How to make gnome-shell the default GUI in ubuntu-builder?

Question

I'm making my own distro with Ubuntu builder and I want to make Gnome-shell the main GUI. I tried many things like removing Unity and using GDM and a whole bunch of other things but I keep getting a message "Failed to load session 'ubuntu'." I'm also using Ubuntu 12.04

I also tried this How to install the full GNOME desktop as close to upstream as possible? but only resulted in the same error.

Answer 1

You should try Remastersys.

1. Install a fresh Ubuntu OS. 32bit or 64bit.
2. At the OS installation, instead of using your name, use something like "liveuser".
3. For the username, use "liveuser" too.
4. (You can use your name and username, of corse)
5. After the installation is complete, boot to your freshly installed Ubuntu.
6. sudo apt-get update
7. sudo apt-get upgrade
8. Install all the programs you want, including gnome-shell.
9. Log out and choose Gnome.
10. sudo wget -O - http://www.remastersys.com/ubuntu/remastersys.gpg.key | apt-key add -
11. sudo add-apt-repository deb http://www.remastersys.com/ubuntu precise main
12. sudo apt-get update
13. sudo apt-get install remastersys remastersys-gtk
14. sudo remastersys-gtk
15. Click the Backup button and wait for it to complete.
16. After it is done, the ISO should be in /home/remastersys.
17. Use Unetbootin to "burn" it to a USB pen.

With this, you should boot into live mode with all the configurations, that were present in your installed Ubuntu, live the choosed desktop manager.

!Warning! Do not have any music/video/wineprefixes/etc in your Home folder when using Backup or it will make your ISO huge.