I would like to know what software you would want default installed on linux. Don't forget to think about what your grandparent mom dad son or daughter would want.

What is the context of this question?
Are you referring to a particular distribution?

distribution isn't important im looking to see what people would want to install on a desktop distro.

We need to know the purpose of your question. Are you asking because you're thinking about building your own distro? Any individual is going to give you different answers. For instance, I get use out of web development tools/services, along with the normal word processing and web browsing apps.Another person might say they just need to edit files or run a DNS server.

There are so many distributions available now for desktop use, the addition of another, unless it can really provide something new to the community, would probably not be worth it. That is, unless you're just looking to increase your knowledge.

browser
e-mail client
image editor
word processor
image album manager
CD burner
...etc
...etc
...etc

I can't see how this is going to help you......

I really don't know how this became so complicated.

if you don't know than don't reply. It's simple to answer.

I use firefox openoffice etc

I'm sure we're willing to answer. Anyone can spout off what apps they use, but WHY do you want to know? Is it homework? Are you creating a distro? Are you researching for some market?

So, for me specifically, on a desktop:
Gnome
OpenOffice
Firefox
DOSBox
bash
sed/awk
lsof
ssh
vnc
k3b
... And hundreds more.

So, without knowing WHY or HOW you are using the information, we can't provide informed answers.

I want to make a custom install of linux mint for installing on pc's I intend to sell. I know what I like on mint, but I'm interested in what the community uses so that I can do a proper job.

So I'm asking what people use with gnome and are essential. p2p, multimedia, office, games, etc.

Noting!

Both KDE and GNOME come with far too much stuff.

Who needs 10 different ways to set a reminder, 10 different ways to read your email, and 10 different ways to fax, all starting with the letter K?

Or for that matter, who needs KDE?

If I were selling open-source systems, I think I would install only the basic functionality, and then supply clear and easy instructions for how to get other things (or how to pay YOU to add stuff).

Take a look at how the Acer netbook is setup---SIMPLE!!

But---we still don't know your target customer(s)---in some cases, you might want to interview them and do a custom setup. In other cases, they would get upset just by having any questions at all.......

Ok, so now we're getting somewhere! Are you planning to host a repository so they can download any extra packages they want?

My first inclination is to say "only install the bare essentials" that will allow them to get started", such as OpenOffice and Firefox and make sure they have a functional package manager.

My second thought is, why go through all that trouble? Why not just install the well-known Ubuntu and leave it at that? There's plenty of support for it, and nothing you have to keep continual updates, or really support, on.

my target customer would be someone with a small budget. Another customer
would be senior citizens. I would like to bundle a customized version of linux mint on this http://pccyber.com/?v=Category&c=284 I'm referring to the two via based pc's. I really like the suggestion you made. I could write some scripts to install software bundles, like media, or office, p2p etc.

I wasn't planning on having my own repository but I would add optional sources that I could maybe add to a bundle script. I will be using linux mint a ubuntu based os.

In addition to the useful suggestions above, vym (not a typo; not vim) is a necessity for me, but seems to be of little interest to most people (alternatives exist; vym is faster to use than most of them and that is the most important thing for me). A decent GUI text editor (kate).

Opera is a requirement for me, although most people are happy (happier?) with some variant of firefox. For me, konqueror is more vital than firefox as I tend to use opera for the web and konq as a file manager.

The Gimp and/or krita (currently, on an old-ish distro, just prefer the Gimp, but krita is progressing fast and at some point will probably take over.)

Package managers and manipulators; obviously depends on what works with your chosen package format, but on *buntu I want Synaptic, Kpackage, Adept as well as the command line tools.

Something to observe system behavious (ksysguard) although that probably scares some of your target audience (and may not be totally necessary if you have the obvious command line programs, top, etc - a general market of pensioners using top???). Ditto wireshark and mtr. Umbrello, eclipse although, as far as I can tell, they would definitely not be on the aganda for your target audience. Python. Geda (well, you asked!). Hex editor (ditto).

Again, there are a number of system utils that I haven't mentioned because they seem like 'the obvious command line utils'; not clear whether you would have wanted them.

Running:

IceWM (+ Control Center on X server)
PCManFM
Opera (+ mail client) )
Xterm
Slim
Open Office
k3b
mplayer
Pidgin
Gimp

Hidden from GUI tools like nano and such. (replace nano with your favorite editor )

Installed cups and printer libraries (don't normally print anything, but just n case )
A common set of games ( Solitare and such. )

Keeps things easy to troubleshoot.