Gnome on Ubuntu 12.04

[borepstein]

Hello all,

I installed Ubuntu 12.04 on a couple of 64-bit machines with a view of using Gnome for Desktop as opposed to unity. Based on all recommendations I've seen it appears that installing gnome-shell should have sufficed but it didn't quite do the job.

What happened was that I ended up with an environment that lloked like Gnome of old but there were two things I could not do:

1) Add panels. Tried right mouse-click, right click+"Alt", etc. - couldn't do it no matter what I tried.

2) Same for adding applets to panels. It used to be that you could just right-click and do it, but not any more. Now you right click (with or without "Ctrl" or "Alt") and nothing happens.

In addition to gnome-shell I tried installing gnome-panel, etc. but that did not help.

Has anyone experienced that? Is there a cure?

Thanks.

Boris.

[ratcheer]

Please note that both gnome-shell and Unity are shells for Gnome3. In other words, Gnome3 is the basis of both.

I do not know the answers to your questions, but IMHO, it is much more difficult to customize Gnome3 than it was for Gnome2. Various tools exist, but they still probably won't give you the amount of control you want. One tool I know of is simply called Gnome Tweak. It has had a recent revision, so maybe it will help you. I think the package name is gnome-tweak-tool.

Good luck.

Tim

[pfnorris]

Hi Boris

Your questions are pitched from a gnome 2 standpoint. As ratcheer points out above gnome-shell is based upon gnome 3. It is also a complete re-design of the user interface, and so works differently to gnome 2.

That said I am a very happy gnome-shell user on Ubuntu. There is a fair bit of customization available through 'extensions' and 'themes'. Extensions offer extra or different functionality mainly around the top panel. These can be previewed and downloaded from the extensions.gnome.org (https://extensions.gnome.org) web site. Themes change the appearance of the main gnome-shell interface components. Many of these can be obtained from gnome-look.org (http://gnome-look.org/) or deviant-art (http://gnome-shell.deviantart.com/gallery/28081982).

In addition all the other user interface elements such as windows decorations, widgets, icons etc can also be themed. Gnome-tweak-Tool or Advanced Settings as it is sometimes known helps with this.

As ever the name of the game is experiment away until you arrive at something you like. Have fun!

Phil

[drawkcab]

There is a fair bit of customization available through 'extensions' and 'themes'. Extensions offer extra or different functionality mainly around the top panel. These can be previewed and downloaded from the extensions.gnome.org (https://extensions.gnome.org) web site. Themes change the appearance of the main gnome-shell interface components. Many of these can be obtained from gnome-look.org (http://gnome-look.org/) or deviant-art (http://gnome-shell.deviantart.com/gallery/28081982).

In addition all the other user interface elements such as windows decorations, widgets, icons etc can also be themed. Gnome-tweak-Tool or Advanced Settings as it is sometimes known helps with this.


This.^^^ Install gnome-tweak-tool and then go to extensions.gnome.org to add customizations.

If you can't get what you want then you might want to try installing Mate which is based on the old Gnome2 although, in the long run, it will be worth your while to stick with Gnome3.

[kansasnoob]

Hello all,

I installed Ubuntu 12.04 on a couple of 64-bit machines with a view of using Gnome for Desktop as opposed to unity. Based on all recommendations I've seen it appears that installing gnome-shell should have sufficed but it didn't quite do the job.

What happened was that I ended up with an environment that lloked like Gnome of old but there were two things I could not do:

1) Add panels. Tried right mouse-click, right click+"Alt", etc. - couldn't do it no matter what I tried.

2) Same for adding applets to panels. It used to be that you could just right-click and do it, but not any more. Now you right click (with or without "Ctrl" or "Alt") and nothing happens.

In addition to gnome-shell I tried installing gnome-panel, etc. but that did not help.

Has anyone experienced that? Is there a cure?

Thanks.

Boris.

Look here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1966370