problems with v.11.04 after upgrade

[tetsu7]

I have upgraded from ubuntu v. 10.10 (ultimate edition v. 2.9) to ubuntu 11.04 and after fixing many major problems I am left with a couple minor problems though extremly irritating that may make me go back to 10.10 if I cannot resolve it. I cannot get my wallpaper to change. no matter what background I change it to it always stays as a solid grey color. Does anyone know how to fix this? Also none of the animations nor the cube in compiz work. All I get is wobbly windows and the wall. does anyone know how to fix this? I am using unity. I have installed the latest nvidia graphics card driver. does anyone know how to attach things like launchers to the top panel while using unity, or is it just not possible? is it possible to change the top panel's theme in unity? when i change the theme only the windows change but not the panel. btw im new to linux im in my last 2 weeks of an intermediate linux class. I thank you in advance to anyone that can offer me any advice as ive been wrestling with this all day instead of getting my homework done.

[Blasphemist]

If you login choosing the classic or unity 2d sessions, do you still have the background problem? I'm thinking you do have an nvidia issue. There have been a ton of posts on nvidia issues. Try a search for you version and see what threads you see. There may be something that will help. I don't have nvidia so I'm no expert on it.

[Blasphemist]

I just saw another post that wasn't about the same thing you have but did mention going to the nvidia control panel. Have you looked there to see if anything in it will help?

[tetsu7]

thank you for your reply sir. i didnt see anything useful in the nvidia control panel. i do know that the old nvidia driver will not work anymore because i had huge problems until i was able to install the new one. i tried unity2d and actually had more problems such as everything locking up. im in mythbuntu right now with the same problem ive also tried ubuntu, lxde, lubuntu with the same problems exactly, i tried a few others that were disastrous so they arnt even worth mentioning. however when i went to KDE plasma workspace i also had all of the same problems except for one, i was able to finally change the wallpaper but still no compiz effects except for the wall. the wall also works in mythbuntu. however the wall will not work in any of the others. i just get nothing.

[tetsu7]

another bit of information, ive noticed while logging out in that millisecond before it logs out i can see my chosen wallpaper as the grey wallpaper winks out. i dont know what that means or if it has any relevance to my compiz problem but just thought id throw that out there.

[Blasphemist]

Curiouser and curiouser. What are you trying to use for wallpaper? I am using a picture from picasa and I just used picasa to pick it and tell the system to use it. On the appearance preferences, background tab, is grey and solid color what it shows? Have you tried one of the backgrounds shown there? If you change the color there does it change what you see? It seems like you have the gray overlaying your choice and I haven't yet figured out how.

[tetsu7]

ive tried lots of the default backgrounds always with the same result. nothing changes. ive also gone to usr/share/backgrounds and this background that i cant get rid of isnt even there. also in appearance preferences ive changed the color of the solid color but it has no effect on the background that i see.