Ubuntu 14.10 Convergence To Focus On Replacing Core Apps

With Ubuntu 14.04 LTS due to be shipped this week, Canonical developers are already well at work on formulating their plans for the Ubuntu 14.10 release due out in October. Given Ubuntu's tablet/phone focus and convergence strategy, that will be the big aim of this post-LTS release.

Ubuntu developers have been working towards a convergence strategy with having the same software stack and apps across Ubuntu for the phone, tablets, and laptops/desktops. Now being free of the Long Term Support requirements, Ubuntu 14.10 will go heavy in their paths of a converged UI and apps. Robert Ancell laid out some early Ubuntu 14.10 plans this morning via the ubuntu-desktop list. To summarize the initial tasks for their convergence work in Ubuntu 14.10 includes:

- Deprecating gnome-session within Ubuntu 14.10 since this process is now handled via Upstart/systemd.

- Move screensaver management into the shell.

- Move PolicyKit handling into the shell.

- Gut unity-settings-daemon since when the convergence strategy is complete it shouldn't be needed. As part of that, the Ubuntu System Settings need to be made desktop capable.

- Replace more of the Ubuntu core apps in the desktop stack. Items like the calculator and file manager currently in Ubuntu (mostly from the GNOME world) will be replaced with Canonical's new software applications designed around a converged experience.