It works fine for me, but you need to be using libinput.
Here notice no difference in fn+ between 18.04 & 20.04
I’m not sure if there’d be a mini iso for focal. In this link:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/netboot/focal/
it seems that the netboot image (i.e. mini.iso) for focal will be replaced by the live server iso.
Well I’ve found it and I use it as a base to get a nice Unity desktop.
You can find it here: http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/focal/main/installer-amd64/current/legacy-images/netboot/
Unity does have a few bugs though. I hope it will still get maintained in the future. I’m learning to code so hopefully I’ll be somehow useful in the years to come.
@phogred
So you just reinstalled ubuntu unity using the mini iso?
I used the legacy server iso as I couldn’t find the mini… guess I did not find hard enough.
Anyway, do you know of any significant differences between the two methods? Are there any additional packages that come with the server install but are not needed for unity?
Is there a way to have Unity Tweak Tool recognize Yaru?
Hi there people.
Unity is my DE of choice, and I love you all for keeping it alive.
I’m using 20.04 with Unity, updated with “do-release-upgrade” from 18.04 (where also used Unity), and so far I have only a single small problem: can’t randomly place desktop icons. Nemo is handling the desktop, as changing nemo settings (like thumbnails and stuff like that) changes the settings in the desktop. However, I can’t find an option such as “let me move my icons”. Maybe I just didn’t saw that option, or maybe it’s a bug, you tell me.
BTW: if anybody’s planing on forking Unity, I strongly suggest to change its name, as UBPorts people did. The “Unity” word is just full of noise online.
Thanks 
1 Like
The server installation comes with a lot of unneeded packages for a traditional desktop.
I’ve tried to install ubuntu-unity-desktop directly on a mini iso install without anything checked on software selection and it was nearly perfect but I couldn’t get wi-fi to work.
So I’ve reinstalled unity on a minimal gnome install and now everything is working.
Did you use wifi during installation? According to this wiki:
If you use wi-fi during installation, it will create a nplan@wpasupplicant.service and will take control of wi-fi interface during boot.
I installed the server iso using wi-fi, and when I got to unity, the wi-fi was greyed out with “Device not ready” and it did not scan for available wi-fi networks, though the one i used to install was still connected and usable.
It’s a decent regression from 18.04. Mentioned it in post 88.
The only apparent ‘solution’ I’ve found so far is to open dconf-editor > org > nemo > desktop and disable use-desktop-grid. ( which seems to combine align to grid & auto-arrange…
That’ll allow moving icons but will enlarge the icons with no way to adjust.
Maybe try caja handing desktop??, never have myself…
(- actually prefer 18.04 anyway.
Yeah, I had the same problem with my first mini iso install. I’ve searched for solutions but I didn’t find anything. That’s why I end up installing unity on top of a minimal gnome install.
I did find a solution for this wi-fi problem: reinstall ubuntu (in my case, legacy server) using ethernet instead of wifi. The wi-fi now works properly (no grey, no “device not ready”, able to scan for available networks) when I boot into unity.
Clearly, this is not the most efficient method but it’s effective.
The wiki actually provides a suggestion:
it is best to disable or completely remove the service (nplan@wpasupplicant.service) and let network-manager handle it.
but I was unable to disable the service.
I’ll try reinstalling unity on top of the mini iso with ethernet and see if there are any issues and come back here.
To recognize Yaru Unity tweak you must have the metacity theme, you can use gnome tweak with the maximized window.
I did what you said, and indeed, I was able to move my icons. Thank you.
But I was able to also change their size! Even when… well… maybe not in the best way…
If you right-click any icon, there’s an option for resizing it. And it works.
Not optimal at all, as the size is changed by hand, and you may have lots of icons. But it’s something.
I wonder where that data is saved to. If it’s a text file, I’m sure I could make some dirty bash script for changing all the sizes at the same time.
Also, I don’t like the desktop icon names font. Are you aware of how to change that?
@ daniel-cantarin
The info is stored in .local/share/gvfs-metadata so likely nothing to be done there.
Edit:
As it turns out - simple.
The default icon size for nemo is set at 100%. Setting that to 66% also sets desktop icons…
(don’t remember doing this in 18.04, maybe default there was 66%, at least on nemo I use there…
Has anyone encountered this issue: when changing desktop background with nemo, there is no fade/transition effect, even though in org.nemo.desktop, background-fade is set to true.
This seems to affect other wallpaper changing apps (wallch in my case) as well. The wallpapers just change abruptly without smooth transition. Is there a way to fix this?
Thanks for that info about gnome-tweaks. I thought it is totally broken uder Unity.
Hello everyone!
I modified the Yaru theme for Unity. Follow the link:
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Would be nice to see that in upstream
I see we’ve switched from Nautilus to Nemo with the Unity DE for Focal. I have one question… this is something I noticed on my wife’s Linux Mint system and I don’t know if it applies here but since Mint already uses Nemo I thought I’d ask.
With Nautilus and Deja Dup, if I want to restore a file, I can right-click in the folder and select “Restore Missing File” or right click on a file and select “Revert to Previous Version.” These options do NOT appear in Linux Mint. Is that because there is a plug-in to Nemo that is missing? Is that plug-in available with Unity on Focal?