I recently came to a stark realization after upgrading my desktop to Ubuntu 11.10: GNOME 2 is gone. It’s retired, deprecated, done. Like it or not, Unity and GNOME Shell are the way of the future. And that would be fine, if only I could keep from wondering: Are these new desktop environments really ready for the masses?
I’ve used both Unity and GNOME Shell plenty in the past, and I like them both. In fact, I prefer Unity on my netbook, since it makes more efficient use of the tiny screen. But on my desktop, where I’m not so worried about the economy of pixels, I always felt more at home with the sleek plainness of GNOME 2.
But on Ubuntu 11.10, GNOME 2 is nowhere to be found. Unlike in earlier Ubuntu releases, Unity is the only desktop environment installed by default. The Internet is peppered with instructions for “reverting” to GNOME 2 on Ubuntu 11.10; however, they merely explain how to install a package called gnome-session-fallback, which is not actually GNOME 2 but a half-baked build of GNOME Shell dressed up in its predecessor’s clothing. It doesn’t work well at all.
The exclusion of GNOME 2 from Ubuntu 11.10 was not Canonical’s decision, of course. It was inevitable, since GNOME 2 and the toolset on which it was based, GTK+ 2, have been deprecated in favor of the next generation of GNOME technologies. Unless you want to run unmaintained code, which is never a good idea, it’s time to bid GNOME 2 farewell as it enters the big blue tunnel into the Afterlife.
But that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with the idea.
The Post-GNOME 2 World
Plenty of pixels have already been fired on the merits of Unity and GNOME Shell relative to each other and to their competitors. I won’t reignite that debate here. Instead, I’ll just say that Unity and GNOME Shell, having now matured quite thoroughly, both work well. They’re fast, aesthetically pleasing and allow users to be very productive once they learn how to use the environments.
But therein lies the catch: There’s a lot of learning to be done to become familiar with Unity and GNOME Shell, and I’m not so sure non-geeks are up to the task.
Using the dash to launch applications is not as intuitive as clicking the no-nonsense Applications menu of GNOME 2. Switching between windows via an overlay can prove confusing for users accustomed to the dead-simple buttons of the GNOME panel — or any Microsoft operating system since Windows 95, for that matter.
And most of all, the heavy reliance of both Unity and GNOME Shell on keyboard shortcuts, which are central to the rapid workflow the interfaces support, can be a problem. Hotkeys are great if you’re a geek willing to memorize them, but a lot of normal people really just want to point and click.
After all, if the masses liked keyboard input so much, graphical user interfaces would never have been developed in the first place. Every geek knows the CLI is magnitudes faster, once you’re familiar with it.
Fortunately, the trend away from appreciating the needs of non-geeks in modern open source desktop environments is not irreversible. Unity and GNOME Shell could be enhanced so that they’re easier to use without learning so many keyboard shortcuts, and optional extensions could add interface components similar to those of legacy environments for users who want them.
It’s not too late now. But it will be once upgrade cycles sweep away the systems still running GNOME 2. If open source developers want to preserve Linux as the viable platform for normal people and not just geeks that it has become over the last several years, they’ll do well to spend some time addressing the issues in Unity and GNOME Shell so we can all learn to love them as much as elite hackers.
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Tags: Desktop Environments | Gnome | GNOME 2 | GNOME 3 | GNOME Shell | Linux | Linux for Non-Geeks | Ubuntu | Ubuntu 11.10 Oneric Ocelot | Unity | User Interfaces
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Here is a very good suggestion for those who dislike Unity & for Ubuntu users who liked the ‘good old’ Ubuntu: Install Cairo / AWN Dock
Ubuntu 11.10 + Cairo / AWN Dock = Awesome!
This way you have the eye candy of Unity & Cairo Dock. I find Cairo Dock has some functionality & accessibility that has yet to come to Unity.
I run it on Unity & am very pleased.
I have installed Compiz Config Settings Manager & Selected “Autohide” in the ‘Hide Launcher’ option.
So when the computer boots you only see the Cairo Dock. But Unity is always there when you need it (Mouse over Left border of the screen).
In fact, some “Themes” in Cairo are like the screen shots I saw when I Googled images of Gnome 3. (Clock in the top & Center).
Something on the lines of Motorola which has developed two docks for the Atrix.
Or the Asus Pad Phone. Ubuntu can switch from phone to PC.
Oh, Mr. Tozzi. Where shall I begin?
I’ll begin by saying that Gnome 2 is not a shell, like Unity and (rather obviously) Gnome Shell are. When you are referring to Gnome 2, you most likely are not talking about Rhythmbox or Nautilus, but rather about the previous shell, which is named Gnome Panel 2. Gnome Panel 3 is not a part of Gnome Shell at all. This is a misconception based on the fact that Gnome Panel 3 does not look identical to Gnome Panel 2. Where do these memes come from? It is a new version of the old shell. However, not all Gnome Panel 2 applets are available for Gnome Panel 3 yet, because the underlying technology was really very old and horrible to work with, but there’s no reason why they won’t be ported if people show interest in that.
However, if you just want a window switcher at the bottom of the screen, then you can easily get that with Unity. We have several panels to choose from, like xfce4-panel, which you can install by following this link: http://apt.ubuntu.com/p/xfce4-panel. When it is installed, you can run it by pressing alt+f2 and typing xfce4-panel. If you want to keep using it, then you’ll want to add that command to your startup applications. If you want to see a screenshot, here you go: http://ubuntuone.com/0X1JuF6HRTwEb5U1JyIk1D. As you can see, it’s perfectly possible and easy to have both.
«But therein lies the catch: There’s a lot of learning to be done to become familiar with Unity and GNOME Shell, and I’m not so sure non-geeks are up to the task.»
You underestimate people. But anyway, that doesn’t seem to be the case, and I’ve tested it on quite a few non-geeks, as you call them. They don’t have these difficulties. The geeks, however, or long-time users, seem to struggle getting past their experience with the old shell. Quite understandable, but not evidence of anything when it comes to users who are not very familiar with Gnome Panel at all, or let’s call them the vast majority of people.
I won’t go into too much discussion, but I have to respond to the next paragraph:
«After all, if the masses liked keyboard input so much, graphical user interfaces would never have been developed in the first place. Every geek knows the CLI is magnitudes faster, once you’re familiar with it.»
Pressing F10 to get keyboard access to the menus, is not the same as running commands. Actually, Gnome 3 and Unity (and I mean that in the correct sense) both hides commands and paths as much as possible. But if, as you seem to suggest, people dislike the keyboard so much, how come people still use physical keyboards instead of using an on-screen with their mouse? It would save lots of space, after all. But it isn’t that simple. People love their keyboards and they love their mice, but not for the same things. People would not want to edit a photograph using their keyboard, for instance. And quite normal people actually do use the windows key to open the start menu on Windows. And they do use alt+tab to switch between windows. Actually, lots of people — non-geek people — love using the keyboard for these things. Ok, so Unity has a lot more keyboard shortcuts available, but that doesn’t bother those who do not use them. And it isn’t difficult to navigate Unity using a mouse — that’s your own habits getting in the way of clear judgement. But don’t present things as facts when they’re clearly nothing more than your own immediate perception, clouded by expectations and possibly disappointment.
As for your final thoughts, about it not being too late to reimplement the nineties… A panel is an app. We have lots of different apps in Ubuntu. People love installing new apps. What is the problem?
Or you can switch to KDE.
Try Pinguy OS
@ Jo-Erlend As for your final thoughts, about it not being too late to reimplement the nineties… A panel is an app. We have lots of different apps in Ubuntu. People love installing new apps. What is the problem?
Completely agree with you.
Thank you for http://apt.ubuntu.com/p/xfce4-panel
Why can’t Ubuntu give us the option for both. This way everyone is happy.
Jo-Erlend, what is the cool language in your screenshot?
Thanks again.
CT: Easy answer, as I’ve been telling everyone since Oct. 15th: Xfce. Software Center, install the Xfce4 metapackage, configure one or two panels just like Gnome, your Ubuntu software stack is just the same. Get on with working the way you want. Done. RC
Indian Art: Thank you, that’s Norwegian.
Ubuntu _does_ give you the option of both. Perhaps you mean it should be installed by default and get its own session? I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s easily installable and there’s no doubt that Ubuntu Desktop wants to be something other than what Xubuntu is. As long as it’s easy to customize for anyone who wants to, I think the current situation is fine.
I do fully agree with Jo-Erlend, especially about the keyboard. I couldn’t see while reading what needs shortcuts that much. I’ve been on Ubuntu for 5 years, but I almost never used the shortcuts (even if I know many of them), I just don’t need them in my day-to-day workflow and I can do everything I want withouth them. So what is it that need it so badly?
Anyway, as much as I liked Gnome 2, I really think the new paradigm brought by Unity and GS are much more efficient (and more modern/aesthetic as well) and that’s why I adopted it and adapted my use very quickly. Actually, now I just couldn’t stand getting back to Gnome 2.
I disagree with Jo-Erlend 100%!
hey, why have/need i to change my DE?!! it was imposed, like ms impose changes just to sell new software!! im perfectly comfortable with gnome2, and i dont need/want to use another DE. really tried unity and gnome3. both are worthless for my needs. its great to develop new and best software, but why sweep all the old ones of new distros? why couldnt gnome3 maintain (adapting to new technologies) themes, applets, bars, general arrangement of buttons, windows styles…
oneiric is working so much better than its predecessors (in general, at least in the computers i tested). but i cant use it. now im giving xfce (xubuntu) a try…
Whereas I am not a fan of Unity – Ubuntu and Canonical are the ones who run the show. They do – and rightfully so.
They offer products to us free of charge. If we like it (or learn to love it), we will continue to use it. If we don’t like it, we are 100% free to move on.
I’m free to express my dissatisfaction – but I do not have the right to decide or tell Ubuntu/Canonical what they shall provide for me – for free.
Seems like a lot of people want developers to cease developing and become pure maintainers instead of.
That idea is just as useful as demanding the earth to stop rotating when the sun shines perfectly on your spot.
It’s the same story as with the transition from KDE 3 to 4.
Gnome made the right decision abandoning Gnome 2 and KDE made the right decision abandoning KDE 3. The alternative is a bumpy road towards a technical museum.
Whether Gnome 3, Unity or KDE 4 are the right solutions for the future? Opinions may differ and only the future will tell. But it is still for the individual projects to decide what they do with their babies.
Meanwhile, one could only hope that more distros improve their quality a few notches. There’s only a handfull good ones, and there are piles of poor and mediocre ones.
http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/open-sauce/51000-ubuntu-time-to-get-rid-of-the-sense-of-entitlement
Jack: I absolutely agree with that.
Alexandre: First of all, Ubuntu 10.04 will be supported until April 2013. By then, Unity, Gnome Shell and Gnome Panel 3 will be in a lot better state then they are now. Saying that Unity has been imposed on you, is quite simply not true.
You should realize that Xubuntu is Ubuntu only with different default applications. If you only want to replace the shell, then install it. It’s an app, like any other. If you wouldn’t install a different operating system because of the default web browser, you shouldn’t change operating systems because of the shell either. Click http://apt.ubuntu.com/p/xfce4-panel and install it. Then just run the xfce4-panel app, and you’ll have the Xfce shell. It’s that easy. Or if you want the LXDE shell instead, install http://apt.ubuntu.com/p/lxpanel and run the lxpanel app. Gnome Panel — which is the shell that was used in earlier versions of Ubuntu — has been upgraded to Gnome 3, by the way and it is available in Ubuntu.
«its great to develop new and best software, but why sweep all the old ones of new distros?
Because running two different desktop environments at the same time would not only create a very complicated system — which means bugs — but also consume a lot of resources. It would also mean reducing the development efforts for both desktop environments, meaning that none of them would be able to improve quickly.
«why couldnt gnome3 maintain (adapting to new technologies) themes, applets, bars, general arrangement of buttons, windows styles…»
Why couldn’t? It does. Try not to get so angry about changes. It gets in the way of rational thought, which prevents you from achieving your goals.