Does anyone else miss the task bar?

[Davey H]

Hi, having upgraded from Ubuntu 11.4 to 12.4 I was somewhat shocked by the new layout.

I am warming slightly to it but I really do miss the bottom task bar. In fact it is a bit of a hindrance not having it.

If you have several windows open it is possible to loose one in the background behind everything. This leaves you shoving stuff about on the screen trying to get a bit of the window to click on to bring it to the forefront. Or reducing everything to the icon bar.

If the icon bar worked the same way as the task bar it wouldn't be so bad. - I mean clicking on an icon will reduce and restore an open application, but it doesn't.

The other thing I can not work out is if you reduce an open folder - where does it go? It used to appear on the task bar but now it seems to vanish.

If a mod reads this can we maybe consider a poll?

Foe now though anyone share these thoughts - or know how to add a task bar???

[orange2k]

You can try Cinnamon - it has the oldfashioned Gnome2-styled taskbar...

[howefield]

There are several shortcuts available to navigating around your open windows, eg Alt + Tab, Super + W.

You might take advantage of the short video here to get accustomed to your new desktop.. and numerous threads here in the forum that you can browse on the subject.

http://blip.tv/jorge-castro/how-i-multitask-in-unity-5015448

[irv]

There are several shortcuts available to navigating around your open windows, eg Alt + Tab, Super + W.

You might take advantage of the short video here to get accustomed to your new desktop.. and numerous threads here in the forum that you can browse on the subject.

http://blip.tv/jorge-castro/how-i-multitask-in-unity-5015448

Good video for this thread. I myself use the super key W and super key S a lot.
222149

Another thing to remember is if you forget the shortcut keys just press and hold down the super key by itself.
222150

After awhile you get use to not having the bottom panel. I don't even miss it anymore.

[alan21276]

not sure if I activated something in ccsm but when I minimise an open window I can then re-open it by clicking the launcher in the unity bar.
If there is more than one instance of a particular window i.e. 2xfirefox windows, when I click on the launcher the screen shows a preview of both windows so I can select the one I want to re-open....very similar to windows7.
Also the launcher icon will have arrows on the left, one for each instance, with an arrow on the right showing which program's window has focus.
With this functionality you don't really need a task bar and to be honest I find the unity system far more efficient than the old ways.
But that's just my opinion, I didn't like it to start with but I'm now converted. 8-)

[irv]

not sure if I activated something in ccsm but when I minimise an open window I can then re-open it by clicking the launcher in the unity bar.
If there is more than one instance of a particular window i.e. 2xfirefox windows, when I click on the launcher the screen shows a preview of both windows so I can select the one I want to re-open....very similar to windows7.
Also the launcher icon will have arrows on the left, one for each instance, with an arrow on the right showing which program's window has focus.
With this functionality you don't really need a task bar and to be honest I find the unity system far more efficient than the old ways.
But that's just my opinion, I didn't like it to start with but I'm now converted. 8-)
There must be a setting for this. If I have say 2xfirefox open and I click on the icon it opens the last one I was in. The only way I can get to both is to use the super key + W and select it.

[ajgreeny]

There must be a setting for this. If I have say 2xfirefox open and I click on the icon it opens the last one I was in. The only way I can get to both is to use the super key + W and select it.
Is that one of the differences between unity3D and unity 2D?

I don't have a machine that will run the 3D version so I can not check this out, and I find the 2D version so incredibly limiting that I have not bothered to keep trying unity of any kind. I therefore use the comfortable gnome panel fallback desktop, or preferably something else entirely, such as Lubuntu or Xubuntu when I boot to anything other than my trusted and great Lucid 10.04..

[irv]

I am using 10.04 on my server, but 12.04 on my Dell Inspiron 1521. This is an older laptop, but I boosted it up from 2 to 4 gig of RAM and just put in a SSD. What an improvement. It boots from a cold boot in 15 seconds. I am running pure Linux on it no Windows what so ever. Jut love it.
I have to confess, at the moment I am using my wife's Chromebook to type this. I miss my Ubuntu laptop.

[alan21276]

Is that one of the differences between unity3D and unity 2D?

I don't have a machine that will run the 3D version so I can not check this out, and I find the 2D version so incredibly limiting that I have not bothered to keep trying unity of any kind. I therefore use the comfortable gnome panel fallback desktop, or preferably something else entirely, such as Lubuntu or Xubuntu when I boot to anything other than my trusted and great Lucid 10.04..

You might be correct, I'm using the 3d desktop.

edit: nope, just tried 2d and it has the same(although the transition isn't as smooth)

[mayagrafix]

Unity is so much better than any old taskbar! :KS

[grahammechanical]

Have you tried pressing the super key? You will get an overlay showing keyboard shortcuts.

Also try clicking on the program icon on the launcher when you have several windows of the same application open.

And do not forget that in Linux we get other workspaces where we can run other applications. Ctrl+Alt+arrow key will rotate between them.

Try also Alt+Tab

You will find that Unity has been well thought out and tested and improved upon. The Ubuntu user interface (Unity) is designed to be useful on a variety of computer type devices.

As regards this:


If a mod reads this can we maybe consider a poll?

Please do not try to re-open old arguments. The progress of Ubuntu is way out of reach of any forum survey to change. Or any moans and complaints either.

Regards.

[madjr]

you can try this unofficial patch to minimize on click:

http://www.webupd8.org/2012/05/how-to-get-dodge-windows-and-minimize.html

or

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-minimize-apps-to-the-unity-launcher-in-ubuntu-12-04

[kurt18947]

I'm pretty sure you can add a bottom panel to Unity, I have one with gnome. Look in the repositories for tint2. You may or may not have to add it to startup applications for it to start on boot. If you google it you can find information about tweaking the panel settings via a config file or there is mention of a GUI tool. I have no experience with the GUI tool. I believe Mint uses tint2 to get their second panel.

[Frogs Hair]

Much of my Gnome 2 experience was spent using a dock (Awn) and the Gnomenu . Unity was not a major change except the dock location. The " Getting Started With Ubuntu 12.04" PDF is in the software now and may be a good reference.

[nomorn]

alt-tab is not the taskbar substitute for me. taskbar let me manage windows with mouse and single hand.
I now use gnome shell and hit the upper left corner to switch windows as an alternative workflow for single hand operation.
Having to use 2 hands to operate a computer is more tiring and less comfortable than to use only one hand, imho.

[SlugSlug]

The main thing I miss is how hard it is now to drag and drop from open open window to another unless you re-size them all (eg drag drop attachment to Thunderbird email, drag drop mp3 from music folder to cd burn app)

[markbl]

I now use gnome shell and hit the upper left corner to switch windows as an alternative workflow for single hand operation.
Having to use 2 hands to operate a computer is more tiring and less comfortable than to use only one hand, imho.
I use gnome-shell also but mainly use the super key to switch to scale view and then click on another window. Simple and effective.

It makes sense to me to use two hands, right hand on the mouse (left, middle, right click), and left hand on super (or nearby ctrl+w to close window/tab, or ctrl+q to close app, ctrl+mouse left to open tab, etc). Sometimes I use the hotspot to switch to scale view if on phone etc. Using two hands is more efficient than one.

People only miss the taskbar because that is what they have used for the last many years. Unity and gnome-shell are an improvement on the old taskbar workflow.

[dave2001]

Despite numerous attempts to "get used to it" I have had issues with Unity since it's first implementation. While Unity does have some neat innovations and improvements, and has come along way since it's first release, it's still missing some important things. Right now I'd say it has promise, but it's certainly not mature enough to draw my eye away from the more established desktop environments.

My suggestion to the OP is to try a different desktop, such as KDE or XFCE.

[irv]

It seems that every time you see a thread like this the conversation turns to Unity vs others. Then there is all the talk that Unity has divided the Ubuntu community. Well Ubuntu is Ubuntu. And what I mean by that is it is a deb base Linux that many seem to like. The differences is the desktop that lays on top of the OS. Most Ubuntu Linux user have had in the past many ways to customize to there hearts content, but since Unity it can still be done but it is much harder.

As time marches on, things are getting better and that is why I have made up my mind to stick with it and keep trying, and may I add since doing this I have gotten much more comfortable using it. Yes thing are done differently but as time passes I am seeing I like it more and more.

I see many always suggesting to change to this or that, May I suggest give it some time, (give it a far shot). I can remember when I started to learn to type, I just wanted to go back to what I was comfortable with (one finger on each hand), but I stuck with it, now I can type much faster that I every did the old way. This is the same with Unity. The more I use it the better I am at using it. Practice practice practice. We never stop learning. And I think learning is fun.

[nomorn]

I use gnome-shell also but mainly use the super key to switch to scale view and then click on another window. Simple and effective.

It makes sense to me to use two hands, right hand on the mouse (left, middle, right click), and left hand on super (or nearby ctrl+w to close window/tab, or ctrl+q to close app, ctrl+mouse left to open tab, etc). Sometimes I use the hotspot to switch to scale view if on phone etc. Using two hands is more efficient than one.

People only miss the taskbar because that is what they have used for the last many years. Unity and gnome-shell are an improvement on the old taskbar workflow.
Yes, using both hands can be better and faster on many siturations, but I am happy now that there is an alternative "single handed" workflow for my lazy style.

[Davey H]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I had no idea it was such a hot potato! Certainly wasn't trying to stir up any rebellion.

I will stick with it a while and see how I go, but I do still keep loosing windows. A classic example is when you have a number of images open in GIMP you're editing. Finding the one you want is not as easy as clicking on the reduced minimised task bar. If you do reduce them I don't know where they go. I call it the Paul Daniels effect!

I'll look at this super key business, wasn't aware of that. I'm also playing with Xubuntu 12.4 as well which I think is great.

David

[unix1980]

Are you taking advantage of multiple workspaces? No need to cram everything you open into one workspace.

In any case, I find the launcher serves as both a lancher and a task bar very well in Unity. It's a clear step forward once you get familiar with it.

[irv]

When you are in Gimp, Why not keep track of open images under the Windows menu.
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[argoz17]

If you wanted to use Unity and the task bar there is an easy way to do it. (warning: this always has the possibility of breaking your desktop manager). You can install gnome-panel, log into classic desktop and download compizconfig settings manager (sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager) and click add Unity pluggins. You then get Unity and the bottom task bar. Windows will minimize into the Unity bar and the task bar on the bottom.

But be carful with messing around with compiz settings in Unity based Ubuntu distros, you can brake the desktop easily.

[neodirtchief]

I miss the task bar and the menus. I did give Unity a try but was couldn't get a grip on it. The same with Gnome 3. I ended up removing it in place of the LXDE environment with WBAR as the dock.

[Kreacher]

Hi, having upgraded from Ubuntu 11.4 to 12.4 I was somewhat shocked by the new layout.

I am warming slightly to it but I really do miss the bottom task bar. In fact it is a bit of a hindrance not having it.

If you have several windows open it is possible to loose one in the background behind everything. This leaves you shoving stuff about on the screen trying to get a bit of the window to click on to bring it to the forefront. Or reducing everything to the icon bar.

If the icon bar worked the same way as the task bar it wouldn't be so bad. - I mean clicking on an icon will reduce and restore an open application, but it doesn't.

The other thing I can not work out is if you reduce an open folder - where does it go? It used to appear on the task bar but now it seems to vanish.

If a mod reads this can we maybe consider a poll?

Foe now though anyone share these thoughts - or know how to add a task bar???
I also miss the task bar. I lose track of what I have open. I minimize several windows and then notice that my system is slowing down. With the task bar, I could look at the bottom and find quickly what I had open. Wit the Unity side bar, I have to scroll through and search for what i have running.

[Kreacher]

Are you taking advantage of multiple workspaces? No need to cram everything you open into one workspace.

In any case, I find the launcher serves as both a lancher and a task bar very well in Unity. It's a clear step forward once you get familiar with it.
I find it a pain. I have to go to the side bar, scroll to the workspace changer and then choose the workspace when that finally displays them.

[veli]

I tried my best a couple of times to get accustomed to Unity and Gnome 3. Didn't work either. Too much clicking to get to where you want. Menus and task bar so far were the most intuitive way of computing. Now I use 12.04 with LXDE.

[3rdalbum]

I will stick with it a while and see how I go, but I do still keep loosing windows. A classic example is when you have a number of images open in GIMP you're editing. Finding the one you want is not as easy as clicking on the reduced minimised task bar. If you do reduce them I don't know where they go.

Click twice on the icon on the Launcher, and all open windows of that program will "spread". You can then click on one to bring it to the foreground.

[irv]

I find it a pain. I have to go to the side bar, scroll to the workspace changer and then choose the workspace when that finally displays them.

Super key + S. Change workspace. Can't get any easier.

[Ashtonford]

You can try Cinnamon - it has the oldfashioned Gnome2-styled taskbar...

not old fashioned its a normal desk top not a tablet os

[Ashtonford]

Unity is so much better than any old taskbar! :KS

you sir need glasses then

[Kreacher]

Super key + S. Change workspace. Can't get any easier.
Yes, if everyone knows all the keyboard shortcuts.

On that thought, if everyone knew all the keyboard shortcuts, why would we need a desktop with menus of any type to begin with? Just a screen with a picture of ones choosing and use the keyboard to navigate, open and close windows and programs and such.

Following that, why not just boot to a command prompt and use it to do everything?

I started computing with Microsoft Dos. I also played with Slackware at the command prompt years ago. I never wanted anything more than a simple menu until I started using Windows. The point and click made things faster. Ubuntu has made things slower with Unity in my opinion.

[vasa1]

This thread is all over the place. Recurring?

[unix1980]

Just as Linux is not Windows, Unity is not Gnome ;-)

[kurt18947]

Just as Linux is not Windows, Unity is not Gnome ;-)

Unity is not Gnome 2 ;-) It does run on Gnome 3. It's good to have choices:) And yeah, recurring is calling.

[Dennis N]

Task Bar Substitute:

There is an application indicator called window-list. Lists all open windows in all workspaces in a drop-down list. Click to switch. It works.

PPA:

https://launchpad.net/~jwigley/+archive/window-list

[alan21276]

The great thing about Linux is 'choice'....

you can mix and match virtually any combination of desktop environments, file managers, distribution e.t.c.

If we all liked the same things then the world would be a very boring place to live.

[bob-linux-user]

I don't miss the task bar as I do not use Unity. You can use:-
Gnome Fallback Session
or
Xfce
or
MATE
All of which have the taskbar.


Installing an alternative to Unity is the first thing I do when setting up a Ubuntu pc.

[vexorian]

I don't miss the task bar as I do not use Unity. You can use:-
Gnome Fallback Session
or
Xfce
or
MATE
All of which have the taskbar.


Installing an alternative to Unity is the first thing I do when setting up a Ubuntu pc.
There is also a GNOME3 plugin that allows you to make one.

[mayagrafix]

Alt+F1 keeps the launcher open so you can use it like the taskbar. one mouse click on an icon for an app and snapshots appear so that you can choose the window u want when more than one is opened under the same app.

Example: Firefox has 3 windows opened, one for Hotmail, one for Facebook, and one for Youtube (separate windows, not 3 tabs under 1 window). Click with ur mose once on the firefox icon in the launcher and three snapshots appear to let u choose which one u want.

Youre Welcome:KS

[irv]

Alt+F1 keeps the launcher open so you can use it like the taskbar. one mouse click on an icon for an app and snapshots appear so that you can choose the window u want when more than one is opened under the same app.

Example: Firefox has 3 windows opened, one for Hotmail, one for Facebook, and one for Youtube (separate windows, not 3 tabs under 1 window). Click with ur mose once on the firefox icon in the launcher and three snapshots appear to let u choose which one u want.

Youre Welcome:KS

I myself never hide my dash. and when I have two documents open in office and I click once on the icon in the dash it only opens the last document I had open. But if I click twice it show me both documents in there own window.
222305

[kurt18947]

I don't miss the task bar as I do not use Unity. You can use:-
Gnome Fallback Session
or
Xfce
or
MATE
All of which have the taskbar.


Installing an alternative to Unity is the first thing I do when setting up a Ubuntu pc.


There ya go. And don't forget LXDE and Cinnamon. And yeah, it's still Ubuntu using Ubuntu's repos AFAIK.

[malspa]

I myself never hide my dash. and when I have two documents open in office and I click once on the icon in the dash it only opens the last document I had open. But if I click twice it show me both documents in there own window.

By "dash," I think you mean "launcher." I don't have the launcher hidden, either. I don't miss the "traditional" task bar when I'm using Unity, because of the launcher. It would be nicer if you could move it, though.

[kansasnoob]

I'm not totally sure if I understand the OP but this is cool:

http://www.webupd8.org/2012/06/how-to-get-list-of-open-windows-on.html

There's another one to display apps in a list :)

And there are also tweaks/extensions available for gnome-shell, cinnamon being the most well known.

If I really want retro I go this way:

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

But beyond 12.04 I'll be concentrating on Lubuntu, largely because the Gnome dew's are now killing features in Nautilus.

[markbl]

I don't have the launcher hidden, either.
On a laptop where screen space is paramount it makes more sense to keep the launcher hidden. After all, you work much more than you context switch. This is one reason why I prefer gnome shell. Full screen usage and then press super to see and do all launcher, app, search, and workspace management. It's a 2 mode approach a bit like using vi, i.e. very efficient.

[Gonzalo_VC]

Well, I have just changed Ubuntu for Lubuntu in my netbook. Unity is heavier, and the machine (that run perfectly the previous LTS!!!) got sluggish.

However, in Lubuntu, we cannot use the bar/panel vertically (in the left, for example) as in Xubuntu, to save screen in these smaller devices. The buttons keep horizontal and the bar it's more than an inch wide!!?? That's weird.
Any clues on how to fix this?

[irv]

By "dash," I think you mean "launcher." I don't have the launcher hidden, either. I don't miss the "traditional" task bar when I'm using Unity, because of the launcher. It would be nicer if you could move it, though.

Yes, that's what I mean. I guess I never call it a launcher, even though that's where you launch apps from. I look at it like the Dashboard in my car. Where I turn on the lights and the Radio etc. It is where i control everything.

The reason I never hide it is will a quick glance I can see what I have open by looking for the the little arrows in front of the icons.

[malspa]

On a laptop where screen space is paramount it makes more sense to keep the launcher hidden. After all, you work much more than you context switch. This is one reason why I prefer gnome shell.

When I first started using Unity, I kept the launcher hidden. I finally decided that it was more useful to keep it showing, even on my notebook (1366x768). But, yeah, GNOME Shell gives me that bit of extra space, so I see your point.

I have a hard time deciding which I like better between GNOME Shell and Unity, even with the Unity launcher showing, and even with a little bit less screen space on the notebook.

[malspa]

The reason I never hide it is will a quick glance I can see what I have open by looking for the the little arrows in front of the icons.

Yep, exactly.

[irv]

When I first started using Unity, I kept the launcher hidden. I finally decided that it was more useful to keep it showing, even on my notebook (1366x768). But, yeah, GNOME Shell gives me that bit of extra space, so I see your point.

I have a hard time deciding which I like better between GNOME Shell and Unity, even with the Unity launcher showing, and even with a little bit less screen space on the notebook.

I guess like everyone else I wasn't sure about Unity, and tried going back to Gnome Shell, and even when using Gnome 3 I would be thinking about how I did things under Unity so I came back.
I don't know if you use lens or not, but I found I like them and the filtering I can do with all the different lens. I just love using HUD for doing searches. Also how easy it is to find things in the Dash. Just start typing. Take for example, if I want to find a program that deals with my photos, all I have to do is start typing the word "photo". And I have a list of apps that I can use with my photos.
222333
Quick and easy.
I don't think I will ever want to move away from Unity.

[vexorian]

I can't decide whether to hide the launcher or not.

I am currently keeping it hidden, not because of space, but because it keeps distracting me. But the movement animation when I have to show it and the fact it steals switching time is also not great. Also, the icons appear on top of your window which is not so pretty.

[markbl]

The reason I never hide it is will a quick glance I can see what I have open by looking for the the little arrows in front of the icons.
Well in gnome shell I just press the super key and I get a scaled view of all running windows/apps. Much easier to discriminate them than those tiny triangles! Then I just click on the one I want. Couldn't be simpler and easier. And I don't waste all those pixels down the left of my screen for the relatively small percentage of time I am looking to change windows/apps. Our modern graphics cards can efficiently produce that lovely desktop scale view which gnome shell is built around (ala Mac expose`). May as well use the hardware!

The dash lense stuff in Unity looks nice but to be honest I don't actually find it useful. I prefer the simple apps list in gnome shell (which then again I only use probably once every 3 months when looking for an app or for showing newbies about gnome shell).

I am not critizing Unity as I like it also. I just keep going back to Gnome shell as I prefer it. IMHO both Unity and Gnome shell improve upon the classic linux (e.g. gnome 2) desktop.

[malspa]

IMHO both Unity and Gnome shell improve upon the classic linux (e.g. gnome 2) desktop.

I feel the same way.

[vexorian]

I don't get what's different in the gnome-shell app list. I can do exactly the same in unity by pressing super and going to the apps lens. In gnome you need to press super and click "applications". It is just about the same thing, isn't it? Both allow the same filtering by categories and can match applications while you type.

[markbl]

I don't get what's different in the gnome-shell app list. I can do exactly the same in unity by pressing super and going to the apps lens. In gnome you need to press super and click "applications". It is just about the same thing, isn't it? Both allow the same filtering by categories and can match applications while you type.
Yes, they are the same. My point was not clear. Unity's touted differentiator in the dash area is the lense stuff. What I was trying to say is that although the lense stuff looks aesthetically very nice, and a new Unity lense seems to come out every second day, in practice I don't personally find them useful. I just want a simple app list and thus given that the gnome shell app list is just that, I prefer it uncluttered and think it more intuitive for new/most users. But note my second point that after your first day using Unity or Gnome shell you rarely need to going looking for apps in the apps list so it is not a big deal at all.

[irv]

I feel the same way.

Ditto

[vexorian]

I don't miss the taskbar in unity.

By adding gnome-panel to the startup apps. Then I customized the gnome panel to be a single one at the bottom with a task list. Later I tweaked compiz to enable the desktop wall plugin and make switching instant (animation time = 0). Now I have a fully functional taskbar with instant desktop switching. Yet I also get to use the global menu bar, the dash and the launcher (it is nice for launching apps and quicklists, I just don't like it that much for task switching, so I keep it hidden unless I need it).