up vote 15 down vote favorite
3
share [g+] share [fb]

How can we remove the launcher that come with Unity on this new Ubuntu version ?

link|improve this question
93% accept rate
1  
maybe in unity 2d u can kill the launcher w/out unwanted side effects? askubuntu.com/questions/52179/how-do-i-restart-unity-2d – type Jul 25 '11 at 13:56
feedback

9 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

In simple words: you can't. By design, the launcher is intended to stay there always. If you want to give it up, the only way to do so is to give up the entire unity interface by switching to some other DE or by switching to the classic GNOME session.

Moving the launcher to some other edge of the screen is also not implemented and wouldn't be, as per Mark's comment on a bug.

link|improve this answer
This may be true, but there are numerous ways to salvage the equivalent functionality as detailed in the other answers. – weberc2 May 15 at 13:00
feedback
up vote 6 down vote

  1. Install ccsm (Compiz Config Settings Manager)

  2. Launch ccsm and click on the "Unity Plugin"

  3. Under "Behavior", change "Hide Launcher" to "autohide"

  4. Change "Reveal Mode" to None.

  5. Disable "Key to show launcher" and "Key to put focus on launcher"

*Disabling "Key to show launcher" may prevent you from accessing the dash. If you omit this part of step 5, you can access the dash, but the launcher will appear non-invasively while the dash is displayed. I don't know of any way to stop this.

Update: 12.04 does things differently, thus this may not work after 11.10.

link|improve this answer
Step 4 is not available in 12.04. See the answer by WarriorIng64 for a workaround. – Rasmus Apr 27 at 7:25
12.04 was released one day before you posted. My answer from February applied to 11.10. ;) I'll update it nonetheless. – weberc2 May 2 at 13:28
feedback
up vote 3 down vote

In 12.04, you can go to System Settings > Appearance > Behavior and turn on autohide, then turn the sensitivity all the way down. Now the launcher will only show when you press Super.

link|improve this answer
Or if you drag icons to the left side of the screen (an issue if you install a dock with drag-n-drop features). – Rasmus Apr 27 at 7:22
In 11.10 it's an issue if you drag anything at all (images from a webpage, for example). – weberc2 May 2 at 13:31
feedback
up vote 2 down vote

at least, you can set it to "autohide", ccsm has an option for that

  1. Install the CompizConfig Settings Manager Install compizconfig-settings-manager (CCSM).
  2. Alt + F2
  3. type about:config and press Enter
  4. change the "hide launcher" setting to "autohide".
link|improve this answer
feedback
up vote 1 down vote

Sure when you login, choose your name and when the password box comes up look at the bottom panel and select Ubuntu Classic.

link|improve this answer
I don't mean to be drastic. I like the search facility. I just don't like the launcher on the left side. (because I already use cairo dock). Can't have one without the other ? – MEM Apr 29 '11 at 14:51
You can always patch sources of Unity (if you can :) – Extender Apr 29 '11 at 16:41
feedback
up vote 1 down vote

If you're using Unity 2d you just rename the file /usr/bin/unity-2d-launcher to something else, it will do the trick. You will lose search functionality too, but the menubar will work.

link|improve this answer
Has this been renamed in 12.04? Can't seem to find it. – Rasmus May 2 at 18:38
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

Important:

If would you want gnome panels before disabling launcher;

Navigate to System>Preferences>Startup Applications

Click Add

Name=Gnome panels

Command=gnome-panel

And click close button.

It's ok.

-Unity with gnome panels

Press SUPER key and type

ccsm

than press ENTER.

Disable unity plugin from Compiz Config window (uncheck click box)

Logout & Login to Ubuntu session

-Unity without launcher ...

link|improve this answer
Decent's answer is a kind of solution, but if you do so, you get rid not only of the launcher, but also of the search facility. You can keep only the bar on the upper part of the screen. – user22191 Jul 25 '11 at 12:38
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

You could change/disable the reveal mode of the launcher. This will not disable the launcher but then the only way of revealing the launcher will be to press the Super key.

To do this, complete steps 1-3 as mentioned by tobi. Now the settings for the reveal mode is displayed, and all you have to do is change the reveal mode.

link|improve this answer
feedback
up vote 0 down vote

I know this is more than a year layer, but I still wanted to give my answer: Install Compiz-Config-Settings-Manager, open it up, DISABLE Unity Plugin completely, install GnoMenu or Cardapio, or any of the other search utilities available as plugins for cairo-dock, and there you go!

Also, instead of trying to fix Gnome, another alternative is KDE. Install kubuntu-desktop from the software center and you won't regret it.

link|improve this answer
feedback

Your Answer

 
or
required, but never shown
discard

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.