[ubuntu-in] How to get packages included by default future versions of Ubuntu

[Ramnarayan.K]

Hi

was wondering what the process is for a package to get included as a
default in future Ubuntu releases.

I suppose there is some popularity kind of thing involved, so any idea
how this process works.

See this article for some specific software that are proposed for "non
inclusion" in future Ubuntu releases.

http://insidesocal.com/click/2009/11/heard-at-the-ubuntu-developer.html

However i have a further serious question / comment

It used to be that an Ubuntu CD packed enough software to run a range
of stuff and the same CD included packages that could be installed
even if they weren't installed by default eg. Thunderbird, Gthumb, etc

Now Ubuntu continues to come packed with software and there seems to
be no space left over for additional packages that some of like (again
the above mentioned thunderbird, gthumb etc) It means that apart from
the base install we have to very quickly get access to a good net
connection or the repos before we have a "complete system". I
understand that many of us long time users have matured and are very
choosy about what we want to use but how it is that we miss out on so
many software that we would like to see by default (ignoring the
propreitory ones over which linux has no control). Is it that Linux is
getting bloated and that now the default install media should be a DVD
and not a CD. (like Ultimate -which too seems to miss thunderbird).

Another aspect that strikes me is that the technology to compress
software for a live cd (or to pack on to a disk) and its HD installed
version provides a high ratio. Eg a 700 MB install disk for Ubuntu
9.10 takes up about 2.5 Gig when installed. A 2.4 GB Ultimate DVD
takes up about 7 Gig when installed.

I also understand that different groups of people, regions etc have
different needs for software and there is possibly no distro that can
keep up with this varied demand and we will need to depend on
additional sources. The questions here are
1. what (or what should) constitutes a complete install
2. How much more media (or sources) will we require to configure a
full fledged OS (in the context that a few years back a single CD was
usually more then enough.

***
Lastly is there a way we (Ubuntu users) can collectively put our
preferences forward and make it know to the developers that we would
desperately like these packages to be part of the basic install.


look forward to comments and thoughts

ram