We’re only Human after all: a review of Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon

Desktop search

One of the most significant new features in Ubuntu 7.10 is the inclusion of Tracker, a search and indexing system that makes it easy to find files and other content. Similar to Apple's Spotlight or the Google Desktop search tool, Tracker automatically detects when files are modified and then indexes the contents of those files so that they can be located instantly with a search query. Tracker is a relatively new indexing system and still has some rough edges, but it gets the job done. Tracker is enabled by default and can be used through several search integration points, including Deskbar, application file dialogs, and Nautilus.

The easiest way to use Tracker is to click the Search button in a Nautilus file manager window. When the user clicks the Search button, the Nautilus path bar will be replaced with a search text box. Type a search query into the text box and hit Enter to see the results, which will be displayed in the Nautilus window. Since Tracker indexes files as they are created and changed, the results of a Tracker search will be displayed very quickly, and the search will operate on the contents of files in addition to file names. Searches can also be performed in save or open file dialog windows by selecting the Search item in the Places sidebar.

Users can also perform Tracker searches with Deskbar, a powerful and extensible launcher utility with built-in search integration support. Deskbar, which is part of GNOME and included in Ubuntu, is somewhat similar to the popular Quicksilver utility for Mac OS X. To perform a Deskbar search, hold the Alt key on the keyboard and hit F3, then type a query. Deskbar will display a list of actions that can be taken for that query as well as a list of matching files and folders.

Tracker searches can also be performed with Tracker's own search tool, which is available on the Accessories submenu of the system Applications menu. The Tracker search tool is relatively straightforward. Users input a query and hit enter or click the search button, and the results are displayed in the window. The column on the left-hand side can be used to filter search results by category and the main pane will list search results. A collapsible panel at the bottom of the window will display the metadata of the selected item and can be used to assign tags. Tracker's tagging feature is similar to that of popular web services like Del.icio.us, and it allows users to assign arbitrary tag names for files to make them easier to locate in the future.

Tracker's search tool has a decent user interface, but it is missing essential functionality that significantly decreases its usefulness. The lack of support for sorting search results by date in the Tracker search tool, for instance, makes it almost useless when searching a large number of files.

Tracker's search and indexing capabilities support instant messaging logs and e-mails in addition to regular files. At the present time, Evolution is the only e-mail client for which indexing is supported. Thunderbird indexing support works experimentally, but is not available in Ubuntu 7.10.

The decision to use Tracker by default in Ubuntu rather than the similar Beagle indexing system is somewhat controversial. Beagle can index more content and provides a more functional search tool with features like date sorting. Beagle is already included in popular Linux distributions like OpenSUSE and has been tested more extensively. Tracker offers several features that are not in Beagle's repertoire, including support for advanced metadata storage and fine-grained performance control. The value of Tracker's much-touted metadata storage features is still somewhat theoretical since the Xesam metadata and desktop search API is still not fully defined.

One area where Tracker provides a clear advantage over Beagle is performance control. The Indexing Preferences dialog gives users extensive control over performance and resource consumption. Users can choose Tracker's indexing speed and configure Tracker's memory footprint. Users can also choose how much content is indexed, and whether or not thumbnails should be generated when the files are indexed. In addition to providing performance controls, the Indexing Preferences dialog can also be used to configure which paths are indexed by Tracker. By default, Tracker will index the user's home directory.

When I reviewed a previous version of Tracker in July, I encountered some performance and stability problems that significantly detracted from the experience. These seem to have been resolved and I have not observed similar problems in the version of Tracker that is included in Ubuntu 7.10. Although Tracker hasn't impressed me yet, I'm looking forward to seeing how its more advanced features are used elsewhere in the desktop environment in future versions of Ubuntu.