever the user had there). This script must be run by the user, but there is a desktop file included, placing it in the Prefs menu.

[Thomas Fogwill (thomas-fogwill)]

The scubuntu gdm and usplash themes do the right thing - i.e. their alternatives system priority is high enough that they get used unless the user has switched to manual config for those alternatives.

It remains to test whether the scubuntu-theme works correctly for existing user accounts (it should work fine for new accounts).

[Thomas Fogwill (thomas-fogwill)]

It seems that scubuntu-theme does indeed work correctly - it is used unless the user has manually selected something else.