I've submitted a patch for the default favourite applications in Kickoff, the Plasma app menu
https://git.reviewboard.kde.org/r/120538/diff/#
it replaces konqueror with the first found from a list
"konqbrowser" << "rekonq" << "firefox" << "chromium-browser" << "google-chrome"

it also replaces konsole with KDE IM Contacts (telepathy), I feel like if you need konsole you know where to find it, IM contacts though are needed by all

and it replaces KMail with Kontact, if we have a nice suite for personal information we should show that and not hide it away.

And comments?

I am personally 100% for this. Especially the bit about Kontact

One change I missed out from what Kubuntu did in Plasma 4 is change kwrite to kate. I've never understood the point of kwrite, it feels like kate without the tabs for each file, but everyone is used to tabs now.

kde-jriddell wrote:it also replaces konsole with KDE IM Contacts (telepathy), I feel like if you need konsole you know where to find it, IM contacts though are needed by all

Hm, I'm not sure about this. Yes, Konsole may be considered an "advanced" application, but to be honest, few Linux users will get around having to use it at some point. For most novice users, I expect the first situation where they'll use it is when they have a problem, google it, and the proposed solution includes typing something into a terminal (which most solutions I find on the Internet to the problems I have seem to do). Most of these solutions won't tell them where to find Konsole, so in such a situation (when they'll probably already feel pretty overwhelmed and scared by the prospect of having to type something into a terminal), it would be comforting to not have to search for it.

As for KTp: Yes, it is something that most (certainly not all!) users will probably want to use, but I don't think a link in the favorites is the best way to access it. IM is a typical background task. It's something you always want to be there, not open explicitly in some specific situations. Therefore I find activating the "Instant Messaging Presence" Plasmoid in the Systray by default a much more useful way than putting the contact list in favorite applications.

kde-jriddell wrote:it also replaces konsole with KDE IM Contacts (telepathy), I feel like if you need konsole you know where to find it, IM contacts though are needed by all

While what colamar says might be true in some cases, i would argue that a terminal application is not a "favourite" application for newcomers. I also think that a newcomer won't need a terminal right away - and in the case that he needs one he should already be familiar enough with the desktop environment that he will find a terminal emulator either via search or through the kickoff application launcher.

So my vote goes to: do not include konsole in the favourite applications section of kickoff

Kate over Kwrite - I also don't understand the reason for the 2 as Kwrite is pretty much tabless Kate

re browser: be cool if at first run a menu selection was provided for browser preference from a list of browsers installed and it also changed the default browser in the Default Applications kcm

google01103 wrote:re browser: be cool if at first run a menu selection was provided for browser preference from a list of browsers installed and it also changed the default browser in the Default Applications kcm

+1 for the browser selection. in kubuntu firefox isn't installed, but when you select firefox the first time from kickoff, the install message will come like for additional codec.

I'm kinda partial to having Konsole being on the favorites, but don't let my consternation cause eternal second guessing.

If it is helpful we have some defined Personas that you can use to help decide what applications might be useful to have in a list of default favorites. My suggestion:

• Pick one or more personas that you would like to cater to with the default list of favorites
• Decide which of the available applications they might like to find easily or quickly based on a few scenarios (immediately after first startup, first day of use, first weekend of use, others?)
• Keep the number of applications in the 4-8(?) range.

Just a few ideas that I'm hoping might be helpful!

Is this not really for the distros to decide and change accordingly depending on what apps they are shipping and their intended audience?

davidwright wrote:Is this not really for the distros to decide and change accordingly depending on what apps they are shipping and their intended audience?

Of course in the end it's up to distros. However, providing sensible defaults from our side makes their lives easier, and shapes the user's experience on those distros which don't change the default.

I thought that "Favourites" was, errm, the user's choice... silly me

The idea of 'default favourites' seems rather contradictory in terms... but I see, I think, where your coming from, or going to...