Ubuntu/Unity usability help!

[kio_http]

Hi, I want to test out Unity on Ubuntu and I have looked for ways to solve these problems but couldn't find any.

• The Unity launcher cannot be placed at the bottom. I hate getting horizontal scroll bars on netbooks. (Wasn't unity designed for netbooks in the first place)
  
• Elements on the dash are oversized, space waster on small screens. It should have a scaling algorithm to show more content on small screens
  
• The dash can get slow to use and there is a type lag on GMA950. I changed some settings in ccsm and its much better but not perfect regarding the dash.
  
• Launcher is irritating to use with autohide as it doesn't appear due to sensitivity settings. (Even on the highest sensitivity settings)
  
• Controls such as wireless management seem dated.
  
• Lack of an address bar in nautilus, E.g in Dolphin (KDE) and windows explorer when you click at the side of the bread crumbs, you get an address bar where you can type.
  
• ALT + F2 offers to run commands that don't exist and even saves them in recent history. Krunner is by far more powerful. E.g in Unity I can do ALT + F2 "this-command-does-not-exist" and it allows me to run it. If I do the same with krunner it does not offer to run it nor does it save it in recent history.

[pompel9]

Just my input on your points.

I think the launcher have been hard-locked by the devs (not sure, but looks that way).

You can change it. Don't remember exactly now how to do it. But you can change it to laptop (netbook) settings. It's set to automatic as default.

I have never had any lag on the dash, but I don't have that system either.

I have never tried to hide, so I don't know how it works.

Not sure what you mean by that.

Actually, you can get the address bar on nautilus. But you have to run a terminal command. You can find the information you need here http://www.liberiangeek.net/2012/05/...cise-pangolin/

Not sure what you mean by that.

[kio_http]

Just my input on your points.

Actually, you can get the address bar on nautilus. But you have to run a terminal command. You can find the information you need here http://www.liberiangeek.net/2012/05/...cise-pangolin/

Not sure what you mean by that.

But then you lose the breadcrumbs, I want to have both (like in Windows and KDE), I want the default behavior but when I click it turns into an address bar.

[grahammechanical]

You are talking about personal preferences. It will also help if you mention what version of Ubuntu you are using. There is a big improvement between Unity on 11.10 and Unity on 12.04. Improvements will continue to be made to Unity through to 14.04.

Notice this question from a FAQ on Mark Shuttleworth's blog.

I want to control what is searched on the Home Lens

Notice his reply.

So do I! Designs and patches welcome in the usual places. I’m pretty sure by 14.04 LTS we’ll have the kinks unkinked. Till then, come along for the ride, or stick with 12.04 LTS. We can’t wait till it’s perfect before landing everything, because the only way to learn what’s not perfect is to have other people – real people – use it.

http://www.markshuttleworth.com/

So, even Mark Shuttleworth does not always get his personal preferences.

Regards

[kio_http]

I'm using it on 12.10. Installed ubuntu-desktop on a Kubuntu system.

[kio_http]

any more ideas?

[rai4shu2]

I can't speak to Unity (having never really tried it because it's just way too sluggish on my system), but I could give you a rough comparison to Xfce.

Re launcher: Xfce has highly configurable panels which can be placed anywhere on your desktop.

Re elements: Xfce panel and desktop controls scale to the size you want.

Re speed: Xfce gives you about the best speed of any modern UI.

Re launcher: Xfce panel autohide doesn't depend on sensitivity. You simply move your mouse cursor there, and it appears.

Re wireless management: Network Manager? Yeah. It's bloated and unwieldy on any desktop. Good luck finding a replacement for it.

Re address bar: Not the default, but it is available (even in Thunar, oddly enough) in Toolbar style mode.

Re run: xfrun4 does not seem to suffer weird issues like that.

[zombifier25]

Judging from this post and previous posts, I don't think you should be using Unity anyway, so why stray from what you're comfortable with.

[kio_http]

Judging from this post and previous posts, I don't think you should be using Unity anyway, so why stray from what you're comfortable with.

I want to get it working, there are certain things like HUD that I like about it. The main reason though is that I like testing out desktop environments and want to give Unity a fair test even if its defaults are not so nice.

[vasa1]

Judging from this post and previous posts, I don't think you should be using Unity anyway, so why stray from what you're comfortable with.

I too get the same impression. At least going by the first post in this thread.
This business of the launcher at the bottom has been gone over so many many times ...