Ubuntu 14.04.1 - Swap out GUI Desktop?

[J Tinsby]

@J Tinsby


Not quite sure how to respond, assuming I could be of any help.

Sorry I was referring to Post #8, inadvertently didn't use the correct choice to quote.

J T

[JKyleOKC]

Now I shall fully reveal my ignorance here, so please feel free to laugh. I quite honestly don't mind, as long as I learn in the process.

My understanding of Ubuntu is:

1) More hardware and software (programs) are made for Ubuntu than for any other Linux distro.

2) Ubuntu is the Linux engine - on top of which different GUI's (desktop layouts) can be overlaid.

3) I have read Gnome 3, for example, is easier to navigate and more glitch-free (whatever that means) than Ubuntu Unity - but Gnome is slow to implement Ubuntu updates.

I guess the big question I am asking is when I settle upon Ubuntu, which I definitely will do, can I modify/exchange the desktop GUI so it is faster and more efficient for my work environment?

I'm coming into this thread a bit late; just discovered it. I don't see that anyone has answered these three questions, though. And while all three are close to correct, the rather minor errors in your assumptions can lead to not-so-minor problems down the way.

I'll start with number 2: "Linux" itself is the underlying engine that controls everything else. Back in the beginning, we geeks installed it plus the necessary development tools, then rolled our own utilities to be able to edit files, connect to networks, and so on. Before long people began to assemble groups of such tools, and these groups became known as distributions. One of the first was known as Slackware. One of the best known was Red Hat. Eventually one called Debian came into existence. Each of these was different, and each has had its promoters. As time passed, faults were found with each of the older distributions, and "derivatives" were developed, based on an existing distribution but modified to some degree to correct such faults or to introduce new features.

While this was happening, developers came up with ways to simplify installation of software, which became known as packages. A software package is simply a file that contains not only a piece of software, but all the information needed to install it into your system. Red Hat developed something called the Red Hat Package Manager, which puts its packages into RPM files. Debian created a different approach with its Debian Package that calls its files DEB files and uses a program called dpkg to manage them.

Ubuntu is a derivative of Debian, which means that most if not all of the software available in DEB files for Debian and its other derivatives can be installed into Ubuntu systems. Mint, by the way, began as a derivative of Ubuntu. The other *buntu flavors all share the basic UIbuntu structure and files, but may have different utilities and definitely do have different desktop appearances.

Now to question 1. It's not quite true that Ubuntu has more programs available than any other distribution. Debian itself claims that distinction, with more than 14,000 programs in its repositories. However this is a rather minor point since almost no one ever uses more than a small fraction of the programs available.

And finally, question 3: The statement is actually reversed. Ubuntu updates usually lag behind "upstream" material such as Gnome. One of the major differences between Debian (and many others) and ubuntu deals with the schedeuling of updates. Debian has no specific schedule for doing updates; they claim that software is released "when it's ready" without regard to the calendar. Ubuntu, on the other hand, follows a strict schedule of issuing a new major release every six months, in April and October of each year. Once such a release is frozen (several months before the actual release date to allow time for testing and bug-fixing) nothing in it gets updated until the next release, except for security fixes.

The result is that Ubuntu always lags behind the upstream updates. The benefit is that we users know that no major change is going to happen to us unexpectedly. With a "rolling release" policy such as that of its parent Debian, updates can appear at any time.

As for the different desktops, yes, just about any window manager or development environment can be overlaid onto any flavor of *buntu systems. My own preference is for Xubuntu, which I originally configured to look much like the Win98SE systems from which I migrated back in 2007 or so but over the years have tuned to match my own preferred way to work. I find it much easier to tweak into shape than any of the other flavors, or any of the other distributions with which I have experimented.

Hope this helps get your feet on the ground with making the switch. I think you'll find it well worth while -- I know that I did!

[J Tinsby]

I have used avant-window-navigator for the dock. To disable the MAC-like look/panels, disable Unity in CCSM. (and add sleep 3; initctl --user stop unity-panel-service to your start-up apps)

Once installed, go to AWN settings, and customize the way you like.

Just search for a Windows-like wallpaper, and you have a Windows-like experience!

Jonathan,

Is the AWN part of Docky? If I use Synaptic and enter AWN it comes up with only 'Docky" as a choice. But the post below your shows a different icon layout in Docky on the desktop bottom. Is AWN a choice included in Docky? And when I install it can I safely go back to Unity if I don't care for AWN or whatever?

Thanks,

J T

[JeQhdMD]

NOTE: be very careful with major desktop modifications - - - unless you know exactly what you're doing. I would suggest waiting for a few months before making these kind of changes to any Linux default desktop. Ongoing routine system updates may not work and even totally hose your system.

Minor updates or changes are a different matter (such things as new wallpapers, themes, fonts, etc. which are part of the included settings manager).

A word to the wise.

[J Tinsby]

NOTE: be very careful with major desktop modifications - - - unless you know exactly what you're doing. I would suggest waiting for a few months before making these kind of changes to any Linux default desktop. Ongoing routine system updates may not work and even totally hose your system.

Minor updates or changes are a different matter

Thanks for the warning, but it seems a bit disingenuous to have the various DE's available if in fact they are a 'time release" ticking time bomb, waiting for an update to destroy the OS.

Seems I tried the KDE DE and couldn't get it off the system so I just blew it all out and started over. No update involved, but the list of things that were to be removed was HUGE.

If I had a reliable way to back up the system that I knew would work every time, like Acronis does in *******, I'd try another DE and just restore the image of the original. But Deja Dupe doesn't make images it makes copies and won't format the partition to install an image. Acronis does recognize the EXT4 system but my friend has had mixed success using it in Linux. <sigh> He's always trying different things and rarely even has the sides on the box he uses!

I am not about to try it right now: risk vs reward I guess.



J T

[JKyleOKC]

If I had a reliable way to back up the system that I knew would work every time, like Acronis does in *******, I'd try another DE and just restore the image of the original.

I am not about to try it right now: risk vs reward I guess.

You might look into clonezilla, which is in the repositories and can be downloaded as an ISO to create a live CD much like Acronis works in Windows.

I've not used it myself due to lack of external drives large enough to hold full images of my systems, but it seems to have a very good reputation.

[J Tinsby]

You might look into clonezilla, which is in the repositories and can be downloaded as an ISO to create a live CD much like Acronis works in Windows.

I've not used it myself due to lack of external drives large enough to hold full images of my systems, but it seems to have a very good reputation.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the info, I have heard of Clonezilla but never tried it. That will be job 1 today! Only way to tell if it's going to work is to actually make a backup and then try it. It can be a bit scary but it's the only way to tell

J T

[fballem]

Hi,

You will get a lot of opinions - all of them valid for that user's circumstances. My suggestion would be to select the buntu flavour that seems appropriate to your workstation. Personally, I use Ubuntu 14.04 with very few changes. I have two monitors. The dock is in the standard position (on the left side of the left monitor). I changed the theme, and I changed the behaviour of the displays so that the application menus are in the title bar of the window as opposed to the global menu bar. It did not take too long to get used to it and I find it to be very efficient.

There is an article here that may be of interest: http://lifehacker.com/five-best-linu...nts-1648022755

Hope this helps,