Upgrading to 11.04 - Desktop

[Liam Proven]

On 1 May 2011 18:51, Peter Hillier-Brook <phb at hbsys.plus.com> wrote:
> On 01/05/2011 17:28, Liam Proven wrote:
> [cut]
>
>>> In Firefox an image of the Menu Bar became visible when "Customise"
>>> was accessed, but that's all it was, an image with no
>>> functionality. It also disappeared again when the Customise
>>> dialogue was closed. It seems that the only way to check the
>>> version information is via Synaptic (or dpkg) and this is not as
>>> satisfactory as Help/About.
>>
>> You did not explore for long enough or thoroughly enough!
>>
>> The menu bar is still there, but it has moved. It is now in the top
>> panel, overlaid on top of the title bar. It is hidden until you move
>> the mouse over the top panel or press the Alt key to access the
>> menus using the keyboard.
>
> Do you also know of a good way to scrape egg from ones face? :-) I found the
> answer whilst experimenting with full screen, where the Menu Bar appears as
> expected. Maybe I'll give unity a better trial after all.

:¬) Don't worry. It is not very discoverable, I feel.

I have spent some time experimenting with Unity 2D on my laptop and
(although I seem to have broken something already) I think it's an
interesting and quite bold new interface.

The GNOME 2 interface was really just the Windows 95™ one with
different customisation options. A similar hierarchical menu, like the
Start Menu™; rectangular buttons on a bar to switch programs, just
like the Windows taskbar™; optional buttons to start apps, like the
Quick Launch toolbar™; a system tray, and so on.

(I have scattered that with trademark symbols to highlight the
original Microsoft IP that it (potentially) infringes. Never forget
Microsoft's claimed "about 275" software patents on things the Linux
desktop copies.

OK, so, GNOME let you have multiple panels, whereas Windows restricted
you to one and tear-off toolbars (now removed from Win7). But then,
Windows handles vertical taskbars with aplomb, as did BeOS, whereas
GNOME 2 fails badly at that.

Unity is a fresh look, less Windows-like, less likely to infringe MS
patents, while offering more screen space to netbook and small-screen
users. The new interface encourages people to use virtual desktops - a
feature where Linux scores over Windows, where these are a clumsy
bolt-on extra; they only came to Mac OS X in version 10.5.

It is new, not very mature, and will need time to acquire polish yet.
It also feels to me a lot less customisable than GNOME 2 was.

But then, so is GNOME 3, from what I have read.
E.g. read about removed options in GNOME 3 "fallback mode", which is
GNOME 3's more GNOME 2-like mode of operation for people without
hardware 3D - or who just don't like the GNOME Shell.

This is the first solid info I've found about this:
http://www.vuntz.net/journal/post/2011/04/13/gnome-panel-is-dead%2C-long-live-gnome-panel!

This mode is going to be the basis of Linux Mint 12, which I suspect
some people will flee to when Ubuntu 11.10 comes out, when GNOME
Classic mode will no longer be an option.

-- 
Liam Proven • Info & profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/lproven
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