# Ayatana Indicators

## Who is here?

  * https://wiki.debian.org/DesktopEnvironment
    -> major desktops in Debian

  * How many GNOMEv3 users?
  * How many KDEv5 users?
  * How many MATE, XFCE users?
  * How many LXQt/LXDE users?
  * How many Unity 7 users?
    * 2?
  * others?
  
  * Please add notes:
 

 
    ```
    $ gobby infinote://gobby.debian.org/debconf17/talk/ayatana-indicators
    ```



## Indicators - The Idea

  * http://www.notmart.org/misc/statusnotifieritem/index.html
    - status notifier items -> originated from the KDE world
    - Ubuntu / Ayatana Indicators -> bringing the idea to the
      GTK-2/3/... world


NOTES:
  - <please put down notes here>



## Ubuntu Indicators - Heritage

  * https://launchpad.net/ayatana
    - Ayatana Team on Launchpad

  * http://unity.ubuntu.com/projects/appindicators/
    - concept + screenshot
    - API documentation
    
  * https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Indicators
    - concept schematics

  * Sketches:
    - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Sound
    - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SessionMenu
    - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Power
    - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MessagingMenu
    - other applications: 

  * Widgets Overview:
    - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SystemComponents

  * Comments:
    - original target: GNOMEv2 (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS)
    - later target: Unity 7 (until Ubuntu 16.04 LTS)
    - +/- abandoned now (about to be moved to MOTU reigned
      realm)


NOTES:
  - <please put down notes here>


## Why Canonical Upstream is an Unsufficient Upstream

  * Broken upstream -> downstream workflow. Unclear split between upstream
    releases and Ubuntu releases
  * debian/source/format -> 1.0
  * Outdated tarball releases for upstream projects, if any
  * Various Ubunutu upstream projects for their desktop require
    Ubuntu-specific patches in their version of GTK-3+

  * Regular strategy changes at Canonical Ltd. obsolete projects
    in non-foreseeable intervals -> lack of reliability / sustainability
    
NOTES:
  - <please put down notes here>



## Ubuntu Indicators in Debian

  * Totally unmaintained
  * Main reason: Ubuntu Indicators FTBFS against Debian's GTK-3+ due to
    lack of some Ubuntu-specifc patches, esp.
    http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-desktop/gtk/ubuntugtk3/view/head:/debian/patches/ubuntu_gtk_custom_menu_items.patch
  * Ubuntu Indicators are highly Unity Desktop Environment centric
  * Recent patches added to support the MATE Desktop Environment
  * Ubuntu Indicators are not used by GNOMEv3 anymore (AFAIK)
  


NOTES:
  - <please put down notes here>


## Ayatana Indicators by Arctica Project

  * Source code on Github
    https://github.com/ArcticaProject?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=ayatana&type=&language=
    
  * Side-project: Arctica Greeter (incl. Remote Logon functionality)
    https://github.com/ArcticaProject?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=greeter&type=&language=

  * Status:
    - all indicator related libraries now work on non-Ubuntu systems
    - ported indicators: application, power, session
    - w-i-p: messaging, sound
  
  * Goal:
    - Open to contributions
    - Support as many desktop environments as possible
    - Work across all Linux distros

  * What is cool:::
    - applications built against Ubuntu's libappinidicator display themselves
      in Ayatana Indicator based panel applets/plugins
  


NOTES:
  - <please put down notes here>



## Ayatana Packagers in Debian

  * Revival of the Ayatana Packagers team
    - https://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=pkg-ayatana-devel@lists.alioth.debian.org

  * Mixture of packaging Ubuntu upstream projects (those that make sense) and
    package Ubuntu-derived upstream projects maintained elsewhere meanwhile,
    esp. the Ayatana Indicators


NOTES:
  - <please put down notes here>



## Todos for Ayatana Indicators

  - MANY MANY MANY
  - Conserve documentation, design ideas, etc. found on the Ubuntu Wiki
  - Implement XFCE support
  - Transition from libindicator to libayatana-indicator
  - Transition in Debian from libappindicator to libayatana-appindicator
  - Port more native indicator-* packages to Ayatana Indicators