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I'd like to know if Ubuntu will offer other Desktop environments as an option during installation. This is only should we decide that Unity is not for us.

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Ubuntu (the stock CD) has never offered an option to install different desktops in the installer, you make that decision by selecting Ubuntu, or Kubuntu, or Xubuntu, etc.

Unity will be the default desktop if your hardware supports it. If your hardware does not support Unity, you will get the same desktop that you have today, GNOME 2.x., which is available as the "Ubuntu Classic Desktop" in the login screen. Users can also just log into the classic session if they prefer the older GNOME desktop.

For those asking if Ubuntu will ever have an option in the installer for people to choose whatever desktop they want then no, that will not be available in the default desktop cd. Of course you can use the alternate installer to preseed your install with the desktop you want or have a custom kickstart or whatever.

If someone were to make a community derivative with GNOME Shell (or one that does let the user choose) then you can find information on how to do that here.

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    Would it make more sense then, to offer a Gubuntu or GnUbuntu option? The above seems a bit more confusing to users, and doesn't follow the current model (Kubuntu/Xubuntu). Unless the point is to move away from the current model, then - I respectfully withdraw my follow up :)
    – Jay
    Oct 28, 2010 at 0:18
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    In my opinion it would be more confusing to divulge the desktop like that. Some users may not have compatible hardware, and will need a 2d desktop, and other just might like Gnome. So offering it all with a single CD for Gnome, and Unity as the default seems logical. Oct 28, 2010 at 0:29
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    Thanks NightWishFan, I completely agree. You cleared up my confusion in my previous question about the upgrade path to 11.04.
    – Jay
    Oct 28, 2010 at 0:45
  • I think it must be like metacity --replace, compiz --replace, gnome-shell --replace and so for Unity. Maybe in Display settings.
    – Extender
    Oct 28, 2010 at 2:41
  • Would it be possible (and perhaps more logical) to build this selection process into the installer so people know what they're getting at install-time? Ie have the installer do a hardware detection, see if there are drivers, install them at install time and then give the user the option of Unity or the old Gnome (and Gnome Shell via a behind-the-scenes apt-get?) before they reboot. Of course if their video isn't up to scratch, the screen should grey out the applicable options and explain what's happening. The first post-install boot should be predictable from the user's point of view.
    – Oli
    Oct 29, 2010 at 15:56
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It's my understanding that the standard gnome session (neither shell nor unity) will still be available. Since Unity still uses a large amount of Gnome, I would imagine that everything you need for the old-style Gnome session will still be on the CD.

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No, this is not planned in any form.

The main reason is a distribution needs an identity and direction. Mark Shuttleworth has guided Ubuntu this far, and the direction he is setting going forward puts Unity firmly at the forefront. Offering alternate desktop environments or shells during install only adds to user confusion and weakens the identity of the project.

Gnome 2.x will remain as a fallback for hardware that does not support unity, much as it currently does on the Netbook remix.

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  • Reminds me of Henry Ford: "you can have a Type T any color you like... provided it's black".
    – Delete
    May 15, 2011 at 8:00
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Currently you can still just choose the Gnome Classic session at login. It's all still there for now.

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I'm 99.9% sure that you will still have the option to install Gnome. If worse came to worse you could still make Gnome work with Ubuntu after the install. But I'm pretty sure it will remain an option.

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