upgrade removed drop down menus, system useless

[zeelog]

Upgraded from 10.1 to 11.04 and lost my drop down menus. I can't
start anything or do most anything. Will I have to expunge Ubuntu ?
Or is there a fix ?

[JRV]

This works in 12.04.


sudo add-apt-repository ppa:diesch/testing
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install classicmenu-indicator

Log out and back in, the menus are on the Ubuntu icon in the upper right.

[zeelog]

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:diesh/testing
Error: can't find signing_key_fingerprint at https://launchpad.net/api/1.0/~diesh/+archive/testing
ed@ed-System-Product-Name:~$
Well, it looked too good to work anyway.
I tried it in root to and I got the same error.
Any idea what this error means and what do they want ?
I will never ever do another Ubuntu "upgrade".

[cortman]

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:diesh/testing
Error: can't find signing_key_fingerprint at https://launchpad.net/api/1.0/~diesh/+archive/testing (https://launchpad.net/api/1.0/%7Ediesh/+archive/testing)
ed@ed-System-Product-Name:~$
Well, it looked too good to work anyway.
I tried it in root to and I got the same error.
Any idea what this error means and what do they want ?
I will never ever do another Ubuntu "upgrade".

By "drop down menus" I assume you mean the Applications/Places menus from Gnome 2?

[zeelog]

Yes Cortman. I don't know how to get them back. The upgrade has
either hidden them or they are zapped. Either way, Ubuntu is
rather useless now.
Got any ideas ?

[jerome1232]

Yes Cortman. I don't know how to get them back. The upgrade has
either hidden them or they are zapped. Either way, Ubuntu is
rather useless now.
Got any ideas ?

Do you have a launcher bar on the left-hand side of your screen? Or are you missing panels entirely.

What session are you logging into?

[brolin_1911a1]

Zeelog, I'm going to make a guess as it's been a year since I "upgraded" to 11.04 and discovered the same problem you're having. I corrected it then by logging out (not a total shutdown) to the user login screen.

I believe you'll see a "gear" icon in the extreme upper right corner of your screen. Clicking on that should give you the option to shutdown/logout/restart. Choose log out. When you log back in, before hitting <return> look down at the lower right corner. In quite small type there should be a checkbox next the words "classic login" or words to that effect. Check that box. Then finish logging in. From now on, you should be logged in with the classic Gnome desktop interface.

Warning: Once you've done that, DON'T upgrade to 11.10 or 12.04 because that option has been completely removed from those versions. I made that mistake on one computer and the only "fix" I've found so far has been to install Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon as a third boot option. I am, at this very moment, trying to find a way to "upgrade" Ubuntu 12.04 to Kubuntu 12.04 to get rid of that Gottverdamt Unity interface. I heard that Gnome will be once again offered for a version of 12.10; If so, I'll definitely be upgrading to that.

[jerome1232]

Zeelog, I'm going to make a guess as it's been a year since I "upgraded" to 11.04 and discovered the same problem you're having. I corrected it then by logging out (not a total shutdown) to the user login screen. When you log back in off that screen, before hitting <return> look down at the lower right corner. In quite small type there should be a checkbox next the words "classic login" or words to that effect. Check that box. Then finish logging in. From now on, you should be logged in with the classic Gnome desktop interface.

Warning: Once you've done that, DON'T upgrade to 11.10 or 12.04 because that option has been completely removed from those versions. I made that mistake on one computer and the only "fix" I've found so far has been to install Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon as a third boot option. I am, at this very moment, trying to find a way to "upgrade" Ubuntu 12.04 to Kubuntu 12.04 to get rid of that Gottverdamt Unity interface. I heard that Gnome will be once again offered for a version of 12.10; If so, I'll definitely be upgrading to that.

This is in all respects, wrong. Under 12.04 you can use Unity, Gnome-Shell, Gnome-Classic and any other DE you want to use. You just need to click the Ubuntu Icon near your name at the login screen and select the session you want to log into.

[brolin_1911a1]

This is in all respects, wrong. Under 12.04 you can use Unity, Gnome-Shell, Gnome-Classic and any other DE you want to use. You just need to click the Ubuntu Icon near your name at the login screen and select the session you want to log into.

Sir! I disagree. My post was not wrong in all respects! Just in several respects. <sheepish grin>

The procedure I offered for Zeelog to get back his Classic Gnome desktop was valid, worked for me, and should work for him in Nasty Narwhal v11.04. It did not, however, work for me when I installed Obstreperous Octopus (v11.10) or Precocious Porpoise (12.04.) In fact, my inability to get rid of that "Unity" DE was what led me to install Linux Mint 13 on my computer and look into removing Ubuntu entirely. But....

Immediately after I posted my reply to Zeelog and probably while you were in the process of replying to me, I discovered this post/thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1966370. I followed the directions given there and am happy to report that for the first time since I installed Precise Pangolem in May, I now have nice, familiar, Gnome DE again. I am a happy camper and feel certain that if Zeelog visits that thread it will solve his problems also. I'm most happy to say that I was wrong, you are correct, and Gnome can be enabled on 12.04.

[jerome1232]

Sir! I disagree. My post was not wrong in all respects! Just in several respects. <sheepish grin>

:lolflag: touche good sir, touche.

I just wanted to point out your, by far, not hedge pinned into using unity if it doesn't float your boat.

[1script]

Just went through this ordeal yesterday : http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2050760 Classic Menu Indicator did the trick for me. It even picked up all the customised menus just the way I left them in 10.10. Install it the way JRV says in the earlier reply above. Take a bit to get used to since the menu is on the right and all the sub-menus open up as mirror images of what it was on the old system, but at least they are all there.

[brolin_1911a1]

:lolflag: touche good sir, touche.

I just wanted to point out your, by far, not hedge pinned into using unity if it doesn't float your boat.

You were quite correct in doing so and I do appreciate it. When I first upgraded from 10.09 to 11.04, I spent nearly a week searching the 'net for a way to escape that fondle-slab interface that had been imposed on my laptop with no warning. Logging out and then back in using that all but unnoticeable classic option proved the answer. But... when I then upgraded another machine from 11.04 to 11.10 and then 12.04 in a (so far) fruitless attempt to get a wireless adapter recognized, that trick didn't work. I found myself stuck with Unity and the amount of resultant frustration is hard to express. I really was happy, nay sir, overjoyed to find that thread posted above and to find that it worked. I expect that by the end of this weekend I'll have upgraded both my old Celeron machine and my ACER Athlon II laptop from 11.04 to 12.04 as a result of that newfound knowledge.

[cortman]

Yes Cortman. I don't know how to get them back. The upgrade has
either hidden them or they are zapped. Either way, Ubuntu is
rather useless now.
Got any ideas ?

I'm putting the finishing touches on kansasnoob's (of this forum) thread on the Gnome Classic environment. See here (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GnomeClassicTweaks)- it should explain how to install it and how to tweak it to fit your fancy. :)

Good luck!

[zeelog]

I do not have any gear icon of any kind any where.
All I have are a few icons that I had before, like
Firefox, my email client, and two Xterms. Thank goodness
for the Xterms. I use them to log out with the reboot
or shutdown -h now command.
If you can tell me how to choose a "classic" gui and
get back my drop-down menus by using the command line
I could do that in Xterm. Otherwise, there is nothing
to click on except Firefox and my email client.
I was hoping there would be an apt-get install <filename>
kind of solution since something is obviously missing.
Why would Ubuntu run faulty upgrades ? I'm rather upset.
Thank you for your help. It is appreciated.

[cortman]

I do not have any gear icon of any kind any where.
All I have are a few icons that I had before, like
Firefox, my email client, and two Xterms. Thank goodness
for the Xterms. I use them to log out with the reboot
or shutdown -h now command.
If you can tell me how to choose a "classic" gui and
get back my drop-down menus by using the command line
I could do that in Xterm. Otherwise, there is nothing
to click on except Firefox and my email client.
I was hoping there would be an apt-get install <filename>
kind of solution since something is obviously missing.
Why would Ubuntu run faulty upgrades ? I'm rather upset.
Thank you for your help. It is appreciated.

You're not paying enough attention. The gear icon is when you log in, not after you've logged in.
It's not a faulty upgrade. The desktop you're using is called Unity. It's different from Gnome. If you like it, great. If you don't, follow the instructions I gave in that link to get Gnome classic back. Since it's an upgrade, you probably don't need to install anything. Just choose which desktop environment to use when you log in (when you give your username and password).

[zeelog]

Thank you Cortman ! I've got the Classic gui going and ALL IS GREAT !
And it was so EASY to do ! One little click and that was it.
BAD BAD Unity ! Good Good Classic ! I'm very happy.
Thank you Very much !

[cortman]

Thank you Cortman ! I've got the Classic gui going and ALL IS GREAT !
And it was so EASY to do ! One little click and that was it.
BAD BAD Unity ! Good Good Classic ! I'm very happy.
Thank you Very much !

No problem. :) Glad you got it working.