lost in Unity

[Sh1nob1]

After installing Ubuntu 11.10, I'm lost. Totally by surprise.

Where did Xterm go ? How do I find applications like Xterm and add them somewhere convenient ?
I installed Guake using the Software Center, but can't find it either ?

After 20+ years in Unix and Linux, I'm totally lost with this version. I still feel I need a 'terminal' and a command line somehow.
Some postings on here say try "apt-get install gnome-session-fallback", but how do you do that without a command line or Xterm or ...

Please show me the light, don't make me switch to windows7 ..

Thanks a lot.
A-lost-old-timer.

[MadsRC]

Ctrl+alt+T should open up a terminal for you :)

[ajgreeny]

Have a good look at the stickies on http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=331 which should help.

Ctrl+Alt+T will get you a terminal, as it always has, and from there you can "sudo apt-get install" to your heart's content.

If you really can't stand unity after giving it a good try (and a bit of reading about power-users and unity, etc etc,) have a look at Xubuntu, with xfce, where a lot of unity refugees will probably end up.

[dry crust]

I totally agree. I just can't understand how Unity even got into the alpha stage. I'm sorry I have to say it after all the millions of hours spent making Ubuntu, but I just can't recommend Ubuntu to anyone because it is so user unfriendly. I could go on, but we have business to attend to. You need Gnome 3 to get back into action, and I would recommend the Gnome 3 - Classic option.

Here are two guides on how to install Gnome 3:

http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/screed/?p=3345
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/how-to-install-gnome-shell-in-ubuntu-11-10-oneiric-ocelot.html

but there are many others. The first one tells you how to find the terminal so you can type out the commands. Actually, it is much easier to copy the command, then start up the terminal, then you need to press "Shift+Ctrl+V" to paste the command into the terminal, then press enter.
The second website shows you how to do the login so you are using Gnome 3. I would recommend the Gnome 3 - Classic. Sure, the looks aren't fantastic, but we are semi-professional people: We want to surf and do stuff and have fun on the internet, aesthetics are there to make a journey pleasant, they aren't the journey.
The system downloads Gnome 3 from the central repository, so there aren't any security issues. It is very common to not need to reboot after downloading updates (but I would do a shutdown at the end of this session just as a precaution), so logout (no, I can't remember how to do that in Unity), then login as the second website shows you.
Gnome 3 Classic is the only desktop that has everything where I think they should be in a desktop: YOUR favourite applications along the top and programs being run along the bottom. To install YOUR OWN favourite application(s) you need to press "Alt" while right mouse button clicking pointing at the top bar. Then select "Add to panel" and a window pops up. Select "Application Launcher" (and NOT "Custom Application Laucher"), click Forward, and then go through the selection menus. Just remember to use the small arrows. For example, to install the Firefox browser you would click the tiny arrow next to "Internet" and, Voile, up pop all the internet applications, and then select Firefox and then click the "Add" button. If you mistakenly put the wrong item on the top bar (e.g. you install the "Internet" drop down menu) or the right item is in the wrong place, you need to "Alt" + "right mouse click" pointing at that item and then select "remove from panel" or "move" as is appropriate.
Have fun!

[kyteflyer]

I just want to know how to install the classic desktop! This unity business is just ridiculous. There should be the option to go back to classic, as there was in 11.04. Forcing Unity on us is annoying and pointless. Cant find anything, cant config anything. The whole thing has been dumbed down and its a magnificent failure as far as I am concerned. arghhhhhhhh!!!!

[TBABill]

I just want to know how to install the classic desktop! This unity business is just ridiculous. There should be the option to go back to classic, as there was in 11.04. Forcing Unity on us is annoying and pointless. Cant find anything, cant config anything. The whole thing has been dumbed down and its a magnificent failure as far as I am concerned. arghhhhhhhh!!!!
So you upgraded without finding out about 11.10 first? Plenty of discussion about no fall back because it is not based on Gnome 2.32 any longer so it can't possibly provide you the features of 2.32. This is not new and was known even before 11.04 ever came out. No distro based on Gnome 3 can give you the Gnome 2 desktop so it's not unique to Ubuntu.

I hated Unity for quite some time and in 11.04 it was not as good as it is now. I'm still not sold on it but learning (re-learning?) to use Ubuntu and it's not too bad now. However, I never would have upgraded without at least knowing what the changes were and whether I would accept them before taking the plunge.

Sounds like you jumped in without preparing and now regret the decision? Time to look at options because Gnome 2 is gone. Closest you will get is an older distro or something using MATE, which is forking it to work with Gnome 3. See the Linux Mint blog for more info and something that may actually be of interest to you since you like Gnome 2 so much... http://blog.linuxmint.com

[dFlyer]

My advice is to hang in there and keep using unity. It takes some getting use to but once a person does it's very easy to use. The dash icon which is usually the top icon is your drop down menu. It give you an option to search for what you want. The second lens located on the bottom will give you the filtered menu which is kind of like the gnome2 menu with categories. If you know what your looking for the search menu is the quickest. Just start typing it name or even a function like terminal/xterm and it will give you options. It took me a few weeks back when 11.04 came out to get use to it but once I did I haven't looked back.

[stinkeye]

After installing Ubuntu 11.10, I'm lost. Totally by surprise.

Where did Xterm go ? How do I find applications like Xterm and add them somewhere convenient ?
I installed Guake using the Software Center, but can't find it either ?

After 20+ years in Unix and Linux, I'm totally lost with this version. I still feel I need a 'terminal' and a command line somehow.
Some postings on here say try "apt-get install gnome-session-fallback", but how do you do that without a command line or Xterm or ...

Please show me the light, don't make me switch to windows7 ..

Thanks a lot.
A-lost-old-timer.

Sometimes I wonder about the credibility of these 1 bean posts.
# 20+ years in Unix and Linux..... and not one post on these forums
# 20+ years in Unix and linux...... and you can't find a terminal because of a different panel and a new launcher.

And really, would anyone who has been 20+ years in Unix and Linux, end
there rant with

don't make me switch to windows7

If you need a guide to find your way around look here (http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/whats-new).