Navigating through Ubuntu 11.10

[rmcellig]

OK, so here we are with a brand new new and improved Ubuntu. I would like to know if this new version is making your life even easier and more productive then previous versions and if so, what are you doing in 11.10 to make your Ubuntu workflow shine?

Usually when a new version is released we come to believe that it will be more user friendly to use. For example in Gnome Classic, I found that the layout of the OS made sense.
1. I could find my apps quickly, I new where everything was.

2. Changing background color to a Nautilus was a no brainer. There is no way to do this in 11.10.

3. Showing the desktop was easy as well. Just click on the Show desktop icon on the panel.panel

4. Oh and the panel was one of my favorite and most used parts of the interface. If I found an app, an internet site, a folder, whatever that I liked and would probably use a lot I would just drag it to the panel for easy access. Very easy and it made sense to me.

In Ubuntu 11.10. I am having a tough time finding ways to quickly do the same thing. Please post your experience in 11.10 Unity and how you feel it has increased your productivity and what you do to get things done quickly.

[Gs Dewd]

I have found I actually like unity this time around. I tried it for a short time in 11.04 but switched to Gnome classic. I am giving it a real try this time and it is actually growing on me this time. Also with my apps and programs I don't see to much difference in the 2 (11.04/11.10)as far as feel for me. I did do a fresh install this time around instead of just upgrading. I backed up my packages and restored them on the fresh install. I was having reservations at first with 11.10 but everything is good and running very well. Only problem I see so far is the net access seems a little slower then with 11.04 but that may be my access point location. (I think my router took a nose dive off the shelf in the back closet. I have to dig to the back and see if it tried to commit suicide.) Other then that I am very pleased with this release as I have been with the previous ones I have ran.

[screaminj3sus]

OK, so here we are with a brand new new and improved Ubuntu. I would like to know if this new version is making your life even easier and more productive then previous versions and if so, what are you doing in 11.10 to make your Ubuntu workflow shine?

Usually when a new version is released we come to believe that it will be more user friendly to use. For example in Gnome Classic, I found that the layout of the OS made sense.
1. I could find my apps quickly, I new where everything was.

2. Changing background color to a Nautilus was a no brainer. There is no way to do this in 11.10.

3. Showing the desktop was easy as well. Just click on the Show desktop icon on the panel.panel

4. Oh and the panel was one of my favorite and most used parts of the interface. If I found an app, an internet site, a folder, whatever that I liked and would probably use a lot I would just drag it to the panel for easy access. Very easy and it made sense to me.

In Ubuntu 11.10. I am having a tough time finding ways to quickly do the same thing. Please post your experience in 11.10 Unity and how you feel it has increased your productivity and what you do to get things done quickly.
1. Pin all your most used apps to the dock, as you would on the classic gnome-panel... To find apps not in the dock the new menu has gnome-do like search functionality. Just hit the super key and start typing the apps name.

2. No comment as I never change the background color.

3. super + d is supposed to be the show desktop shortcut in unity, but unfortunately it seems to be broken in oneric... I don't know how obvious things like this slip past testing :/

4. the unity launcher does seem more limited than the gnome-panel in regards with what you can pin to it.

[Flymo]

Well, credit where it is due, Oneiric is a huge improvement over Natty in that it is not crashing out monotonously and I can usually get the Unity desktop up on a couple of our 6 machines.

But I'm here to try to get a feel for how other people get to use and seemingly like Unity.

I've not installed it yet - still sticking to Live CD, since the Natty partition I had to wipe in disgust now has Bodhi Linux installed, and Oneiric will have to go some to match that.

I'm happy with the Netbook metaphors (Mutter, etc), I work happily with Fluxbox in some arcane hand-crufted configs of my own, and even created my own clunky vertical-bar-at-the side thing based on Gnome 2 about 3 years ago. The need to improve use of screen real-estate in smaller devices is clear. But for me that does not work well over a 14" screen.

Although I can often work out the way to do things in Unity it still feels clunky and back-asswards to me. Inferior to our Android 2.2 installation (which is pretty primitive) on a Tosh AC100 10" smartbook with keyboard and screen. Don't like bigger touchscreens much, get on fine with our Palm devices and mourn their loss at the hands of HP.

The number of clicks needed in Unity to do things like launching an application is excessive, imo. I feel no urge to type stuff in every time, either. Yes, the favourites-in-the-bar is useful, but not as useful as the Netbook Remix where I had twice as many items there as there is room for on the Unity bar.

The fallback interface feels crippled, too. So we are experimenting with Bodhi Linux (based on the lovely Lucid, with E17 desktop & far more stable than Natty) and that brings another item to the fore. Bodhi is using 85~90 MB RAM with its compositor enabled. Oneiric? I don't know, not installed it to disk yet but Natty was 4x that. :(

So what am I doing wrong? :???:

[vehemoth]

It's much easier to find new apps or apps that I don't use much. I like the new app center and how it displays recommended apps when you go through your apps that aren't in the dock.

Though it is harder to configure but as default it's pretty fine except the wallpaper which is easy enough to change. Overall it feels very nice and I can't wait for it to get better.

[jtarin]

So we are experimenting with Bodhi Linux (based on the lovely Lucid, with E17 desktop & far more stable than Natty) and that brings another item to the fore. Bodhi is using 85~90 MB RAM with its compositor enabled. Oneiric? I don't know, not installed it to disk yet but Natty was 4x that. :(

So what am I doing wrong? :???:Digressing about Unity/Oneric and not submitting completely to the sublime beauty of Bohdi.:p

[rmcellig]

Bodhi Linux? Never heard of that distro. I think I will try it out and hope that it has the functionality I am looking for that I use to enjoy in previous versions of Ubuntu.

[edwardrich01]

I agree

[grahammechanical]

Why do people who didn't like Unity in 11.04 upgrade to 11.10? It is being so miserable that makes them happy, I suppose. And they are among to first to upgrade.

Unity is not going to go away. As 12.04 is an LTS release it is my guess that 12.04 is the target to get the Unity concept close to completion.

Ubuntu is now firmly sitting on Gnome 3 and will continue to do so. The software Centre offers Gnome shell as an alternative to Unity.

Does anybody seriously think that Canonical is going to spend time and money developing gnome shell? They tried that and got the door shut in their faces. Gnome.org will have to develop Gnome shell and they will do as they see fit. As is their right.

Will Gnome shell be developed to look and work like Gnome 2. You tell me. I do not expect Canonical do it.

I like the idea of an old car (automobile) having a high powered engine and transmission and racing off like a rocket to every body's surprise. As for modern computers using the latest Linux looking like Windows 98, then no thanks.

I like the change. I like the improvements. On my system the Launcher is auto-hidden. The top panel is transparent. Apart from some small text either side at the top I have side to side and top to bottom background photographs on my screen and it is great.

Regards.

[Gs Dewd]

Why do people who didn't like Unity in 11.04 upgrade to 11.10? It is being so miserable that makes them happy, I suppose. And they are among to first to upgrade.

Unity is not going to go away. As 12.04 is an LTS release it is my guess that 12.04 is the target to get the Unity concept close to completion.

Ubuntu is now firmly sitting on Gnome 3 and will continue to do so. The software Centre offers Gnome shell as an alternative to Unity.

Does anybody seriously think that Canonical is going to spend time and money developing gnome shell? They tried that and got the door shut in their faces. Gnome.org will have to develop Gnome shell and they will do as they see fit. As is their right.

Will Gnome shell be developed to look and work like Gnome 2. You tell me. I do not expect Canonical do it.

I like the idea of an old car (automobile) having a high powered engine and transmission and racing off like a rocket to every body's surprise. As for modern computers using the latest Linux looking like Windows 98, then no thanks.

I like the change. I like the improvements. On my system the Launcher is auto-hidden. The top panel is transparent. Apart from some small text either side at the top I have side to side and top to bottom background photographs on my screen and it is great.

Regards.


I know with me that unity just for some reason seems better in 11.10 then in 11.04. Maybe the launcher is different, doesn't seem as obtrusive as it did in natty. Maybe it's just me.