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7 Improvements The Linux Desktop Needs
======================================
In the last fifteen years, the Linux desktop has gone from a collection of marginally adequate solutions to an unparalleled source of innovation and choice. Many of its standard features are either unavailable in Windows, or else available only as a proprietary extension. As a result, using Linux is increasingly not only a matter of principle, but of preference as well.
Yet, despite this progress, gaps remain. Some are missing features, others missing features, and still others pie-in-the sky extras that could be easily implemented to extend the desktop metaphor without straining users' tolerance of change.
For instance, here are 7 improvements that would benefit the Linux desktop:
### 7. Easy Email Encryption
These days, every email reader from Alpine to Thunderbird and Kmail include email encryption. However, documentation is often either non-existent or poor.
But, even if you understand the theory, the practice is difficult. Controls are generally scattered throughout the configuration menus and tabs, requiring a thorough search for all the settings that you require or want. Should you fail to set up encryption properly, usually you receive no feedback about why.
The closest to an easy process is [Enigmail][1], a Thunderbird extension that includes a setup wizard aimed at beginners. But you have to know about Enigmail to use it, and the menu it adds to the composition window buries the encryption option one level down and places it with other options guaranteed to mystify everyday users.
No matter what the desktop, the assumption is that, if you want encrypted email, you already understand it. Today, though, the constant media references to security and privacy have ensured that such an assumption no longer applies.
### 6. Thumbnails for Virtual Workspaces
Virtual workspaces offer more desktop space without requiring additional monitors. Yet, despite their usefulness, management of virtual workspaces hasn't changed in over a decade. On most desktops, you control them through a pager in which each workspace is represented by an unadorned rectangle that gives few indications of what might be on it except for its name or number -- or, in the case of Ubuntu's Unity, which workspace is currently active.
True, GNOME and Cinnamon do offer better views, but the usefulness of these views is limited by the fact that they require a change of screens. Nor is KDE's written list of contents, which is jarring in the primarily graphic-oriented desktop.
A less distracting solution might be mouseover thumbnails large enough for those with normal vision to see exactly what is on each workspace.
### 5. A Workable Menu
The modern desktop long ago outgrew the classic menu with its sub-menus cascading across the screen. Today, the average computer simply has too many applications to fit comfortably into such a format.
The trouble is, neither of the major alternatives is as convenient as the classic menu. Confining the menu into a single window is less than ideal, because you either have to endure truncated sub-menus or else continually resize the window with the mouse.
Yet the alternative of a full-screen menu is even worse. It means changing screens before you even begin to work, and relying on a search field that is only useful if you already know what applications are available -- in which case you are almost better off launching from the command line.
Frankly, I don't know what the solution might be. Maybe spinner racks, like those in OS X? All I can say for certain is that all alternatives for a modern menu make a carefully constructed set of icons on the desktop seem a more reasonable alternative.
### 4. A Professional, Affordable Video Editor
Over the years, Linux has slowly filled the gaps in productivity software. However, one category in which it is still lacking is in reasonably priced software for editing videos.
The problem is not that such free software is non-existent. After all, [Maya][2] is one of the industry standards for animation. The problem is that the software costs several thousand dollars.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are apps like Pitivi or Blender, whose functionality -- despite brave efforts by their developers -- remain basic. Progress happens, but far more slowly than anyone hopes for.
Although I have heard of indie directors using native Linux video editors, the reason I have heard of their efforts is usually because of their complaints. Others prefer to minimize the struggle and edit on other operating systems instead.
### 3. A Document Processor
At one extreme are users whose need for word processing is satisfied by Google Docs. At the other extreme are layout experts for whom Scribus is the only feasible app.
In-between are those like publishers and technical writers who produce long, text-oriented documents. This category of users is served by [Adobe FrameMaker][3] on Windows, and to some extent by LibreOffice Writer on Linux.
Unfortunately, these users are apparently not a priority in LibreOffice, Calligra Words, AbiWord, or any other office suite. Features that would provide for these users include:
- separate bibliographic databases for each file
- tables that are treated like styles in the same way that paragraphs and characters are
- page styles with persistent content other than headers or footers that would appear each time the style is used
- storable formats for cross-references, so that the structure doesn't need to be recreated manually each time that it is needed
Whether LibreOffice or another application provides these features is irrelevant comparing to whether they are available. Without them, the Linux desktop is an imperfect place for a large class of potential users.
2. Color-Coded Title Bars
Browser extensions have taught me how useful color coded tabs can be for workspaces. The titles of open tabs disappear when more than eight or nine or open, so the color is often the quickest visual guide to the relation between tabs.
The same system could be just as useful on the desktop. Better yet, the color coding might be preserved between sessions, allowing users to open all the apps needed for a specific task at the same time. So far, I know of no desktop with such a feature.
### 1. Icon Fences
For years, Stardock Systems has been selling a Windows extension called [Fences][4], which lets icons be grouped. You can name each group and move the icons in it together. In addition, you can assign which fence different types of files are automatically added to, and hide and arrange fences as needed.
In other words, fences automate the sort of arrangements that users make on their desktop all the time. Yet aside from one or two minor functions they share with KDE's Folder Views, fences remain completely unknown on Linux desktops. Perhaps the reason is that designers are focused on mobile devices as the source of ideas, and fences are decidedly a feature of the traditional workstation desktop.
### Personalized Lists
As I made this list, what struck me was how few of the improvements were general. Several of these improvement would appeal largely to specific audiences, and only one even implies the porting of a proprietary application. At least one is cosmetic rather than functional.
What this observation suggests is that, for the general user, Linux has very little left to add. As an all-purpose desktop, Linux arrive some years ago, and has been diversifying ever since, until today users can choose from over half a dozen major desktops.
None of that means, of course, that specialists wouldn't have other suggestions. In addition, changing needs can make improvements desirable that nobody once cared about. But it does mean that many items on a list of desirable improvements will be highly personal.
All of which raises the question: what other improvements do you think would benefit the desktop?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
via: http://www.datamation.com/open-source/7-improvements-the-linux-desktop-needs-1.html
译者:[译者ID](https://github.com/译者ID) 校对:[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID)
本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创翻译,[Linux中国](http://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出
[1]:https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/enigmail/
[2]:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Maya
[3]:http://www.adobe.com/products/framemaker.html
[4]:http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/

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7个Linux桌面需要改善之处
======================================
在过去的15年内Linux桌面从一个还算凑合的边缘化解决方案集合发展到了一个空前的创新和选择源。它的标准特点中有许多是要么不适用于Windows系统要么就只适合作为一个专有的扩展软件。因此使用Linux愈发变得不仅是一个原则问题也是一种偏好。
然而尽管Linux桌面不停在进步但是仍然存在差距。一些正在丢失它们的特点一些已经丢失了还有一些如同天上掉的馅饼般的附加设备能轻易地实现在不考虑用户对于改变的容忍度的情况下来扩展桌面。
比如说以下是7个有利于Linux桌面发展的改善建议
### 7. 简单的Email加密技术
如今每个Email阅读器从Alpine到Thunderbird再到Kmail都包括了Email加密技术。然而文件编制通常是不存在或者非常劣质。
但是,即使你理论上看懂了,但是实践起来还是很困难的。控件通常分散在整个配置菜单和选项卡中,需要为所有你需要和想要的设置进行一次彻底的搜索。如果你未能进行适当的加密,你就收不到反馈。
最新的一个简易加密进程是 [Enigmail][1] 一个包含面向初学者设置向导的Thunderbird扩展。但是你一定要知道怎么用Enigmail而且菜单新增了合成窗口并把加密设置项添加了进去如果把它弄到其它的设置里势必会使每个用户都难以理解。
无论桌面怎么样假设如果你想接收加密过的Email你就要先知道密码。可如今不断有媒体涉及安全和隐私方面就已经确定了这样的假设不再适用。
### 6. 虚拟工作空间缩略图
虚拟工作空间提供了更多不需要额外监听的桌面空间。然而尽管它们很实用但是虚拟工作空间的管理并没有在过去十年发生改变。在大多数桌面上你能通过每个工作空间上的pager程序一个提供很少指示除了它的名字和数字的简单矩形框来控制它们 -- 但是在Ubuntu的统一实例中工作空间目前来说还是很常用的。
确实GNOME和Cinnamon能提供出不错的视图但是它们的实用性受限于它们需要显示屏大小的事实和会与主要的图形化桌面发生冲突的KDE内容书面列表。
一个比较不错的解决方案应该是鼠标悬停在足够大的缩略图上来获取正常的视图,这样就精确地查看每个工作空间上的东西了。
### 5. 一个可操作的菜单
现代型桌面很久之前就已经舍弃搭配着子菜单的经典型菜单了。如今,一般的电脑都有太多的应用程序以至于不能适应这样的模式。
糟糕的是,没有什么主要的替代品能与经典型菜单一样方便。把菜单限制进一个单一的窗口,其效果是不理想的,因为你要么必须截掉子菜单要么就用鼠标不断地调整窗口。
但是全屏幕菜单的产品还要差,意思是你甚至要在开始工作之前就调整屏幕,并且依赖于仅仅可用的搜索框,当然如果你已经知道什么应用程序可用 -- 这种情况下你还不如直接用命令行。
坦白地说我不知道拿什么来解决这个问题OS X下的spinner racks吗我可以肯定地说所有现代型菜单产品在桌面上呈现出一个个精心构造的图标似乎更是一个合理的选择。
### 4. 一个专业的、实惠的视频编辑器
多年来Linux已经慢慢地填充了软件生产力上的空白。然而即便如此它仍然缺少价格合理的视频编辑软件。
问题不在于自由软件不存在。毕竟, [Maya][2] 是动画产业的标准之一,问题是在于这些软件的售价达数千美金。
另一边是那些像Pitivi或者是Blender那样的免费软件, 它们的功能性 -- 尽管它们的开发者足够的努力 -- 一些基本功能仍然被保持着。虽然取得了进步,但还是和用户们所期望的相去甚远。
尽管我听说独立的部门使用的是原生态Linux视频编辑器原因通常是因为他们抱怨其它编辑器不好但其余的人更愿意减少麻烦从而在其它操作系统上对视频进行编辑。
### 3. 一个文档处理器
有一个极端是那些需要进行文字处理的用户是由Google Docs负责而另一个极端是对于那些布局设计的专家来说Scribus是唯一比较可信的应用。
这两种极端之间还有一层是那些比如那些生产长期的、面向文本的文件的出版商和作家。这类用户有些是由基于Windows的 [Adobe FrameMaker][3] 来服务, 有些则由基于Linux的LibreOffice Writer来服务。
不幸的是这些用户显然不会优先考虑LibreOfficeCalligra Words AbiWord或者是任何其它的办公套件。应该提供给用户的办公套件的特色功能包括
- 为每个文件建立书目数据库。
- 表格在样式上表格和段落与字符保持一致。
- 带有持续性内容的页面样式,除了页眉和页脚,在每次样式要被使用的时候就会出现。
- 交叉引用存储格式,以便不需要每次都手动创建。
无论是LibreOffice还是其它同类应用提供这些特色功能与它们是否可用是不相干的。没有它们Linux桌面对于一群潜在的用户来说就是个不完善的东西。
浏览器的扩展软件向我们展示了彩色编码标签对于工作空间的作用。开放标签的标题在开放程度超过八九成或完全开放的时候会消失,所以颜色通常是最快区分标签关系的方法。
系统也能和桌面一样实用。更好的是,彩色编码能保存在会话之间,在同一时间允许用户打开所有需要一个特点任务的应用。到目前为止,我知道没有任何一个桌面有这个特点。
### 2. 图标栏
多年以来Stardock公司一直销售着一个名叫 [Fences][4] 的扩展软件,它用来分类和组织桌面上的图标,你能用它给每个组取名并且可以把每个图标都放在一起。另外,你可以指定不同的文件类型自动加入到一个组里,并且按个人需要来隐藏和整理。
换句话说fences让用户整天在桌面上干的事情自动有序地分组排列。然而除了一两个小功能它们与KDE的文件夹视图差不多fences在Linux桌面上仍然鲜有人使用。这也许是因为开发人员把专注于移动设备作为主要目标使用fences无疑是传统工作站桌面的一大特征。
### 1. 个性化列表
由于我做过这种列表,让我震惊的是鲜有提出的改进得到了推广普及。 这些改进能吸引大量特定的用户,并且甚至只有一个意味着专有应用程序的进入端口,至少它肯定是花拳绣腿。
这一观察表明对于普通用户来说Linux能添加的功能已经所剩无几了。作为一个通用的桌面Linux从几年前到现在都很多元化直到今天用户都能从超过半打的主流桌面中选择出一个来使用。
当然这不意味着,一些专家就不会有其它意见。另外,没有人会关心不断变化的需求会不会使改进令人满意。但是它意味着这份充斥着改进建议的名单上的许多项目将会高度个人化。
所有这些都是为了抛砖引玉:你认为还有什么其它的对桌面有益的建议吗?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
via: http://www.datamation.com/open-source/7-improvements-the-linux-desktop-needs-1.html
译者:[ZTinoZ](https://github.com/ZTinoZ) 校对:[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID)
本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创翻译,[Linux中国](http://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出
[1]:https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/enigmail/
[2]:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodesk_Maya
[3]:http://www.adobe.com/products/framemaker.html
[4]:http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/