Ubuntu 11.10

One computer is limping along on Ubuntu 11.10. The upgrade can be a disaster and the upgrade failure strikes randomly. See Ubuntu 11.10 first upgrade. I suggest you do not risk the upgrade to 11.10 unless you have a spare computer for testing or very good backups. Test restoring from backup before you risk the upgrade.

During the upgrade from Ubuntu 11.4, Ubuntu 11.10 installed a mass of software not requested or required. There is a lot of junk you can clean out. Ubuntu does not remember the applications you delete and blindly reinstalls the junk every release. Ubuntu 11.10 appears to add far more applications than any previous release.

Brasero Disk Burner is still in there despite the software producing mostly useless disks, usually called coasters because the only thing they are good for is use as drinks coasters. Ten years ago disk burning software was this bad on Windows then everyone installed the free Nero supplied with every CD drive and coasters disappeared. Now everyone uses Imgburn on Windows for perfect disks every time and no licensing problems. One day Ubuntu might install something as good as Imgburn and Brasero will go away. Until then I will use file sharing to burn the disks from Windows.

Byobu Terminal is wasting space. Ubuntu already has a standard terminal application chewing up space on disk for those emergencies where Ubuntu is missing administration applications. Why add another device to resuscitate Ubuntu when Ubuntu is sick? Focus on removing the disease.

Computer Janitor produces some really strange items for deletion including applications you carefully selected then installed. Start Computer Janitor. Use the deselect all to stop all the insane selections then select and delete items one at a time. After each deletion, you have to select Show previously ignoted to see the full list. You can also leave the list in Computer Janitor and use the Ubuntu Software Centre to delete unused items.

Epiphany is a Web browser made obsolete by Firefox and again by Chrome. I deleted Epiphany but the menu entry is stuck in the menu.

Evolution was installed by Ubuntu despite everyone using Thunderbird. Ubuntu used to push Evolution back in every release. Ubuntu 11.10 appears to have installed the latest release of Thunderbird instead of Evolution but evolution was still listed. It is gone now.

FreeCell Solitaire can go. You can get rid of the whole games menu entry or move the games down into a submenu of accessories for those rare occasions when you are trapped on a plane and you run out of novels.

Onboard is a software keyboard you can use with tablet computers that do not have a real keyboard. For everyone else, Onboard creates two menu entries you could remove to simplify life.

Orca Screen Reader is useful for visually impaired people but chews up a main menu entry for everyone else. I deleted Orca to simplify the menu. If Ubuntu menu entries were easier to change, I could have moved it to a submenu in accessories in case a visitor needs Orca.

Feel free to recommend any other deletions. Please provide the reasons for deleting and keeping.