What kind of cool things can I do with Unity?

[PatrickMoore]

I used to love the ability to theme gnome and make my desktop my own. and wanted insight as to what I can do to personalize my Ubuntu experience. I used ubuntu up to about a year and a half ago and have yet to use Unity and I am compelled to see what I can get out of it

[fontis]

With Unity itself? Pretty much nothing other than maybe changing iconsize on the launcher lol.

In fact it's a lot like the level of customization you get to do with Windows 7 for instance and the standard shell and launcher.
You can change your system icons, your "window theme" and your background... and that's about it. None of the funky stuff from before works, and the experience will always remain the same.

[Erik1984]

By default not so much but you can install tools like MyUnity or UbuntuTweak and Compiz Config Settings Manager. That way you can still achieve the old effects like wobbly windows. Outside that Unity is quite cool in it's default setup if you ask me :P

[forrestcupp]

There's not as much theming and customizing to be done in Unity. You can change your wallpaper. :)

You can also use it to run Firefox and LibreOffice. :)

[vasa1]

There's not as much theming and customizing to be done in Unity. You can change your wallpaper. :)

You can also use it to run Firefox and LibreOffice. :)

Awesome stuff! Where did you get this information from?

To repeat:
You can change your wallpaper
You can run Firefox
You can run LibreOffice

Really!

[Glencore]

Can it run Chrome? :|

Like the other guy said there are more options these days (myunity). Hopefully more in the future :)

[PatrickMoore]

With Unity itself? Pretty much nothing other than maybe changing iconsize on the launcher lol.

In fact it's a lot like the level of customization you get to do with Windows 7 for instance and the standard shell and launcher.
You can change your system icons, your "window theme" and your background... and that's about it. None of the funky stuff from before works, and the experience will always remain the same.

I can see where this will enhance the stability of my system. I mean it looks nice, but am always game for some playing around. I'll try my unity and keep my eyes open for a Mate version in the next few releases.
To clarify I don't dislike Unity but I miss the aesthetics of Mate as I liked the look and feel

[synaptix]

Have you tried XFCE (http://xfce.org)? :)

[whatthefunk]

You can get Unity off your system, install KDE and go nuts! KDE really can not be beat for customization features.
My current KDE setup, dual monitors:

http://imageshack.us/a/img825/5598/snapshot7bv.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/825/snapshot7bv.png/)

Exactly how I want it, not how Canonical wants me to want it.

[vexorian]

But then you would be using KDE instead of Unity. Which is not great if you think unity is better. (sorry, your screenshot looks like windows 7 :/ )

---

Anyway, I am this close of reaching boiling point and forking unity but thank god I am very lazy.

The unity launcher does not have many options, but you can change its color to stop using the wallpaper stuff. You can also make it completely transparent and auto hidden. The GTK theme and icons can be changed too. You can also add new lenses and stuff like that.

In fact, I am quite sure that unity's images can be edited (At least I am sure that in case of unity-2d you can change the images and the layout using CSS). The problem is that there is no real theme support, so you would be replacing the current theme.

Then if the images really exist somewhere in the hard drive, then we can make a theme manager. A very messy one at that that replaces images and makes backups. But a theme manager at last.

[whatthefunk]

But then you would be using KDE instead of Unity. Which is not great if you think unity is better.

True, but if you want customization options, like the OP wants, Unity is at the bottom of the barrel.


(sorry, your screenshot looks like windows 7 :/ )

Its got to look like something. People dont seem to realize how limited the number of configurations is. Most computer systems have some sort of quick launch feature, a system tray to display important information, a menu button, and a task bar. Unity is no different...the items are just against different edges. This configuration works best for me, thats why I use it.

[diesch]

Use MyUnity or Unsettings (http://www.florian-diesch.de/software/unsettings/) to change some more settings
Get new icon themes, Gtk themes or metacity themes from gnome-look.org (http://gnome-look.org/), unpack them into ~/.themes and use Unsettings or MyUnity to select them
See What Application Indicators are available? (http://askubuntu.com/questions/30334/what-application-indicators-are-available) and What lenses for Unity are available? (http://askubuntu.com/questions/38772/what-lenses-for-unity-are-available) for additional indicators and lenses.

[vexorian]

Oh yeah , forgot about indicators.

Anyway after my first post I found that the images are in /usr/share/unity/5 or /usr/share/unity/themes I found the image that adds the awful pixelated shine to the launcher buttons and modified it.

http://oi48.tinypic.com/vytwtc.jpg
Hopefully it is visible from the small screenshot, but I made the buttons look with shiny edges instead of having a curvy shine all over the top of the icon. The launchers usually look more like the ubuntu icon.

All we need as users to bring theming to unity is a program that can manage these image files and graphic-skilled people with will to do it. Hmnn...

What is really a shame is that it does not use SVG files for this stuff. Using PNGs at different scales is quite silly. No wonder icon sizes are limited at 32 and 64. If SVGs were used, it would be much easier to allow more sizes.

[philinux]

There is this.

http://www.howtogeek.com/112974/how-to-customize-ubuntu-with-ubuntu-tweak/

and this

http://www.iloveubuntu.net/learn-how-customize-ubuntu-1204s-unity-unity-customization-guide-10-free-72-pages-pdf-book

[MG&TL]

I am this close of reaching boiling point and forking unity but thank god I am very lazy.


Be grateful. The codebase is...confusing. :shock:

[Gremlinzzz]

I gave up on Unity for now and use Xubuntu.should I do a poll to see which desktop environment is most popular.but what would the list be just.
Gnome
Kde
Xfce
Unity
or would i be leaving others out?
:popcorn:
never mind the poll but if i did my vote would be Xfce.

[contributor]

In fact, I am quite sure that unity's images can be edited (At least I am sure that in case of unity-2d you can change the images and the layout using CSS).

This is really great. If it can then I am definitely going to try it.

[vexorian]

This is really great. If it can then I am definitely going to try it.
Be warned that the only way is by changing the stuff installed by the unity packages in /usr/share, and that updating those packages would revert your changes.

[forrestcupp]

Be warned that the only way is by changing the stuff installed by the unity packages in /usr/share, and that updating those packages would revert your changes.

Great point.

[zombifier25]

The problem is Unity, along with Ubuntu, is aimed at the mass market, that's why it has aout the same level of customization as the iPhone's UI, while with other DEs you can just hack the heck out of it :P

[fontis]

The problem is Unity, along with Ubuntu, is aimed at the mass market, that's why it has aout the same level of customization as the iPhone's UI, while with other DEs you can just hack the heck out of it :P

That's not true at all imo.
KDE and Gnome were both aimed at mass market the same way.
KDE even more so as it has been adopted by far more enterprises and governments and various institutions than Unity or Gnome has. And yet KDE still remains highly elegant and with a high level of customization should the user choose to fiddle around.

The whole "dumbing down" process is part of a grand scheme of things, namely having the distributor (Windows, Apple or in our case Canonical) to directly influence and therefore define YOUR experience based on what they deem is the "correct way" of having things sorted out.

As the Architect would say.. the problem is choice. And they want to make it for you :)

[vexorian]

It is extremely horrifying unfair to compare Unity's lack of customization with windows or OS/X.

Most of the unity experience can be customized in ways that are not possible at all in iOS/OS/X/windows (without hacking system files (and thus violating EULAs, which is a wrong thing. Not to mention the security risks). Sure, it has less customization options than other DEs, but it is far, far from being as impossible to customize as windows or OS/X.

- All the interface elements of applications. GTK theme, icons, window color.
- Unity panel follows GTK theme.
- The launcher has just two very important flaws in customization: a) It can't be moved and b) It lacks a theme redirect. But note that it does allow theming, as I have just verified Yesterday, all images are changeable.
- Compiz-settings manager allows you to change drop shadows' look. The kind of window animations. Add/remove corner events. Etc.

- Ultimately, you can switch the Desktop environment. There are so many choices in the GTK world, that it is possible to switch DEs without major complication and without quiting our apps.

I think that the real reason for not having more customization in unity is lack of resources. Cause Canonical keeps adding customization options with each new release albeit slowly. If you pay attention to how the dash works and is animated, making a moveable version of the sidebar requires to change behaviour of the dash and other things else it would look inconsistent.

[warm cardigan]

KDE really can not be beat for customization features.

Except by Xfce. ;)

[zombifier25]

Except by Xfce. ;)

That can be debated, but let's choose not to.

[whatthefunk]

I just installed Ubuntu 12.04 in a VM. Havent tried out Ubuntu for since they dropped Gnome 2. Its boring. You really cant do anything outside of change the wallpaper.

[vexorian]

Customizing ubuntu is funnier now. Gnome-2 customization was more about moving panels and putting stuff on them. To really make your unity launcher look good you need more effort than that.

[whatthefunk]

To really make your unity launcher look good you need more effort than that.

Thats not really a good selling point. It should be quick and easy to customize.

[vexorian]

That's boring.

And you can run a gnome-panel alongside unity if you like moving things around and putting applets from the 2000s on them.

[zombifier25]

That's boring.

And you can run a gnome-panel alongside unity if you like moving things around and putting applets from the 2000s on them.

http://sarugu.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/797px-spyware_infestation.png?iact=rc&dur=8&sig=107481253369969066336&ei=CK9dUMW-MsvyrQfIyoGoDA&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=183&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:70&tx=225&ty=205

Sign me up!

[tjeremiah]

not a lot from what I understand but thats the way I like it. Unity by default looks great and with the added stuff that is being added for the Dash and "webapps", im totally fine with everything. As long as Compiz still works and that I can change icons,wallpaper,and have the GLOBAL MENU (which I really love), ill be ok.

I've tried KDE. In fact I installed it yesterday after using it for some time in the past with my Ubuntu 12.10 beta build but it reminds me too much of Windows which I already have. Nice customization from what I remember but not much to pull me away from Unity.

Customizing like crazy was cool for me a couple of years ago but now not so much as I no longer stare at the desktop all day and just get straight to work when I boot into Linux.

[Erik1984]

http://sarugu.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/797px-spyware_infestation.png?iact=rc&dur=8&sig=107481253369969066336&ei=CK9dUMW-MsvyrQfIyoGoDA&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=183&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:70&tx=225&ty=205

Sign me up!

Brings back Windows98 memories (I know the screenshot is XP), although I miss RealPlayer in the systray :p

[BigSilly]

Whaddya mean cool things you can do with Unity? Unity is the cool thing you can do! :D

[StinkySQL]

Gotta agree with BigSilly, very easy to use.

[warm cardigan]

That can be debated, but let's choose not to.

I agree entirely. Good plan :)

[vasa1]

OP hasn't come back to this wonderful thread :(

[josephmills]

I guess it all depends on
Unity 2d
or
Unity 3d

They are both highly customizable

To get started I say check out this little thing that I wrote here
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2049872

I have also made a video that you can watch here for Unity 2d
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tEknHznw78

and this thread gives me a great Idea I am going to make tutorials on how to hack at both unity 2d,3d keep an eye on my youtube channel


for all the people that say Unity is for the masses that is why there is not alot of options, I say Unity Is real real Young and is also for the masses but I think the fact that it is what 3 years old ? not even beta code was coming out in 10.10 Gezz that is less then 2 years ago. How long has gnome been around kde ect.

[exploder]

Unity is getting cooler with each release. I like not having to do much to it to enjoy using it. Heck, I even like the default wallpaper. :)

[vexorian]

I guess it all depends on
Unity 2d
or
Unity 3d

They are both highly customizable

To get started I say check out this little thing that I wrote here
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2049872

I have also made a video that you can watch here for Unity 2d
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tEknHznw78

and this thread gives me a great Idea I am going to make tutorials on how to hack at both unity 2d,3d keep an eye on my youtube channel


for all the people that say Unity is for the masses that is why there is not alot of options, I say Unity Is real real Young and is also for the masses but I think the fact that it is what 3 years old ? not even beta code was coming out in 10.10 Gezz that is less then 2 years ago. How long has gnome been around kde ect.
KDE4 was a complete rewrite of KDE. And I think it is the same with Gnome 3. thus they are both actually young projects.

The real issue is not time as much as size of team. There are a lot more KDE and GNOME contributors than there are unity contributors.

But it has this great advantage over KDE4 and GNOME-3 in that it has been seriously designed.- It is not a camel. With other DEs you wonder if they focusing so much in customizability is more about they not being sure exactly what to deliver to the user and hoping the user could fill in the blanks. Unity on the other hand is very sure what it is doing.

[whatthefunk]

But it has this great advantage over KDE4 and GNOME-3 in that it has been seriously designed.- It is not a camel. With other DEs you wonder if they focusing so much in customizability is more about they not being sure exactly what to deliver to the user and hoping the user could fill in the blanks. Unity on the other hand is very sure what it is doing.

I dont understand at all. If anything, Unity is the one that leaves users to fill in the blanks. Thats why you have to download hacks and accessory programs to do simple things like move a wallpaper.

[vexorian]

The whole layout in unity is well-thought and ready to be used. In the other things, there is really no layout, just attempts at it that you have to change. Gnome-3 basically begins with no layout. Besides an indicator I have not needed to add anything to unity. When I was trying GS I had to download 21 addons and it was still not very useful.

If you want to move the wallpaper you can just use the gimp or something. That the other DEs are so insecure about themselves that they are even unsure where the wallpaper should go is... worrying.

[whatthefunk]

The whole layout in unity is well-thought and ready to be used. In the other things, there is really no layout, just attempts at it that you have to change. Gnome-3 basically begins with no layout. Besides an indicator I have not needed to add anything to unity. When I was trying GS I had to download 21 addons and it was still not very useful.

What do you mean it has no layout? Ive never used Gnome 3, but KDE comes with a standard panel with a menu, task bar, and system tray that is perfectly functional and doesnt need to be changed. I used standard KDE with no customization for months and had no problem.


If you want to move the wallpaper you can just use the gimp or something. That the other DEs are so insecure about themselves that they are even unsure where the wallpaper should go is... worrying.

What do you mean move the wallpaper?

[georgelappies]

No need to customize Unity. It works very well out of the box and is getting better every release. All I do is install the Faenza icon set and I am ready to work. The global menu, lenses and HUD makes working within unity much, much faster.

All my monitors are widescreen and as such I don't mind sacrificing a bit of space on the left hand side of the screen. Having a panel on the top, the application's menu panel and the bottom panel in gnome2 / mate / cinnamon is just a waste of precious vertical real estate.

KDE is to much customizable, the default layout is the way windows 95 was. No real thought behind the placement of UI elements and a better way of interfacing with the system. It just looks shiny and transparent. Then some KDE users go and theme their interface to mimic Unity by having a similar launcher bar at the left but having none of the really cool features like global menu, HUD and lenses. And with Qt's future no longer certain...

XFCE is a crippled gnome 2 clone (the default file manager doesn't support tabs by design?!?). Sure the gnome 3 guys are also busy crippling nautilus these days but luckily there is Marlin ;)

gnome shell, most handicapped constraint DE I ever came across. One needs to install so many plugins to just get a semi workable setup in GS.

I really am spoilt with Unity, the HUD, lenses and global menu. There is actually some real design behind the way the desktop was made to assist you with interacting with your machine and applications.

But yeah, the great thing with Linux is the choice isn't. Whatever rocks your boat, for me its Unity :)

[BigSilly]

gnome shell, most handicapped constraint DE I ever came across. One needs to install so many plugins to just get a semi workable setup in GS.


I hardly add anything to my Gnome Shell install. I love it as-is. I think it's a pretty amazing technical feat personally, and an eye-popping, intuitive design.

Just me. ;)

[KiwiNZ]

Please stay on topic, that is : 'What kind of cool things can I do with Unity?'

This not anti Unity thread #4657864
This is not pro xfce, KDE, blah, blah thread.

[Lemuriano]

Sorry to said that I try Unity with MyUnity / Compiz and did not find anything cool to do with it because of the low level of customization. On the other hand, for others members Unity just work and that´s the beauty of Gnu/Linux and Ubuntu for that matter (choice).

I´m positive that as time goes by more options will be available for Unity. The classic menu indicator for example was also nice for me.

Regards