Posted by Calixte Pictet | 4 comments
Gnome-Shell and Unity: The Future Ubuntu Interfaces
One of the reasons I love Linux so much is that It provides you with the choice of numerous Desktop Environments (DE) and Window Managers (WM). I love good interface design but I get bored very fast. Also, I believe that interface design is getting old and clustered and lacks innovation. Linux gives me the possibility to install new things, try out new ways to interact with my computer.
I always have Ubuntu installed twice on my machine: one clean install for general use and another where I can test various desktops and experimental stuff.
Right now, my favorite Desktop is KDE Plasma. I find KDE elegant and uncluttered. I find KDE powerful and innovative. I have a small grudge against GNOME because I feel that my once favorite DE is uninnovative. I even suggested that Ubuntu switch to KDE. GNOME, however, is about to see two big changes transforming it.
The first of these changes is the arrival of “GNOME Shell”. Gnome Shell is the future default interface of GNOME 3.0 which is supposed to revolutionize the way we interact with our desktops. The other change is Ubuntu’s “Unity” interface which is supposed to come with the future “Ubuntu Light” operating system.
The bad news is that none of these two interfaces are ready for efficient day-to-day use. The good news is that you can test them without risk today.
GNOME Shell
GNOME Shell is a new way to view the traditional desktop and workspaces. It wants to replace both the traditional GNOME menu (the “Applications | Places | System” that is the default in Ubuntu) and the workspaces system (also called “spaces” on Mac OS).
In Gnome Shell, the three-button menu is replaced by the “activities” button. When clicked, you exit the desktop and have a zoomed-out view of all your workspaces, with all windows layed out seperately. On the left you have a panel for accessing files and applications (that will be the replacement for the “Application | Places | System” menus) that is rather clunky right now. The right part of the screen is where there is innovation: you start out with only one workspace, but adding new ones is as simple as a single click on the big “plus” button.
How to Install GNOME Shell on Ubuntu
GNOME shell is in the Ubuntu repositories by default. All you have to do is to type the following in the terminal and enter your password when prompted.
sudo apt-get install gnome-shell
When the installation is finished, paste the following code in the terminal:
gnome-shell –replace
Gnome shell will be replaced by your default GNOME desktop next time you log in. Alternatively, you can hit Alt+F2 to open the prompt and then type
debugexit
This will quit GNOME Shell. In the meantime, enjoy!
Ubuntu Unity
Ubuntu Unity was unveiled by Mark Shuttleworth recently.
Unity is to be the interface for Ubuntu Light, a version of ubuntu that Shuttlewoth wants to distribute on computers as a secondary operating system (that already runs Microsoft Windows) so as to reach the greatest audience possible.
The Unity interface is a very simple concept. It consists of a very classical GNOME interface without the bottom bar and with a new dock-like bar on the left that serves as an application launcher and a window list. The “Applications | Places | System” menu dissapears and is replaced by a simple Ubuntu logo that activates an “exposé” mode with all windows layed out on the screen when clicked.
How to Install Unity on Ubuntu
To install Unity in Ubuntu 10.04, simply follow the following steps:
Open the terminal and paste the text below (will add the PPA to your system):
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:canonical-dx-team/une
Enter the “root” (administrator) password when prompted
Then copy the following line (updates the software list of your newly installed repository):
sudo apt-get update
Finally, install Unity by copy-pasting the following command:
sudo apt-get install unity
Log-off and choose Unity in the GDM sessions.
Unity might have become your default session. If you want to change that, go to System > Administration > Login Screen and select your favorite DE in the menu (supposedly GNOME if you are running the default Ubuntu installation)
Conclusion
Both of these future interfaces for GNOME are interesting and innovative. I believe Ubuntu Unity is ready. GNOME Shell looks very promissing and could go very far. I am very happy with both projects, both because they show that open source can innovate, and also because I am feeling the traditional desktop paradigm move forward (particularly in GNOME Shell’s case). I can’t wait for these two interfaces to be officially released, and I hope that we will see more. Have you tested it? Comment on this article and tell me what you think!
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