FreshUbuntu

Shared calendars, especially calendar server options seem to be clunky or lagging in linux. There are commercial options and free online account options, but I think there is room for a new instant messaging paradigm.



[3 votes] Solution #1: Instant messaging protocols
Calendar sharing could be performed over the IM infrastructure such as empathy/pidgin. You could send someone a meeting request or authorise nominated people/groups to see your shared calendar or free/busy data using instant messaging technologies instead of the client server model.

Sure it would be delivered only when both parties are online, but these transactions are conversations of sorts, eg:

1. user 1: request free/busy
2. user 2: respond free/busy
3. user 1: request appointment
4. user 2: confirm, deny or suggest other time
5. user 1: accept new time/propose other time
.......

You could use evolution with plugin as front end to this functionality

Many users have problems configuring their special keys in their keyboards. This is specially important for the ones migrating from Windows to Ubuntu: they do expect their keyboard to work in the same way it does under Windows.


[57 votes] Solution #1: Provide an application to configure special keys
I think a solution will be to create a database with all the functions different keyboards support. Then, at installation time or later, and only if the user's keyboard is not properly detected, start a wizard to:

- request the user to specify keyboard information,
- walk the user along all the possible implemented features, requesting for the corresponding key combination to be pressed in order to link it to the provided functionality
- update a central database with all the information received in order to be shared with other users.

This will probably avoid having many bugs submitted related to "not working Fn keys".

[24 votes] Solution #2: Provide a graphical keyboard layout editor for easy keyboard layout creation
A graphical keyboard layout editor for both Gnome and KDE that allows easy assignment of keys. The two layout systems (xkb / xmodmap) in use are both to difficult for a beginner. Although xkb offers a range of given layouts it is very difficult to create your own. Xmodmap files are easier to understand but you need to create them "manually" (via text editor) as well.
A layout editor could work like this:
- the keyboard layout editor presents the user a graphical view of the current choosen layout and maybe a list of special functions (mediakeys etc.).
- the user clicks on a key, key combination or function on the display.
- pressing a key on the keyboard assigns that key.
- the layout can be saved at any time. Pressing "Save" saves it as .Xmodmap file, while "Save As" allows to save the setting in a user defined file.