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Launchpad Entry: ubuntu-branding
Created: 2007-03-15 by PeteSavage
Contributors: PeteSavage
Packages affected: Creation of new package
Summary
Roadmap for bringing a branding engine to Ubuntu
Rationale
There is a need especially, for Educational and Loco teams, to be able to easily brand Ubuntu. Several schools have now shown interest in taking Edubuntu as a base, and either customizing the live CD, or branding an installation of Edubuntu on the HDD. The aim of Ubrander would be to create an easy to use package for taking an existing artwork package, and reworking it to produce a standalone artwork package which could be rolled out to any machine, or used to brand a Live CD.
Use cases
Melissa wants to create a Live CD to distribute to the children she teaches at school. Her admins say they can create the CD for her if she can provide an artwork package. Melissa doesn't know all the ins and outs of packaging so she uses UBrander to create the artwork package.
Simon runs a LoCo team for Ubuntu and thinks it would be great to have LoCo specific artwork. He decides to use UBrander to create an artwork pacakge that is easy to download and install.
Scope
Creation of an entire engine for branding artwork.
Design and Implementation
Format
The package will take the exact same format as the current Ubuntu Artwork packages and will basically just replace files and change a few filenames.
Goals
To make it easy to create artwork for Ubuntu. Currently things like usplash are a pain to create artwork for. Ubrander will have tabs for the different types of artwork that can be branded.
- If creating a Live CD, UBrander will create the pcx/ole files needed to brand the boot screen.
- Usplash
- UBrander will read in a large resolution file, and once tick boxes have been ticked to support other resolutions, will resize the images and create the palettes for them. Ubrander will then put the files in the correct place ready to package up.
- GDM Login
- While not able to provide a full on editing engine for GDM login screens, things like login box justification (left, right, top, bottom, center) will be possible. Along with changing the background, font colours, etc
- Gnome Splash
Adding a simple image to take the place of the gdm splash, with the option to round edges
- Backgrounds
- Obviously the easiest options to change
- Fonts
- Not sure if it's currently supported, but the changing of default fonts may be a useful feature
- Gtk theme
- The option to change all the colours etc of the gtk.rc theme file. Hopefully with a live preview image.
- Icon Theme
- Ability to add custom icon sets to the artwork package.
Notes
Could we do this as a stripped down version of the work from the reconstructor project?
- Would there be any value in a OEM-style 'brand-admin' roast?