Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
Something of an unusual Special Edition this time, it really is special in that little of this material has appeared in Full Circle Magazine before.
Our on-going Specials are compilations of popular article series published in prior editions of Full Circle. For this one, we're out on a limb, running new articles, albeit on some familiar topics we've touched on, for example in the Q and A section of the magazine.
This is also the first not overseen by our esteemed Editor, Mr Tucker. You are now at the mercy of the demented genius usually in charge (if you can call it that) of the Full Circle Podcast.
While that show is enjoying its Winter break, try not to be too alarmed by the random mind of the man who brought you Mallard Man and Northern Star Trek.
Normal service will be resumed shortly. Enjoy.
Robin Catling
What's the Plan?
This edition is intended as an all-round introduction to the Ubuntu 11.10 and Unity combo. I've written and posted much in the past on working with the alternatives to Unity; in this edition, we'll take a look at what makes it unique, along with some of the tools and tips you can use to ease into Unity without going for the whole body-shop-and-chop radical re-build. Be aware that some of the settings and tools we're playing here with can break your Unity desktop.
11.10 to Unity
Unity first appeared in 2010 in the original Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition, a re-spin which attempted, much like Sugar OS and others, to provide a simplified, friendlier interface on the smaller, vertically challenged displays of the first generation netbooks. For many people, these were the first computers they had ever owned.
Ubuntu 11.04 was the official release of the Unity desktop across netbooks, desktops, and laptops, alike. From this… (Ubuntu Netbook Re-mix)
“Unity is a shell for GNOME, even if it isn't GNOME-Shell. We're committed to the principles and values of GNOME. ” -Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu Founder
Ubuntu 11.10 marks the full commitment to Unity in place of alternative layouts; GNOME-2 is history, the radical GNOME-Shell is an acquired taste and alternatives such as KDE, Xfce and others are only slowly gaining ground.
Even though there is GNOME Foundation technology beneath, Canonical, Ubuntu's distributor, has made the decision to go with its own distinctive user interface. As you'll see when we look at the future and the HUD, it's not finished yet. …to this (Ubuntu 11.10)