Thanks for the tip. I disabled Unity and had no menu and no launcher. This saved me from having to reinstall!

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Thx – I can opt out of unity for the time being. It lasted only 2 minutes on my desktop. I don’t purchase a 1600 euros laptop with a 18 inches screen and a 1920×1080 resolution to be inflicted an UI designed to conquer the smart phone market (with infinitesimal chances of success anyway).

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1) I did this, and it is for information of options…
2) you do this only at your own risk…

I had massive troubles on first day, all because Ubuntu didn’t have too many things ready (drivers, especially)…

I got to a point of uninstalling zeitgeist and subsequently uninstalling Unity (I was running Ubuntu Classic…

The system runs much better without the load the Unity software seemed to be putting on it, more than needlessly…

I Repeat: Do this at your own risk … I am a geek and do strange things that often blow up.

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OMG! How could they make the change to Unity without even a warning or an option on the upgrade to retain Gnome. Thank god we can change the default back. I can just about cope and might get used to it, but IMHO Gnome had just about reached perfection, and my wife would go ballistic! As in angry: “Why does everything have to change all the time?” Good question! Just as well I upgraded my machine first so I won’t have to try and answer it!

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This is all very well, but I’m running a headless server with access via VNC. The server does require a GUI, before anyone asks! Login is set to automatic.

If I changed login to manual, in order to reset the desktop, then I wouldn’t be able to VNC in to actually login! Whatever one’s views on Unity, surely the “status quo” should have been the default.

If I have to go to all the trouble of installing a screen and keyboard just so I can turn off Unity, then I’ll be turning off Ubuntu too.

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Chuck Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 5:16 pm

found the solution on u tube of all places. sorry don’t have the link to give credit to the author.
click on (upper left panel) menu, then type in login in the search box, click login screen icon then unlock in window. Now follow this post above.

I myself don’t prefer to search 100 cutesy icons for gparted. At least the side icons (or whatever) don’t BOUNCE

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Stuart Reply:
May 6th, 2011 at 1:17 am

Thanks for posting this update – I too had found the you-tube video a day or two after my original post. This method of changing the desktop deserves to be more widely known, but the impression I get is that Ubuntu/Canonical are deliberately trying to make it as hard as possible for people to escape Unity.

I hear that, in 11.10, the option to switch to the “classic” Gnome desktop will not be available. If we can have KUbuntu and XUbuntu, maybe someone will take up the challenge to give us GUbuntu! We can then quietly go our separate ways without a damaging “Gnome vs. Unity” debate.

The change to Unity is a particular kick-in-the-teeth for my efforts to persuade Windows users to migrate to open source – so far I have won the argument that Gnome/Ubuntu isn’t all that different from WindowsXP, but that approach has now flown out of the window (pun intended!).

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Alan Reply:
May 8th, 2011 at 11:06 am

Ubuntu is good but not suitable for a Server, I would suggest you migrate sonner rather than later.

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Ubuntu 11.04 look fine with unity desktop, but since the beta I prefer the clasic Gnome.. it’s more user friendly and simple..

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I understand that many folks like the new toys. But some of us like the things the way they are.

I am still running 9.04 on this computer. I have un-installed the 10 series from my big computer.

I don’t like other folks deciding what is good for me by force. Suggestions are always welcomed.

With 9.4 my computers run fast. 10.04 bogged down everything.

So when I look at the 11 series of changes, it’s not for me.

I believe the direction Ubuntu should go is to make a fantastic base unit. Keep it clean sweet and fast.

Then for the folks who want the toys, they can be added, think of it as if it were a skin.

I know there is a strong debate on how Ubuntu should look. I like the 9.04 orange.

I like less Apple and less Microsoft look and the aggravations; so why is Ubuntu trying to be an Apple, me too, operating system?

I think Ubuntu has a good chance of taking over the computer world so let’s work together.

Let’s stop the two year new look and instead lock down the system and make it stronger, not obnoxious.

Too many times the big release is released when it’s not ready, something like Microsoft.

So instead of having folks fighting with things they don’t want, do what you do and do it well, then give the option for the toys.

Too many cute decisions can decide Ubuntu out of being the leading Linux distribution.

Let’s give one example: Dashboard, It’s a great idea as long as it’s not on my desktop so make it an add-on option not something to remove.

This comment is intended to make Ubuntu better, not a gripe.

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well in Ubuntu/UbuntuStudio 11.04, after updates,… now the only option I have is a “Log Out” from the “Main Menu” ?
Thx for nuthin’ Canonical.
wtf happened to “Shutdown”, “Restart”, “Hiberbate”, …
of course, now I have to open a terminal and “sudo reboot…”

Tell me this isn’t also becuase of Unity ? the only fix I found was:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/casper/+bug/764750

and shame on those for telling me the solution was “CTRL+ALT+DEL” and no, even that didn’t work because the options were greyed out ?!

Goodbye Ubuntu, and hello Kubuntu, or maybe even better now Arch/Linux -anything is better than Unity bloatness- aka Micro$oft styling.

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This actually worked out for me very well. Just an FYI – you have to click on your login name before you see the “classic desktop” option menu at the bottom of the screen. Hope that helps.

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Thanks Ubuntu for ruining what had to be the best linux distro around. I upgraded from 10.10 to Nasty Narwhal, and now basically nothing works. I couldn’t even get a desktop to display without scrounging around the net until I found a tip for resetting Unity. Once I got that to work, now when I log off, I can’t log back in (no desktop again) without rebooting the ^%&^$&^%$^& machine. If this is the future of Linux, I’m going to have to pass.

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Cannot figure out how perform these last 2 steps? Any help would be greatly appreciated…please and thanks!

John

2.) Right click on “main menu”, “global menu” at top left screen and uncheck “lock to panel”, then select to “remove from panel”

3.) Right click on top panel, choose “add to panel” and then add “menu bar”.

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i’m newish to ubuntu and i downloaded this update and now i have no tool bar or side bar, my system is 11.04. i cant do this fixit because my comp is set to autologin and i cant figure out how to get my tool bar and side bar back without reinstalling ubuntu

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thanks for this.. as soon as i removed the menu bar from the top ‘task bar’, it appeared on all my windows.. Unity has been very irritating, give 10 different tasks and there would be more mouse clicks and typing before you would find what you’re looking for.

i guess unity is a ‘simplistic’ / ‘minimalist’ design that fits well on a smart phone or mobile device that has 1 main button.. but i want the power of my desktop! so classic ubuntu has to be the default..

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We need commandline instructions for this… It auto-logs on, really fantastic… so can’t switch sessions. The GUI is so !@#%!@$ I can’t log off and can’t change anything since all GUI’s are !@#$%!#@.

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My menu bar where time and date seems to have completely locked itself as in I can use the drop down Icon with the circle & straight line to go to settings – top right corner. It locked when I used the TV as a monitor via s-video cable.. Any ideas? Many thanks

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Thanks for this. After seeing Unity I immediately fired up my Windows system so I could Google how to revert to Gnome.
Personally I couldn’t work out how to make it do anything I wanted. Unity is designed for smartphones, not desktop or laptop computers. Why do we have to have this SH!T foisted upon us? And why-oh-why do software writers assume that users want to re-learn how to operate their software every couple of years???

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