GNOME Classic Panel in Ubuntu 11.10

It's no big secret that I'm not the biggest fan of the Unity Desktop Environment being included in the latest Ubuntu releases.  Call me 'old school' or maybe just set in my ways.  But I like the look of what now has been dubbed the 'Classic Ubuntu' look and feel.  Naturally, after Ubuntu 11.04 was released; one of the first tasks at hand was to figure out how to ditch Unity and jump back into good, old Ubuntu as I've always known it.  It was simple, just pick the option at log in to jump into 'Ubuntu Classic'.  And all was well.

Not the case with Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  Looks like with the release of 11.10, the 'Ubuntu Classic' environment was completely stripped out of Ubuntu.  So naturally, I tried to install the Classic Panel in Ubuntu 11.10.  And to be completely honest, it's terrible.  Much of the cosmetic filler that gives the panel a nice smooth appearance is missing.  The time and date is misplaced and over all it just looks bad.

For those who want to check it out for themselves, this video will walk you through installing it.  And who knows maybe it will be fixed by the time you install it for yourself (that would be great).  But as far as my tastes are concerned, until the issues with the GNOME Classic Panel are resolved (if they get resolved); I'll more than likely be using Ubuntu 11.04 in Ubuntu Classic mode for my Ubuntu fix.  It would be nice if Canonical would throw Ubuntu Classic back in for future releases.  But unless enough people complain about it, I seriously doubt they will.  Especially since Unity is the direction Ubuntu is heading anyways.  After all, isn't one of the core foundations of Linux the fact that user's have options to make changes as they need/like.  I'm not a programmer, so aside from a working solution to using GNOME without Unity than this may be a great opportunity to try out some other Linux distributions.  Time will tell.

So with the exclusion of a working 'Classic' mode from Ubuntu 11.10.  This will launch our new video series highlighting ways to install other Window Managers/Desktop Environments from within Ubuntu 11.10.  Later this week our first 'alternate' desktop will be KDE.  So tune in then!

Ubuntu Classic in Ubuntu 11.10

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Review: Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'

This past week Canonical rolled out the latest version of Ubuntu with version 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  Right off the bat, you'll notice some really nice changes to the system.  I absolutely love the new login screen.  It looks really sharp.  For fans of Unity, you'll love this release because by default (and short of using the GNOME 3 Shell) Unity is all we get as far as a desktop environment is concerned.  This time around they have stripped out the 'Ubuntu Classic' desktop completely.

Otherwise, you'll immediately notice that the Unity bar looks a little better.  We have lenses built into the Dash that allows you to download more lenses to extend the Dash's functionality (I really like this idea).  And finally, the Ubuntu Software Center has had a huge makeover and looks and functions a lot smoother than previous versions.  In my opinion, this release would probably have to be one of the most user friendly versions ever released if being approached from the standpoint of someone new to Ubuntu.  But for those of us who have used Ubuntu for years and are set in our ways, (at least for me) it isn't the easiest to get used to.  But it does look nice.

So checkout my review:



Review: Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'

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How To: Upgrade Ubuntu 11.04 to Ubuntu 11.10

In our latest video we will discuss one of the easiest ways to upgrade an existing Ubuntu installation to the latest Ubuntu release.  Whenever Canonical rolls out a new Ubuntu release many people flock over to the Ubuntu site or other sites (like DistroWatch) to download the latest ISO and rip a Live CD to use for installation.  Unless you are absolutely sold on reinstalling from scratch everytime a new release hits the web, you may be wasting some time.

You can actually use the Ubuntu Update Manager (the same program that checks for software updates/patches) to help you update your Operating System's Release version.  For example, in this video we will start off running Ubuntu 11.04 'Natty Narwhal' in VirtualBox.  By using the Update Manager we will upgrade to Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  This process is pretty much the same for most versions of Ubuntu.

It will take a little time (depending on your internet connection's speed) and I highly recommend backing up all of your files/data before upgrading just in case something goes wrong.  Although, I have never bumped into trouble doing an 'In-Place Upgrade' using Ubuntu.  It's just better to be safe than sorry.  If you're ready to upgrade, go ahead and follow along with our video:

How To: Upgrade to Ubuntu 11.10
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Ubuntu 11.10 Now Available!

Yesterday marked the release of Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  So what is the big deal?  What's been changed?  For starters Unity has been updated, and GNOME 3.2 shows up too.  Mozilla's Thunderbird is now the default mail app as opposed to Evolution (from previous released).  The Ubuntu Software Center received a makeover along with Gwibber.  And Firefox 7.01 is the default web browser.

For those of you fellow 'Ubuntuers' (haha, I just made up a word); swing by the Ubuntu website and download the latest release at: http://www.ubuntu.com/download

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