OT: Returning Ubuntu to Classic Desktop

My efforts yesterday to find things on Ubuntu 11.10 with the new Unity
interface drove me nuts, so this morning I found instructions to get
the Classic desktop back. Tried it on my test computer and it worked
fine. I can find things again, despite a few of them not being where I
expected. Once the Classic desktop is installed, you can switch
between it and Unity, so you're no longer stuck with one or the other.
(The switching facility was built into 11.04, I think, but removed in
11.10.)

Then I found instructions for creating a desktop launcher (another
thing that changed in 11.10) and got some more things back the way I'm
used to them. Someone new to Ubuntu might not find the new interface
as annoying as I do, but I'm glad others don't like it, because they
post useful how-tos.

For anyone interested, here are the instructions I used, of the many
blogs that turned up in a search.

http://www.liberiangeek.net/2011/08/return-to-ubuntu-classic-desktop-in-ubuntu-11-10/

http://shuffleos.com/3274/how-to-create-desktop-launchers-in-ubuntu-11-10-oneiric-ocelot/

Now to update the other two machines...

--Jean

My efforts yesterday to find things on Ubuntu 11.10 with the new Unity
interface drove me nuts, so this morning I found instructions to get
the Classic desktop back. Tried it on my test computer and it worked
fine. I can find things again, despite a few of them not being where I
expected. Once the Classic desktop is installed, you can switch
between it and Unity, so you're no longer stuck with one or the other.
(The switching facility was built into 11.04, I think, but removed in
11.10.)

Then I found instructions for creating a desktop launcher (another
thing that changed in 11.10) and got some more things back the way I'm
used to them. Someone new to Ubuntu might not find the new interface
as annoying as I do, but I'm glad others don't like it, because they
post useful how-tos.

For anyone interested, here are the instructions I used, of the many
blogs that turned up in a search.

http://www.liberiangeek.net/2011/08/return-to-ubuntu-classic-desktop-in-ubuntu-11-10/

http://shuffleos.com/3274/how-to-create-desktop-launchers-in-ubuntu-11-10-oneiric-ocelot/

Now to update the other two machines...

Maybe You should take a look to Linux Mint 12 “Lisa” ->
http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1889

Yes, Mint is on my list to check. The last time I tried it (Mint 11, I
think) I had some major problems with it, and gave it up. (I don't
remember what the problems were.)

I'm mostly using Mac OS X Lion now, so I'm taking less time to play
around with Linux. I'm so far behind on getting some real work done...

--Jean

Comments inline

On Tue, 2011-12-06 at 11:07 +1000, Jean Weber wrote: > My efforts
yesterday to find things on Ubuntu 11.10 with the new Unity > interface
drove me nuts, so this morning I found instructions to get > the
Classic desktop back. Tried it on my test computer and it worked >
fine. I can find things again, despite a few of them not being where I

expected. Once the Classic desktop is installed, you can switch >

between it and Unity, so you're no longer stuck with one or the other.

(The switching facility was built into 11.04, I think, but removed in
11.10.) > I looked at my Ubuntu installation. The only

switching that I see is switching users. However, if a person uses two
users (classic desktop for one and Unity for the other), then switching
users will switch desktops as well.

Then I found instructions for creating a desktop launcher (another
thing that changed in 11.10) and got some more things back the way I'm
used to them. Someone new to Ubuntu might not find the new interface
as annoying as I do, but I'm glad others don't like it, because they
post useful how-tos.

     I followed your instructions below for creating a desktop launcher. I
even created a script that will create it. Finally, I created a desktop
launcher for the script which I dragged onto the top panel. (You can
still drag an icon from Applications on to the panel, but always where
you would want them. Their positions are limited.) Here is
something that I just discovered! Alt+right click on the top panel
opens a context menu similar to the one that use to appear with just a
right click (Add to panel, Properties, Delete this panel,and New
panel). Use this key combination to make changes in the panel.

> For anyone interested, here are the

instructions I used, of the many > blogs that turned up in a search. >

http://www.liberiangeek.net/2011/08/return-to-ubuntu-classic-desktop-in-ubuntu-11-10/

>

http://shuffleos.com/3274/how-to-create-desktop-launchers-in-ubuntu-11-10-oneiric-ocelot/

> Now to update the other two machines...
> --Jean

     If anyone is going to use LibreOffice on Ubuntu for writing
documents, the Ubuntu version of LO needs to be removed completely
using Synaptic. (This is required to prevent Ubuntu from downloading
and installing its version of LO updates over your installation.) After
this is done, LO 3.4.4 can be installed.
     I have a document that I can update describing how to remove
Ubuntu's version of LO. I also have a script file that can be used to
install LO from the LO website after removing Ubuntu's version. (The
script requires running in a terminal window.)
     I can upload these two files in my Dashboard if others would like to have a copy.

--Dan

Hi :slight_smile:
Perhaps good for a new wiki-page?  Perhaps somethign like
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Faq/RemoveDistroSpecificLibreOffice
Hmmm, perhaps something a bit snappier?

This page was set-up before there was an Faq section
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Installing_in_parallel
Perhaps usinga  shorter address such as that might be good?

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Comments inline

On Tue, 2011-12-06 at 11:07 +1000, Jean Weber wrote: > My efforts
yesterday to find things on Ubuntu 11.10 with the new Unity > interface
drove me nuts, so this morning I found instructions to get > the
Classic desktop back. Tried it on my test computer and it worked >
fine. I can find things again, despite a few of them not being where I

expected. Once the Classic desktop is installed, you can switch >

between it and Unity, so you're no longer stuck with one or the other.

(The switching facility was built into 11.04, I think, but removed in
11.10.) > I looked at my Ubuntu installation. The only

switching that I see is switching users. However, if a person uses two
users (classic desktop for one and Unity for the other), then switching
users will switch desktops as well.

It's possible that switching desktops can be done only when logging in. I haven't checked and don't have an Ubuntu machine with me today.

Then I found instructions for creating a desktop launcher (another
thing that changed in 11.10) and got some more things back the way I'm
used to them. Someone new to Ubuntu might not find the new interface
as annoying as I do, but I'm glad others don't like it, because they
post useful how-tos.

    I followed your instructions below for creating a desktop launcher. I
even created a script that will create it. Finally, I created a desktop
launcher for the script which I dragged onto the top panel. (You can
still drag an icon from Applications on to the panel, but always where
you would want them. Their positions are limited.) Here is
something that I just discovered! Alt+right click on the top panel
opens a context menu similar to the one that use to appear with just a
right click (Add to panel, Properties, Delete this panel,and New
panel). Use this key combination to make changes in the panel.

For anyone interested, here are the

instructions I used, of the many > blogs that turned up in a search. >

http://www.liberiangeek.net/2011/08/return-to-ubuntu-classic-desktop-in-ubuntu-11-10/

http://shuffleos.com/3274/how-to-create-desktop-launchers-in-ubuntu-11-10-oneiric-ocelot/

Now to update the other two machines...
--Jean

    If anyone is going to use LibreOffice on Ubuntu for writing
documents, the Ubuntu version of LO needs to be removed completely
using Synaptic. (This is required to prevent Ubuntu from downloading
and installing its version of LO updates over your installation.) After
this is done, LO 3.4.4 can be installed.
    I have a document that I can update describing how to remove
Ubuntu's version of LO. I also have a script file that can be used to
install LO from the LO website after removing Ubuntu's version. (The
script requires running in a terminal window.)
    I can upload these two files in my Dashboard if others would like to have a copy.

So parallel installation doesn't work any more? It seemed to on my machine, but I haven't been through an update cycle with Ubuntu LO yet.

--Jean

Hi :slight_smile:
Switching users or logging in are about the only times you can switch DEs (eg Unity to Gnome).  Switching user doesn't always close down all the apps the user is using (unlike Windows).  ANother way to get a different DE is to run a virtual machine.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile: