# The Ubuntu Forum Community > Ubuntu Specialised Support > System76 Support > [SOLVED] Location of programs in 12.04?

## andrewdied

I've upgraded my 11.04 System76 laptop to Ubuntu 12.04. How do I find programs with the Dash thing? It feels like I'm guessing to discover what programs are installed. 

The old "Start" menu has it's drawbacks, but it does allow me to browse installed programs by category.

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## mikewhatever

Dash has categories similar to the old Gnome2 applications menu.


PS: Start menu? Are you sure it was 11.04?

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## Enigmapond

On the bottom of Dash there are 5 icons Home-Applications-documents-music-videos. Also just type the name of what you are looking for and it will come up.

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## andrewdied

> Dash has categories similar to the old Gnome2 applications menu.


Ah, that will help. It's pretty close to what I was looking for. Thanks.




> PS: Start menu? Are you sure it was 11.04?


I'm pretty sure it was that. I think it was 11.10 where there was no going back to the old ubuntu setup. It wasn't a bottom-left-corner Windows XP style menu, but the Applications/options/system top left style.

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## andrewdied

> On the bottom of Dash there are 5 icons Home-Applications-documents-music-videos. Also just type the name of what you are looking for and it will come up.


I was looking for how to search through the applications. Typing in semi-random names to look for apps isn't very user-friendly. It'd be nice if I could open up the right side bar options automatically on the applications tab.

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## boonlia

Sorry if i sound a noob but what i guess is that you were earlier using gnome desktop with windows like menu. Gnome Desktop environment is installed by default. All you need to do is just click the Ubuntu icon on the login page and select Gnome as your desktop environment.

I hope this works well

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## andrewdied

Oh, I'm happy to give the new UI a try. If there wasn't going to be an easy way to launch programs without memorizing them, though, it was going to get tossed away fast. As is, if I can't get sound working correctly (without stuttering) I'm moving to KDE or something else that will work.

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## DuckDodgers

The big problem is that the aplication menu is compleately unorginized, so you have to sift through all the diffrent types of programs even if you know what catagoty of program you want, but not the name of that program.  this is really a pain when you have a lot of applications that you don't use that often.

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## SuperFreak

Recommend Cinnamon DE
http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/
Fairly easy to install on Ubuntu

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## isantop

> The big problem is that the aplication menu is compleately unorginized, so you have to sift through all the diffrent types of programs even if you know what catagoty of program you want, but not the name of that program.  this is really a pain when you have a lot of applications that you don't use that often.


Actually, in most cases, you can type what you want to do, and the dash will give you a relevant application. If you open it and type "music", for example, you get Rhythmbox. Typing "internet" gives you Firefox.

If you don't know the name, and searching for the function doesn't give you what you want, then all you need to do is hit Super+A (or right click on the Ubuntu button, then choose "Applications), then click "Filter results".

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## DuckDodgers

You're right that filter results does work well once you know it's there.  Thanks :Smile:

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## Ram0ne

I've just done a dist upgrade from 10.04 to 12.04, what a load of rubbish.

Where are my installed apps? Click dash have to do a search cause they are not listed. Just used to be 3 clicks to get them running.....

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## isantop

> I've just done a dist upgrade from 10.04 to 12.04, what a load of rubbish.
> 
> Where are my installed apps? Click dash have to do a search cause they are not listed. Just used to be 3 clicks to get them running.....


It's even faster now. You hit the Super/Ubuntu key, then type the app you want, then hit enter. If I want to open FireFox (and it isn't on my launcher), then I hit Super, type "firef" then enter. It takes less than one second, and it's much faster than hunting through the menu categories in Gnome 2.

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