A matter of Classic mode and Unity

[rmcellig]

I am currently using Ubuntu 11.04 in classic mode and love it. I have tried a few times booting into Unity but I find that I use some functionality especially when it comes to the panel. The way I work, if I find something I use often, I drag it to the panel, be it a web site, application or file that I am working on. I love this kind of flexibility. Showing the desktop is easy as well. Just click on the show desktop icon in the panel.

When I am in unity, I get the feeling that I have lost that kind of functionality. I know about the Show Desktop option in Compiz but I find classic mode seems more suited to the way I work. Can someone please set me straight on this. Can I get the same kind of functionality in unity. Do I give up the way I work in classic mode when I switch to unity?

One final question. Will classic mode still be an option in 10.10 and future releases in the near future?

[marin123]

Super + d shows the desktop in Unity.

11.10 has classic desktop, but Gnome 3 fallback. It looks like Gnome 2, but it isn't.

[drawkcab]

Gnome 3 fallback definitely does not include the functionality you appreciate in Gnome 2.x. My guess is that the Gnome team will improve Gnome fallback over the next year.

I agree with you that unity just does not cut it. I believe that Gnome 3 shell is ultimately superior to unity although it also requires to learn a new way of working.

Your options at this point seem to be

1) stick with gnome 2.x which probably means you want to cross over to Debian stable or Mint Debian edition this year and wait to see what happens as gnome 3 fallback is developed

2) learn to love xubuntu as xfce 4.8 is more like gnome 2.x

3) bite the bullet and learn to work with gnome 3 or unity, my preference being the former

[rmcellig]

I guess what I can do is download a live CD of the latest 11.10 beta to see if I like Gnome Fallback? Does anyone have a quick link where I can download this? Thanks!!

[3Miro]

I guess what I can do is download a live CD of the latest 11.10 beta to see if I like Gnome Fallback? Does anyone have a quick link where I can download this? Thanks!!

I am not sure if you will be able to test Gnome-fallback from a liveCD. You will probably have to first install Ubuntu with Unity and only then install Gnome-fallback.

There is another alternative. You can try XFCE, which is a lot like Gnome 2, but it is not going away any time soon. You can install xfce within Ubuntu as is (i.e. sudo apt-get install xfce4) and then you can logout and chose xfce4 for login.

XFCE4 usually takes a bit more tweaking to setup then Gnome 2, but once you have it running the way you want, it gives you basically the same functionality. I have hard time thinking of a feature that it lacks (compared to Gnome 2) and I can think of couple that Gnome 2 lacks.

[crdlb]

I think you'll be satisfied with the fallback session. Just be aware that you need to hold Alt to modify the panel, and you'll probably want gnome-tweak-tool.

[el_koraco]

Unity rawks!

[rmcellig]

Whats the difference between choosing xubuntu session and XFce session?

You say that Unity Rawks. What rawks about Unity? I'm just curious so that I can take another look at it based on your comments.

[3Miro]

Whats the difference between choosing xubuntu session and XFce session?

You say that Unity Rawks. What rawks about Unity? I'm just curious so that I can take another look at it based on your comments.

They should be the same, maybe the default applets and panels are different for the two, but otherwise there should be no difference.

[krapp]

Ah yes Clearlooks, very telling. I'm not surprised you don't like Unity.

I think el_koraco was joking.

[el_koraco]

I think el_koraco was joking.

Hell no! I just set it up for my sister yesterday. It's much more stable than in April, looks great, is fast, has cool features, and isn't so anal like Gnome Shell. It needs some work still, but it's gonna be very sweet in a year's time.

[krapp]

Good, I rather like it too. Haven't given Gnome 3 or Gnome Shell a try yet, however.

[el_koraco]

They're kinda opposite. When I first used Unity, it was getting on my nerves. But a little later on, I found it sweet. When I first used GS, I thought it was very cool, but it soon infuriated me enough to give it up.

Plus, new users love Unity. My sister told me today "this Ubuntu is much better than the old one" :D

[grahammechanical]

Has anyone pointed out that the fall back mode in Oneiric is Unity 2D? And will be standard going forward. Gnome shell is not installed automatically.

I do not think that anyone should expect the live CD to have libraries for Gnome shell as well as Unity 3D and 2D. The target is still a CD size iso image. Programs have been left out of the CD image in the past to achieve that target size.

Regards.

[angryfirelord]

This will probably go into Recurring Discussions because it has been asked so many times.

Note that "Classic Desktop" is the standard Gnome 2 desktop. The reason why Canonical is not including it anymore is because the Gnome devs aren't maintaining it. In addition, Unity is now based on GTK3, so if they were to include it, Canonical would have to maintain the whole Gnome 2 desktop and provide the usual updates and patches that would come through with the Gnome 3 libraries. Therefore, it's in their best interest to simply drop the Gnome 2 desktop.

However, I would give 11.10 a try if you haven't. I'm using it now and I really like it. If it's too slow, you also have Unity 2d or you can install Gnome 3.

[Mikeb85]

You say that Unity Rawks. What rawks about Unity? I'm just curious so that I can take another look at it based on your comments.

Dash rocks. You can -super- type in the first few letters of any app or file (in home folder) and open without using the mouse. There's lots of useful keyboard shortcuts (hold in super and numbers pop up beside items in your launcher, or navigate between desktops with ctrl-alt-arrows, super d, etc...).

And for the computer impaired family we might have (my girlfriend for instance), the launcher is great for basic functionality - plus all settings and anything else she might mess up are hidden.