With Ubuntu 24.04 I wanted to give the Unity desktop another try. First thing I always change is my background to a solid color. I was unable to find out how to do this with Unity? Why would you remove or hide such a basic configuration option?
Also, how can I put widgets on the desktop and is there a way to have window buttons and workspace icons in a panel like in basically all other desktop managers?
I have avoided Unity because I so much restricts users in what they can do and how they can configure their work environment, but wanted to give it another try and it seems they have restricted it even more?
I just do not understand: why?
One of the things that makes Linux stand out and be so much better than Windows is that you are not forced to stay with whatever some company things is best for you, but Unity seems to have fully adopted that philosophy.
Is there any way to configure it like I want or will I have to go back to Mate or Plasma?
Are you using Ubuntu 24.04 with the Unity desktop installed as an additional package or the latest official version of Ubuntu Unity? There is a difference.
Ubuntu Unity is an official flavour that has the right to use Ubuntu trademarks. However, it is not maintained by Canonical (the company that owns Ubuntu and a myriad of other services and products).
Ubuntu Unity is developed and maintained by unpaid volunteers who work on the project in their spare time. The work of developers and maintainers often goes unappreciated and unrecognized.
Unity as the default desktop for Ubuntu was dropped long ago (2017), which is why volunteers now devote time to it.
Sorry, I must have used the wrong naming then: I am referring to the interface I get when I choose âUbuntuâ from the menu of desktop options before logging in. This looks to me exactly like what I believe has been named Unity when I first looked at it while âGnomeâ usually looks completely different with no dock on the left etc.
I am not sure how to refer correctly to the design aspect vs the underlying technology here, but what I dislike is basically âthe wayâ both in âUbuntuâ und âGnomeâ desktops these days, with slightly different esthetics.
So â how can I set my background to a solid color and pick the color from a color picker?
Weird - one of the many decisions I just cannot wrap my head around: why would one decide to simply remove that? What was the harm of having the option?
The gsettings commands referenced do not change anything for me. I have seen another advice, suggesting using dconf-editor somewhere, but that command just segfaults on me, as does dconf
Use Inkscape to create a rectangle with the dimensions of your screen. Then choose a fill color of your choice, and export the result as an image file. Finally, set the background image to be that file.
Thanks, I have of course thought of this, but donât you think this is annoyingly time consuming and complex when compared to what one can do in other window managers which is: click on the solid color option and choose the color from a color picker? Am I the only one finding it extremely annoying when developers just decide without giving a reason to remove such a feature?
Well, we have to work with what we are given. IF you are familiar with Inkscape, you can create such an image and export it in about 2 minutes. Its really easy with a vector graphics program like Inkscape.
Well, we have to work with what we are given. IF you are familiar with Inkscape, you can create such an image and export it in about 2 minutes. Its really easy with a vector graphics program like Inkscape.
Well, luckily, under Linux we donât because there are other window managers where I can choose this in a second. The reason why I am asking about how to do this in the standard desktop is because I wanted to find out what the pros and cons are after not having it used for a while and I thought, maybe I am prejudiced and I should give it another try.
But I guess things like this convince me that I will be happier with going back to Mate or Plasma.
Search the net for images of (the color of your choice) solid square. Download the image and then set as desktop backround either span or stretch.Done.
You donât need an image of same size if the screen, a smaller image (I use 100x100) is expanded to screen size.
Put the image in âPicturesâ then from âChange backgroundâ click on âAdd pictureâ and import the picture so you can select this picture as background.
I use small .png images created with gimp.
