Ubuntu Unity is no longer in use. We plan to revert to GNOME by 2018.
Ubuntu Unity is no longer in use. We plan to revert to GNOME by 2018.
After years of developing their own version of the gnome shell, Canonical has officially retired Unity. They mentioned issues with fragmentation and lack of progress on merging phone and tablet experiences, so they’re returning to GNOME. The last time Ubuntu used GNOME as its default was in 2010. I personally enjoyed using Ubuntu back then—my first install was 8.04 in 2008—but eventually moved to other Linux distros after Unity became the standard and their priorities shifted. It looks like they’re now aiming to bring more unity to the Linux world again. Honestly, I’m really excited about this move!
Lubuntu gained official status within the Ubuntu lineage in May 2011, following version 11.04, operating under LXDE instead of Unity and GNOME. Earlier, in October 2008, LXDE became available for Ubuntu starting with 8.10, though between 8.10 and 9.10 users still needed to install it after Ubuntu replaced GNOME.
Suggesting a switch from one environment to another in such a broken system doesn’t really make sense...
They are releasing a shell they crafted (Unity) and reverting to the previous setup (GNOME) for building it...
GNOME leads in development compared to Unity because it's widely adopted in other distributions like Debian and Fedora. Instead of creating separate projects, they aim to support the broader Linux community. This approach isn't flawless, but I appreciate it. The emphasis on GNOME should foster better collaboration among developers over time.
I found Unity GNOME to be acceptable but preferred Unity itself. It seems unlikely I’d want to stick with Ubuntu after 18.04, even though I don’t use it now. It’s nice that there are other choices, though they all use GNOME. I’ve experimented with Cinnamon in Debian before, which was fine. Anyway, I enjoyed Unity and found it a solid desktop experience.
Some found it enjoyable, others found it slightly more complicated. GNOME represents a balanced mix of different desktop environments. It’s not bad overall. For newcomers, it might feel a bit tougher due to its unique setup. I favor Unity over GNOME, though neither is flawless. Ubuntu and Unity pair well together; technically you can install Unity on most systems, but Ubuntu remains the primary platform where Unity was originally developed by the same team. What sets Ubuntu apart is its package management and standardization. Still, I’m not entirely convinced by the shift. The main issue for many Linux enthusiasts who stick closely to it is their perception of rigidity.