Test daily/current ubuntu-unity-amd64.iso

But Ubuntu Server can be used with UEFI.

To create a minimal KDE Plasma desktop on Ubuntu, some install KDE Plasma onto Ubuntu Server (rather than installing Kubuntu), as described here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/6wty79/a_recipe_for_installing_a_minimal_lightweight_kde/

So, hopefully, the Unity meta package will allow installing a minimal Unity desktop onto Ubuntu Server (and I imagine that it will).

Looking good so far, installed it on a Virtual Box. Install was fine and rebooted without issue.

Thoughts:

  • installer uses wrong theme (Adwaita), but that should already be fixed at least on 17.10 final iso
  • switch to slick-greeter, fork of unity-greeter maintained by the Linux Mint guys and already in the Ubuntu repos
  • include gtk3-nocsd by default to get rid of the headerbars -> theme needs some work then
  • somehow integrate Gnome Online Accounts in the Unity Settings App
  • notify-osd has to be installed, but there are some bugs (wrong placement, overlaps panel sometimes)
  • gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.plugins.background active >> this by default
  • definitely gtk3-nocsd
  • fork nemo into unity-files without any cinnamon deps - somebody has already done this at ppa:mc3man/bionic-noprop
  • remove dependency on nautilus - on 18.10 it won’t be drawing the desktop anymore
  • choose a new theme - numix? materia?
  • choose a new icon theme - same as community theme?
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I think the Communitheme looks good as an overall default theme for Unity.

I would love to see Unity Tweak Tool bundled by default

Just install unity-settings from ppa. It soon will be in the universe.

We will use nemo-desktop for desktop.

Numix. :joy:

Unfortunately community theme doesn’t really have any unity specific styles (yet).

Cheers mate, I’ve just updated off the testing ppa and I can’t help but notice it pulled Geary in. I’m puzzled by this choice, since it doesn’t integrate at all with Online Accounts. Evolution is completely solid in a unity-only desktop as I use it daily and integrates just fine with Online Accounts. Even the unity’s datetime widget opens Evolution when clicking on an upcoming event.

If you’re going to use nemo-desktop is nemo the file manager too? I would appreciate it, actually it would make sense to use more of the xapps as they still use a traditional menu and fit better to Unity in my opinion.

Vimix would be a nice theme, maybe with a Ubuntu color scheme on it? Vinceliuice has updated it on my request so it is still working in Unity and it looks pretty nice.

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Vimix is nice, but I personally have a problem with buttons that you’re not sure what they do until you hover over them, which is the case with the window decoration controls.

Is it at all possible to also provide the following environment variable by default?

JAYATANA_FORCE=true

This fixes the global menu on IntelliJ IDEs.

@Vimix: Yes I know not all like macOS traffic light approach but you get used to it pretty quickly.

@Jayatana: You can but I think there are some issues with other Java applications if you use this solution and that’s the reason why it got deactivated by default. I’m activating it for each application with adding the following to the .vmoptions:

-javaagent:/usr/share/java/jayatanaag.jar

On some applications you have to add:

env XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=Unity

after Exec= in the .desktop file, so the global menu is properly shown. If its for example Exec=/bin/sh “some/point/on/your/system” then it should look like this after you edit it:

Exec=env XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=Unity /bin/sh “some/point/on/your/system”

Edit: There seems to be another way of doing this. Just add this to your ~/.profile file (create it if it doesn’t exist) and global menu should be displayed:

export XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=“Unity:Unity7”

https://github.com/MaartenBaert/ssr/issues/566

I’ve been wondering (but kept forgetting to ask): is it necessary to use ppa:unity7maintainers/unity7-desktop to test Unity7 or is the one in universe sufficient?

The one in universe should do it. I installed from there and it worked fine and Khurshid has mentioned in another post that we shouldn’t install from that ppa.

2 Likes

Hi all i think for nice or beautiful desktop unity
I user scripts for a laptop monitor 1280x720 intelligent hide launcher unity is only maximized windows
and think only in is necessary in monitor small with resolution minimum 1280x720 what in monitor with full resolution 1080 not is necessary.
See in forum ubuntu


And ask ubuntu
https://askubuntu.com/questions/553539/how-can-i-auto-hide-the-launcher-via-a-script-when-i-maximize-the-browser

Too user a scripts notify-osd
Notify OSD Configuration_009

For theme think ambiance theme change color how to unity panel, launcher and dash

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gnome has this and it was something I was trying to add to Unity directly. When there are no windows open the side bar should be visible.

I made some changes to unity, where are our repos

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Do you manage to get the launcher to just hide with maximized windows?
Like it has done back before Ubuntu 11.04!