Questions tagged [unity]

For questions regarding the Unity desktop environment, including configuring and using Unity. Unity has been the default Ubuntu desktop environment from Ubuntu 11.04 to Ubuntu 17.04.

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35 votes
3 answers
23k views

Can I configure Alt-Tab to always switch applications?

I have windows for an editor, a browser, a web application, and a development tool for that browser open. Unity groups them as two applications: Chrome and Eclipse. Alt-Tab switches application ...
Szabó B. Gábor's user avatar
34 votes
2 answers
43k views

How do I change to a theme not listed in the Appearance screen?

I've downloaded some nice themes, icon packages, and pointers from sites like gnome-look. Now, what do I do to use this theme? Do I have to save it in /usr/share/themes?
zetah's user avatar
  • 9,643
34 votes
6 answers
17k views

The eclipse application icon is huge in Unity's dash

I have a problem with the manual installation of Eclipse Juno. After unpacking the tarball to /opt, adding a symlink from /usr/local/bin and adding the following to a new file /usr/share/applications/...
Marcus's user avatar
  • 341
34 votes
3 answers
73k views

How to autohide the Launcher

In Unity there is a Launcher on the left. One can easily change settings so that it hides automatically and appears only if the mouse cursor hits the left border of the screen (this is what I did). ...
Roman's user avatar
  • 621
34 votes
7 answers
12k views

How can I change the Unity launcher delay?

I find the sidebar to appear and disappear terribly slow. How can I change the delay?
Aron Rotteveel's user avatar
34 votes
1 answer
4k views

Why is Unity 2D being discontinued?

As reported by Phoronix, the news from UDS appears to be that development on Unity 2D will stop, with the focus being on a single, unified implementation. Obviously maintaining two codebases to do ...
8128's user avatar
  • 28.7k
33 votes
4 answers
149k views

How to configure GNOME 3 to show icons on desktop

In Ubuntu 11.04, files in /home/user/Desktop appear as icons on the desktop. It seems that they do not under GNOME 3 using GNOME Shell (for example on Fedora 15). How do I configure that? Update: ...
user avatar
33 votes
5 answers
61k views

How can I adjust the transparency of the Status Bar (top panel)?

The status bar (by default) at the top of your screen with the icons OFF to the right, date, user name and other computer options. How can I make that bar transparent, like it is when dash activated (...
Nahydrin's user avatar
  • 792
33 votes
7 answers
113k views

Ubuntu 16.04 + Nvidia Driver = Blank screen

ORIGINAL QUESTION UPDATE 1: Including Additional Drivers screenshot. I have tried installing both 361.42 and 340.96 and both times, I get a blank screen after restarting. ORIGINAL QUESTION: When I ...
oshirowanen's user avatar
  • 3,977
33 votes
5 answers
72k views

Permanently set keyboard layout options with setxkbmap in gnome/unity

Ubuntu 13.101 (and maybe upstream gnome) introduced very annoying bug: pressing keyboard layout switch shortcut makes focus go away to some system window, then back to window where shortcut was ...
kolen's user avatar
  • 443
33 votes
7 answers
43k views

How to re-enable tray icons for applications in Ubuntu?

Unfortunately in Ubuntu 13.10 there is no tray icon and whitelisting is removed. The older solutions do not work for me, e.g. I get the message: No such schema 'com.canonical.Unity.Panel' when I try ...
Silken's user avatar
  • 443
33 votes
0 answers
10k views

Is there a Unity equivalent of the GNOME panel 'show desktop' applet? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: How to add a “Show desktop” icon to the launcher? I miss the symbol to show the desktop with just one click when using Unity instead of the classic desktop. Is there a ...
melodram's user avatar
  • 711
32 votes
4 answers
37k views

Can I drag a window onto another workspace?

I just updated to 11.04, now if I drag a window to the side of the workspace, the window is maximized to half of the screen. is there a way to move it to another workspace with the mouse? I know you ...
Andrea Zonca's user avatar
32 votes
6 answers
157k views

Where can I find more Unity themes?

This might already be answered, but I can't find it. I am getting a bit bored of the traditional purple feel of unity and I would like something new. Where can I find more Unity themes? I have ...
don.joey's user avatar
  • 28.7k
32 votes
3 answers
51k views

How can Docky, AWN, Cairo Dock and Unity be compared? [closed]

It would be very nice to see a comparison between features, icons and usability.
32 votes
5 answers
53k views

How to kill non-responsive GUI task under Unity?

I am searching for a newuser-friendly way to kill non-responsive GUI applications under Unity. I looked over the shoulder of a new Unity user who tried to use gscan2pdf - and gscan2pdf seems to be ...
maxschlepzig's user avatar
  • 3,444
32 votes
2 answers
58k views

What is the "Dash"?

This may be a stupid or trivial question, but I am new to Ubuntu, and have two unsolved problems (flashplayer doesn't play, and scanner doesn't work - in virgin install 13.04), so I started to search ...
Janos's user avatar
  • 951
32 votes
4 answers
11k views

How can I change Unity's super-t binding to something else?

First, I've tried searching several threads to find the answer, but I couldn't find one that solved my problem, so I'm opening a new one here. I just installed Ubuntu 11.04 with the new Unity ...
Lemurman's user avatar
  • 451
32 votes
2 answers
17k views

How to "ungroup" windows from an icon on the launcher? [duplicate]

When I have more than one instance of a program running and I minimize all of them, they are grouped in a single icon on the launcher. For example, I'm chatting with three people on Emesene: Joe, Mary ...
user48949's user avatar
  • 7,803
31 votes
6 answers
88k views

Unity missing? Can't see top or side panels [duplicate]

I just removed some effects using ccsm, switched to the AMD proprietary driver, rebooted and after I log in, the unity panel is no longer there. If I hit the windows key or the alt key, nothing ...
hafichuk's user avatar
  • 665
31 votes
2 answers
157k views

How to correctly enable Desktop Cube in Unity 3D?

I have read several questions regarding how to fix an already enabled desktop cube or the problems it had in 11.04. But in 11.10, how can I correctly enable desktop cube in Unity 3D?
Luis Alvarado's user avatar
31 votes
4 answers
59k views

How do I reconfigure keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste?

I've been looking all over the configuration menus and googling all over the web for how to configure keyboard shortcuts for Copy and Paste in the Unity window manager. Is there some hidden place ...
Mike's user avatar
  • 676
31 votes
8 answers
50k views

How to add Minecraft to the Unity launcher?

I'm having trouble getting Minecraft to launch when I add it to the launcher. If the game is running, I can right click on the icon in the launcher and select "keep in launcher" and the icon stays, ...
aboutros's user avatar
  • 830
31 votes
3 answers
11k views

Is there an active Unity 7 fork?

Canonical announced yesterday that it will drop Unity 7 from Ubuntu 18.04 onwards, reverting back to the Gnome desktop environment. I know all the larger desktop environments quite well, Gnome, KDE ...
Luís de Sousa's user avatar
31 votes
3 answers
29k views

How do I use the GNOME Panel in Unity?

I really need to use the GNOME Applets, is there a way to do it?
Haguilar91's user avatar
31 votes
1 answer
26k views

Tips and Tricks for Unity

We have the new Unity shell in Ubuntu, what are the fun new stuff we need to know or look forward to?
30 votes
5 answers
33k views

Update Launcher for Intellij IDEA in Ubuntu

I currently have IntelliJ IDEA 15.01 on my system. I recently downloaded Intellij IDEA 15.04. After running the idea.sh script to open it, I went to the tools menu, and created the desktop launcher. ...
TheNumberOne's user avatar
30 votes
8 answers
28k views

Cannot switch between windows of the same application

I'm using Ubuntu 11.10 with Unity. Switching between applications (Alt + Tab) works, but switching between windows of one application (Alt + ') doesn't. Tried to assign Alt + ' switching to another ...
Andrii Chernenko's user avatar
30 votes
6 answers
57k views

How does one create a custom application launcher for Wine installed apps?

I'm able to locate stuff with the dash home then drag it down to the launcher bar on the left of the desktop, but what if the application installed via Wine isn't found via the dash search? I've right ...
Sn3akyP3t3's user avatar
  • 1,576
30 votes
3 answers
8k views

Clickable Gnome-style notifications in Unity

I was looking for a way to get gnome style notifications in Unity. Or at least, if there´s a way of making the default Unity notifications interactive and clickable? As it is by default only a ...
boywithaxe's user avatar
  • 2,130
30 votes
1 answer
93k views

Can I remove Unity now and how?

I have installed gnome-session-flashback and I love my new Gnome desktop, and I am sure that I do not want to go back to Unity, and as unity stuff takes up a lot of space on my machine, is there a ...
user avatar
30 votes
2 answers
137k views

How to switch from unity to gnome

Default ui for Ubuntu 14.04 being Unity, want to switch to Gnome. Can't find usual way to switch at login screen as mentioned here. http://www.techienote.com/2011/03/switching-to-gnome-in-ubuntu-11-...
Amit G's user avatar
  • 421
30 votes
11 answers
41k views

How can I start up an application with a pre-defined window size and position?

I'm wondering is there any way to achieve the affect of the Ctrl-Alt-Keypad shortcuts in Unity using terminal commands instead? I want a command that sets a gui window to half the size of the screen, ...
STim's user avatar
  • 303
30 votes
3 answers
37k views

How do I make a custom launcher for terminal applications?

I have some command line applications (and remote servers) that I want to make individual launchers for on the Unity launcher, how do I do that?
Jorge Castro's user avatar
  • 71.7k
30 votes
5 answers
11k views

How to speed up search for locally installed applications in Ubuntu 13.10's Unity Dash?

I upgraded to Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander". After upgrading, whenever I open the Unity Dash to search for an application, it takes at least a minute before it starts to show some result. The new ...
Ubuntuser's user avatar
  • 9,816
30 votes
3 answers
15k views

What is the Unity HUD and how can I install it on my system?

I have read about the Unity HUD. Is that a mock up or a real thing? Can I install it on my current Ubuntu 11.10 installation or do I need to upgrade to 12.04?
Bruno Pereira's user avatar
30 votes
2 answers
4k views

Can I have a window showing small live preview of another workspace?

Is it possible to mirror a live section of one workspace so that it is visible in the current workspace as a window that can be moved around? The other day I had a Windows 10 VM running on my Ubuntu ...
AnthonyK's user avatar
  • 651
29 votes
3 answers
12k views

How to disable Alt + ` (backtick/grave)

I can't find where this shortcut is defined. How can I disable it?
pe4enko's user avatar
  • 393
29 votes
2 answers
87k views

How to improve performance of VirtualBox when UNITY_LOW_GFX_MODE is not working?

I set export UNITY_LOW_GFX_MODE=1 in my ~/.xprofile and it no longer has any effect in 13.04. Is there a way to disable all the eye candy? I'm running in VirtualBox and the Unity 3D mode with all the ...
Mark Richman's user avatar
29 votes
2 answers
6k views

Do GUI based application execute shell commands in the background?

I have migrated to Ubuntu 16.04 just 2 days ago from Windows. I like the way we can customise the Unity Desktop. I am just playing around with the look and feel of the Desktop environment. Just like ...
thewebjackal's user avatar
29 votes
10 answers
30k views

How do I configure the launcher to "dodge windows"?

I don't like the auto hide launcher for it is too annoying for me. The launcher stays hidden and to reveal it, the mouse pointer has to be moved to the default hot spot. I'd instead like to have the ...
MathCubes's user avatar
  • 5,666
29 votes
4 answers
57k views

How to install Unity 8?

I'm using Ubuntu 14.04 and found out that we can install Unity 8 on it. Will Unity 8 replace Unity 7 once I install it? And if it does can I switch back to Unity 7 if I want? How would one go about it?...
Rizvida1's user avatar
  • 299
29 votes
5 answers
20k views

Unity gets stuck in workspace switcher

I semi-frequently experience what seems to be a minor yet very annoying bug when using the workspace switcher, starting in 14.04. I had never noticed this in earlier releases of the OS. Essentially ...
John Dream's user avatar
29 votes
3 answers
14k views

Sane alt-tab behaviour in Ubuntu 14.04.1 (unity)

Say I have emacs and 3 terminal windows open. This is the way unity organizes them: one window group for emacs one window group for the 3 terminals With Alt+Tab I can switch from emacs to the active ...
blueFast's user avatar
  • 818
28 votes
5 answers
12k views

How to have a window on all workspaces?

I'm using Precise (12.04.1) and I'm using Unity. I have 3 workspaces. I want a particular window/application (say firefox) to be present on all workspaces. This is easy to do on something like LXDE (...
nonbeing's user avatar
  • 385
28 votes
2 answers
28k views

How to "show desktop" from command line?

I want to be able to lower all windows and show the desktop from the command line, not Ctrl+Alt+D.
user42882's user avatar
  • 283
28 votes
7 answers
49k views

How to make the keyboard media keys to work with VLC globally?

My keyboard has media keys and they work globally on Unity with Banshee but don't with VLC when another app is focused. How would I fix that?
Jader Dias's user avatar
  • 1,989
28 votes
2 answers
11k views

How to change the number of workspaces from the command line?

I'd like to change org.compiz.profiles.unity.plugins.core -> hsize and -> vsize from command line. I thought I could use gsettings set org.compiz.profiles.unity.plugins.core vsize 4 but then I've ...
Adam Ryczkowski's user avatar
28 votes
2 answers
21k views

Is it possible to restart the unity panel without restarting compiz?

I'm being hit (quite often) by that bug where you can't click on some indicators. It's easy to fix by restarting unity, but that usually also means running to the risk of upsetting some window on re-...
RolandiXor's user avatar
  • 51.5k
28 votes
8 answers
18k views

How to move Unity Launcher to a different monitor?

I have two monitors. The left monitor is set as primary, but the Unity Launcher appears on the right monitor. How can I move it to the other monitor?
James's user avatar
  • 1,016