Main menu does not display sub-categories next to search input

[Michael Jonker]

Binary package hint: unity

When I click on the Ubuntu logo, top left of screen, I go into the unity category menu with icons. The search bar is at top left. If I want to go to the 'system' subcategory for example, I have to click on one of the unrelated icon categories to access the text menu next to the search bar. This is very poor accessibility and in my opinion a bug.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: unity 0.2.34-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-20.29-generic 2.6.35.4
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-20-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Sep 8 12:00:09 2010
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Netbook 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Beta i386 (20100902.1)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_IE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: unity

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

if you want to directly access 'system' section right click on the 'applications' icon in the launcher and select system.

[Mark Shuttleworth (sabdfl)]

Michael, the Application Place provides direct access to the generic
categories of installed and available applications.

[Michael Jonker (citizen-jonker)]

Thanks Omer and Mark. Please let me know if there is a better place to file and discuss this.

Right clicking on the 'applications' icon brings up only a limited menu which varies in scope. If clicked when an app with a white background is open, the options are invisvible (see screenshots)

This workflow is not obvious (especially when you are used to associating access to your applications and settings with the Ubuntu logo). In my case, due to my bug report #633094, this icon was off the screen with no obvious identity as a system function. This raises the question of why the Ubuntu logo does anything at all if it is only duplicating the functionality of another button - only slightly differently?

In my opinion, icons giving access to system menus should be top of the list, not 'foldable' and graphically very obvious that they are not an application launcher.

Thanks for the bold new concept in netbooks. Hope my comments are useful.

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

This is bug 617339 you are facing

On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 6:33 PM, Michael Jonker <email address hidden>wrote:

>
> ** Attachment added: "Workspace 1_003.png"
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/633073/+attachment/1556950/+files/Workspace%201_003.png
>
> --
> Main menu does not display sub-categories next to search input
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/633073
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to unity
> in ubuntu.
>
> Status in “unity” package in Ubuntu: New
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: unity
>
> When I click on the Ubuntu logo, top left of screen, I go into the unity
> category menu with icons. The search bar is at top left. If I want to go to
> the 'system' subcategory for example, I have to click on one of the
> unrelated icon categories to access the text menu next to the search bar.
> This is very poor accessibility and in my opinion a bug.
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
> Package: unity 0.2.34-0ubuntu1
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-20.29-generic 2.6.35.4
> Uname: Linux 2.6.35-20-generic i686
> NonfreeKernelModules: wl
> Architecture: i386
> Date: Wed Sep 8 12:00:09 2010
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Netbook 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Beta i386
> (20100902.1)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANG=en_IE.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> SourcePackage: unity
>
>
>

[Mark Shuttleworth (sabdfl)]

Thanks for the screenshots. As Omer points out, some of the problem
there is a visual artifact of a separate bug.

However, I do think you have a point, in that the relationship between
the Dash Home screen (the one you get when you click on the Ubuntu
button) and the various Places isn't extremely clear. Also, that the
direct links on that screen don't necessarily lead to all the things
people want.

The search isn't clearly a files & apps search, for example, it just
says "Search". We could do more with that top part of the screen to say
what you can search for.

Will you be at UDS? We could do an in-person design round there to look
at refinements to the Home screen. Alternatively, would you put some
thought into how that top part of the Home screen could be improved, and
attach a wireframe to this bug, or send it to the Ayatana list?

Mark

[Michael Jonker (citizen-jonker)]

Mark,

I am not in a position to go to UDS, but would love to contribute what I can to the UI development (I am not a programmer).

I have attached 2 images of how I feel Unity can be much more accessible. This should be workable for touch, mouse, landscape and portrait.

Michael

[Didier Roche-Tolomelli (didrocks)]

I'm reporting it upstream to clear the new list and mark it as wishlist. But please, feel free to continue to discuss it :)

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

I believe this bug is out of scope for Natty design?

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

With the current design in Natty I think this report can be considered obsolete. Closing