Ubuntu 12.10 will feature "Web Apps" intergration

News and Events
1

Has anyone ever felt like they should maybe have a quicker of editing their Google Docs, or maybe just want notifications about their favourite news site?

Meet, Ubuntu Web Apps.

What is it?

Ubuntu Web Apps, is a new API that will feature in Ubuntu 12.10. It allows you to intergrate your favourite sites with the Ubuntu desktop, and allows you to receive notifications natively, pin your favourite sites to the launcher for quicker access (launches via your web browser), and also takes advantage of the AWESOME, HUD feature in Unity.

The list of services/social sites supported is truely impressive.

News Sites:

Mail services:

Social Networks:

Games:

Office Apps:

Misc

These 30 sites aren’t the only ones just to be supported though. There is more to come, and developers can add support for their sites by reading the Ubuntu Web Apps API Documentation.

If your feeling impatient and want to test it in Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin, then users can add the PPA.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webapps/preview

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install unity-webapps-preview

Remember, you’ll be installing at your own risk. It’s been reported that there is A LOT of problems with getting it to work, and also uninstalling it has required some people, to do fresh installs. You’ve been warned.

I recommend you wait for the feature to land in Ubuntu 12.10.

2

Ahh … so it’s Ubuntu based with the ability to run Web apps in their own windows, and GWoffice integrated into the desktop … sounds like Peppermint Three to me :wink:

See the top posting here:
http://peppermintos.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=4524&start=30

3

No it’s not. It’s a completely different thing.

It’s an API that allows for online services/social sites to intergrate with Ubuntu, via Unity and it’s features like HUD & The Launcher and the dash.

Some “web apps” will just make use of the notification system, some will use the messaging menu, some will use HUD.

So for example, you can connect your social media accounts, like Google+, Twitter, etc, via the messaging menu, and have all your messages, email in one place, with the added benefit that they make use of the notification system too.

If your using something like Google docs, or Wordpress, you can use HUD to natively search for functions, so that you don’t have to go through lots and lots of menus to reach a certian function or tool.

With Web Apps, the websites do the work, not the user. Where as GWoffice and Ice, make the user do the work. Two completely different concepts.

4

If I’m not mistaken this all grew out of GWoffice, and the Ubuntu App Showdown contest ?

So Peppermint are going to beat them to the punch … though granted it won’t be as feature rich (in some peoples eyes feature rich = bloated, and overly featured/complex) as Ubuntu :wink:

I suppose I’ll make up my mind about these things if they are genuinely useful, rather than gimmicky polish.

I don’t (in general) like “cloud” apps, and GWoffice is likely to be one of the first things in Peppermint Three to get replaced on my machines … so I doubt if this will hold much fascination for me … but we’ll see.

5

From the Ubuntu App Showdown yes, I believe, but not from GWoffice. Frogger does the some of the same functions as the web apps API, but it makes the user do the work.

I’m genuinely excited for 12.10 as it’s mostly visual changes that are long over-due. I find myself being more and more reliant on having a notification system the ties in with my whole ecosystem, so having something that lets you access everything you need from the desktop without ever opening the browser is a HUGE benefit.

So for instance, sending a tweet from the messaging menu. Granted Gwibber can do this, and I use Gwibber, but it’s not, IMO, user friendly enough.