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Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

omgubuntu.co.uk

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Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#41

Post by djacobs »

senko wrote: post #14

For better or worse, it becomes more and more sensible to think about Ubuntu as a separate operating system, built on top of technologies like Linux, Debian or GNOME. Sort of like Android is built on top of Linux and Java, except less extreme, or what HTC and other handset makers are doing on top of Android. And on the more extreme example, one could argue Apple did the same with BSD and Mach. If the platform is comm…

> But I love the fact that there are options.

In a year when we've seen iOS increasingly restrict its own ecosystem, limit options it doesn't like (see the current story about Jobs nixing the orientation lock on the iPad) ... and even start to take over The Mighty Desktop (see OS X Lion), that thought is a breath of fresh air.

Nuff said.

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#42

Post by seltzered »

BCM43 wrote: post #19

For those wondering what unity is, here is a great presentation about it by Mark Shuttleworth at DebConf10. [ogv file] http://meetings-archive.debian.net/pub/debian-meetings/2010/...

streaming version: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/08/mark-shuttleworth-talks-u...

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#43

Post by junkbit »

nl wrote: post #31
barnaby wrote: post #2

I haven't tried Unity yet because I heard to wasn't quite stable. But from what I saw of a friends laptop who had it installed, it looks PERFECT for netbooks, even tablets (now that we have multi-touch support built in). I think this makes sense seeing as the future of computers (desktops included) will probably be touchable interfaces that can use that kind of layout. Sweet!

I've tried Unity on my Netbook (under 10.04) and had to revert to the normal desktop. At the time it wasn't very customizable - to the point where (from memory) I couldn't add a virtual desktop pager and/or command prompt anywhere. On a netbook I rely on virtual desktops, so that kind of killed it for me.

I just installed Unity in Maverick and it now comes preloaded with a workspace button that zooms out like Gnome-Shell to show you 4 desktops.

Also, gnome-terminal was one of the default apps on the bar

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#44

Post by technomancy »

metamemetics wrote: post #35

I've already completely removed gnome-panel in favor of just Gnome-Do and Docky. Don't see the appeal in Unity. Looks like my gnome-panel setup used to: skinny left bar with Talika window list plugin. I don't see the need to have panels to go all the way across a screen dimension anymore.

All I use gnome-panel for is the wifi applet and the the load monitor. I make it auto-hide and bind a key to show it in order to save screen space. But I don't see the appeal of Docky over gnome-panel--isn't it just for launching programs? xbindkeys is way better for that.

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#45

Post by harisenbon »

SkyMarshal wrote: post #39
hasenj wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was under the impression that Atom is weaker than Core-i7

I was under the impression that Ubuntu Netbook Remix only supports Atom. It's the only processor listed in the UNR System Requirements: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequire...

I don't know what range of processors it supports, but it does run in LiveUSB mode on my ThinkPad x60 (core2Duo) for what it's woth.

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#46

Post by SkyMarshal »

harisenbon wrote: post #45
SkyMarshal wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was under the impression that Ubuntu Netbook Remix only supports Atom. It's the only processor listed in the UNR System Requirements: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequire...

I don't know what range of processors it supports, but it does run in LiveUSB mode on my ThinkPad x60 (core2Duo) for what it's woth.

Atom is still x86, but UNR has made some Atom-specific optimizations to the kernel. I don't know the details, but there may be some partial incompatibilities that prevent it working on some non-atom x86 cpus but not others.

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#47

Post by codedivine »

pufuwozu wrote: post #37
gord wrote: post #28

Is this a new C api [competing with KDE / QT and GTK] ? Why not use Javascript/SVG/HTML5 for Linux desktop UI ? It will happen eventually, anyway, Im not the only person saying this. The browser stack is a better alternative to X-Windows protocol, on balance - you can keep the advantages of client/server separation by using ajax+websockets. Or go the Node.js route and expose OS parts as Javascript API. Either way you…

Unity is just a window manager - not a new toolkit (you still use GTK, Qt or whatever else). But you're right to think web technologies could work elsewhere. Gnome Shell is being developed in JavaScript amd CSS. See also the Palm Pre. http://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell

On a related note, see also JoliCloud, an Ubuntu based distro with some UI customization using web technologies. http://www.jolicloud.com/

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#48

Post by jdub »

YooLi wrote: post #23
aphexairlines wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They were wasting time and energy in spats with Gnome. Gnome is much more than just metacity or gnome-shell. Even with Unity, Ubuntu will still depend on upstream gnome software for its desktop.

No one said they weren't going to include gnome software. This whole new ui issue stems from differences in opinion in UI/UX and there was a lot wasted going back and forth with Gnome about them.

Can you document or reference the "lot wasted going back and forth"? That sounds like a convenient rationale, but doesn't appear to reflect reality.

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#49

Post by jdub »

pufuwozu wrote: post #37
gord wrote: post #28

Is this a new C api [competing with KDE / QT and GTK] ? Why not use Javascript/SVG/HTML5 for Linux desktop UI ? It will happen eventually, anyway, Im not the only person saying this. The browser stack is a better alternative to X-Windows protocol, on balance - you can keep the advantages of client/server separation by using ajax+websockets. Or go the Node.js route and expose OS parts as Javascript API. Either way you…

Unity is just a window manager - not a new toolkit (you still use GTK, Qt or whatever else). But you're right to think web technologies could work elsewhere. Gnome Shell is being developed in JavaScript amd CSS. See also the Palm Pre. http://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell

Unity (and GNOME Shell for that matter) is probably best described as a "shell" rather than a window manager.

Like the old school GNOME Panel (and taskbar in Windows, Dock in OS X), the shell is for launching things, the entry point to getting your computer to do things.

Both Unity and GNOME Shell rely on an external window manager, albeit in an interesting way: They are plugins for mutter (a Clutter-based version of Metacity). When Unity switches to Compiz, it may be as a plugin or as a separate processs, not sure.

Re: Mark Shuttleworth announces Ubuntu 11.04 will use desktop version Unity

#50

Post by metamemetics »

technomancy wrote: post #44
metamemetics wrote: post #35

I've already completely removed gnome-panel in favor of just Gnome-Do and Docky. Don't see the appeal in Unity. Looks like my gnome-panel setup used to: skinny left bar with Talika window list plugin. I don't see the need to have panels to go all the way across a screen dimension anymore.

All I use gnome-panel for is the wifi applet and the the load monitor. I make it auto-hide and bind a key to show it in order to save screen space. But I don't see the appeal of Docky over gnome-panel--isn't it just for launching programs? xbindkeys is way better for that.

i use it just as a windowlist autohiding on bottom to show open programs. I like the UI\feel more than a panel extending across the whole screen. Also, the clock docklet is better than the default gnome-panel system clock. I also really enjoy the Timer docklet as well. I open new programs with Gnome DO by typing and do not pin stuff to it.
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