Unity (user interface)#Reception

File:Unity Desktop 7.5 screenshot.png redesign, if installed in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and below. This screenshot is specifically running Unity 7.5.1, on Ubuntu 20.04.]]

The Unity user interface consists of several components:{{cite web|url=http://askubuntu.com/questions/10228/whats-the-right-terminology-for-unitys-ui-elements/19166#19166|title=Terminology for Unity UI elements as of Ubuntu 11.04|type=this is the official terminology, linked form https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Unity}}

• Top menu bar: a multipurpose top bar, saving space, and containing:
• # the menu bar of the active application
• # the title bar of the main window of the active application, including the maximize, minimize and exit buttons
• # the session menu,{{Cite web|title = SessionMenu - Ubuntu Wiki|url = https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SessionMenu|website = wiki.ubuntu.com|access-date = 2015-08-26}} including the global system settings, logout, and shut down
• # the diverse global notification indicators including the time, weather, and the state of the underlying system.
• Launcher: a taskbar. Multiple instances of an application are grouped under the same icon, with an indicator showing how many instances are open.{{cite web |url=http://askubuntu.com/a/233606/116961 |title=Unity's launcher groups windows belonging to one application in the same icon |publisher=Ask Ubuntu}} The user has a choice whether or not to lock an application to the launcher. If it is not locked, an application may be started using the Dash or via a separately installed menu.{{Cite web|title=ClassicMenu Indicator|url=http://www.florian-diesch.de/software/classicmenu-indicator/|access-date=Aug 8, 2015}}
• Quicklist: the accessible menu of launcher items
• Dash: a desktop search utility that enables searching for information both locally (e.g. installed applications, recent files, or bookmarks) and online (e.g. Twitter or Google Docs). It displays previews of the results.{{cite web|url=http://developer.ubuntu.com/resources/technologies/lenses-and-scopes/|title=Unity lenses and scopes|access-date=29 December 2012|archive-date=19 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619080909/http://developer.ubuntu.com/resources/technologies/lenses-and-scopes/|url-status=dead}}
• Head-up display (HUD): Allows hotkey searching for top menu bar items from the keyboard, without the need for using the mouse, by pressing and releasing the Alt key.{{cite web | url = https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Unity/HUD | publisher=Ubuntu |title = Unity/HUD |work = Ubuntu Wiki}}
• Indicators: a notification area containing the clock, network status, battery status, and audio volume controls

File:Ubuntu 24.04 with Unity Desktop 7.7 - Dash screenshot.png

{{Anchor|Privacy controversy}}

Dash is a desktop search utility with preview ability. It enables searching for applications and files. Dash supports search plug-ins, known as Scopes (formerly Lenses). Out of the box, it can query Google Docs, Ubuntu One Music Store, YouTube, Amazon, and social networks (for example, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+). Starting with Ubuntu 13.10, online search queries are sent to a Canonical web service which determines the type of query and directs them to the appropriate third-party web service. Pornographic results are filtered out.{{cite web | url = http://blog.canonical.com/2012/10/12/searching-in-the-dash-in-ubuntu-12-10-an-update/ | title = Searching in the Dash in Ubuntu 12.10 – an Update | website = Canonical Blog | first = Cristian | last = Parrino | date = 12 October 2012 | access-date = 29 October 2013}}

None of Ubuntu's official derivatives (Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, or Ubuntu GNOME) include this feature or any variation of it.

One of the new features of Unity in Ubuntu 12.10 is the shopping lens. As of October 2012, it sends (through a secure HTTPS connection) the user's queries from the home lens to productsearch.ubuntu.com,

{{cite news

| url = https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/10/privacy-ubuntu-1210-amazon-ads-and-data-leaks

| title = Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks

| first = Micah

| last = Lee

| newspaper = Electronic Frontier Foundation

| date = 29 October 2012

| access-date = 29 October 2013}}

which then polls Amazon.com to find relevant products; Amazon then sends product images directly to the user's computer (initially, through unsecured HTTP). If the user clicks on one of these results and then buys something, Canonical receives a small commission on the sale.{{cite news

| url = https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/10/18/ubuntu_12_10_review/

| title = Ay caramba, Ubuntu 12.10: Get it right on Amazon!

| last = Gilbertson

| first = Scott

| newspaper = The Register

| date = 18 October 2012

| access-date = 29 October 2013

}}

Many reviewers criticized it: as the home lens is the natural means to search for content on the local machine, reviewers were concerned about the disclosure of queries that were intended to be local, creating a privacy problem. The feature is active by default{{cite web

| url = http://www.infoworld.com/t/linux/canonical-wants-shill-amazon-ubuntu-users-desktops-203186

| title = Canonical wants to shill for Amazon on Ubuntu users' desktops

| first = Ted

| last = Samson

| website = InfoWorld

| date = 25 September 2012

| access-date = 30 October 2013

}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.zdnet.com/article/shuttleworth-defends-ubuntu-linux-integrating-amazon/

| title = Shuttleworth defends Ubuntu Linux integrating Amazon

| date = 23 September 2012

| access-date = 29 October 2013

| website = ZDnet

}} (instead of opt-in) and many users could be unaware of it.

On 23 September 2012, Mark Shuttleworth defended the feature. He posted "the Home Lens of the Dash should let you find *anything* anywhere" and that the shopping lens is a step in that direction. He argued that anonymity is preserved because Canonical servers mediate the communication between Unity and Amazon and users could trust Ubuntu.{{cite web

| url = http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1182

| title = Amazon search results in the Dash

| website = markshuttleworth.com

| date = 23 September 2012

| access-date = 29 October 2013

}} Ubuntu Community Manager Jono Bacon posted "These features are neatly and unobtrusively integrated into the dash, and they not only provide a more useful and comprehensive dash in giving you visibility on this content, but it also generates revenue to help continue to grow and improve Ubuntu."{{cite web

|url = http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/09/23/on-the-recent-dash-improvements/

|title = On The Recent Dash Improvements

|author-link = Jono Bacon

|first = Jono

|last = Bacon

|date = 23 September 2012

|access-date = 30 October 2013

|website = jonobacon@home (blog)

|archive-date = 27 October 2012

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121027151741/http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/09/23/on-the-recent-dash-improvements/

|url-status = dead

}} Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols from ZDNet said the feature does not bother him and wrote "If they can make some users happy and some revenue for the company at the same time, that's fine by me." Ted Samson at InfoWorld reported the responses from Shuttleworth and Bacon, but he still criticized the feature.

On 29 October 2012, the Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the problem. It argued that since product images were (as of October 2012) returned via insecure HTTP then a passive eavesdropper—such as someone on the same wireless network—could get a good idea of the queries. Also, Amazon could correlate the queries with IP addresses. It recommended Ubuntu developers make the feature opt-in and make Ubuntu's privacy settings more fine-grained. It noted that the Dash can be stopped from searching the Internet by switching off "Include online search results" in Ubuntu's privacy settings.{{cite news

| url = https://arstechnica.com/security/2012/10/eff-calls-ubuntus-amazon-search-result-feature-major-privacy-problem/

| title = EFF calls Ubuntu's Amazon search result feature a "major privacy problem"

| first = Dan

| last = Goodin

| website = Ars Technica

| date = 30 October 2012

| access-date = 30 October 2013

}}

On 7 December 2012, Richard Stallman claimed that Ubuntu contains spyware and should not be used by free software supporters. Jono Bacon rebuked him; he said that Ubuntu responded and implemented many of the requirements the community found important.{{cite web

|url = http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/12/07/on-richard-stallman-and-ubuntu/

|title = On Richard Stallman and Ubuntu

|date = 7 December 2012

|website = jonobacon@home (blog)

|access-date = 30 October 2013

|archive-date = 1 November 2013

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131101181909/http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/12/07/on-richard-stallman-and-ubuntu/

|url-status = dead

}}{{cite news

| url = https://www.zdnet.com/article/free-software-father-declared-ubuntu-linux-to-contain-spyware/

| title = Free software father declared Ubuntu Linux to contain spyware

| first = Steven J.

| last = Vaughan-Nichols

| website = ZDNet

| date = 9 December 2012

| access-date = 30 October 2013

}}{{cite web

|url = http://news.techeye.net/software/open-source-community-wades-into-ubuntu-phone

|title = Open source community wades into Ubuntu phone

|first = Nick

|last = Farrell

|website = TechEye

|date = 18 February 2013

|access-date = 30 October 2013

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130222025010/http://news.techeye.net/software/open-source-community-wades-into-ubuntu-phone

|archive-date = 22 February 2013

|url-status = dead

|df = dmy-all

}}

Since September 2013, images are anonymized before being sent to the user's computer.

{{cite news

| url = http://slashdot.org/story/13/09/22/1538202/the-dash-is-now-anonymized-in-ubuntu-1310

| title = The Dash Is Now Anonymized In Ubuntu 13.10

| website = Slashdot

| date = 22 September 2013

| access-date = 30 October 2013

}}

A legal notice in the Dash informs users of the sharing of their data.

{{cite news

| url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/10/ubuntu-add-legal-disclaimer-to-unity-dash

| title = Ubuntu Add Legal Disclaimer to Unity Dash

| first = Joey-Elijah

| last = Sneddon

| website = OMG! Ubuntu!

| date = 12 October 2012

| access-date = 29 October 2013

}} It states that unless the user has opted out, by turning the searches off, their queries and IP address will be sent to productsearch.ubuntu.com and "selected third parties"

{{cite news

| url = http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20121029#feature

| title = Ubuntu 12.10 Desktop

| first = Jesse

| last = Smith

| website = DistroWatch

| date = 29 October 2012

| access-date = 29 October 2013

}} for online search results. Ubuntu's Third Party Privacy Policies page informs all of the third parties that may receive users' queries and IP addresses, and states: "For information on how our selected third parties may use your information, please see their privacy policies."

Soon after being introduced, doubts emerged on the conformance of the shopping lens with the European Data Protection Directive.{{cite web|url = http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-s-Shopping-Lens-Might-Be-Illegal-In-Europe-298143.shtml|title = Ubuntu's Shopping Lens Might Be Illegal in Europe|date = 9 October 2012|access-date = 24 February 2016|website = Sofpedia.com}}{{cite web|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/10/does-ubuntus-amazon-lens-break-eu-law|title = Blogger Claims Ubuntu's New Shopping Lens Breaks EU Law|date = 10 October 2012|access-date = 24 February 2016|website = OMGUbuntu.co.uk}} By late 2013, these doubts made the grounds for a formal complaint on the shopping lens filed with the Information Commissioner's Office (IOC), the UK data privacy office. Almost one year later the IOC ruled in favour of Canonical, considering the various improvements introduced to the feature in the meantime to render it conformal with the Data Protection Directive.{{cite web|url = http://attheedgeoftime.blogspot.ch/2014/08/ubuntu-shopping-lens-deemed-legal-by-uk.html|title = Ubuntu Shopping Lens deemed legal by UK data privacy office |date = 6 August 2014|last = de Sousa|first = Luís|access-date = 24 February 2016|website = AtTheEdgeOfTime.Blogspot.com}} However, the ruling also made clear that at the time of introduction the feature was not legal, among other things, since it lacked a privacy policy statement.

In March 2014, Michael Hall speaking for Canonical Ltd, indicated that in Unity 8 users will have to opt-in for each search, which will be conducted by opening a special scope and then choosing where to search. These changes would address all criticisms leveled at Canonical and Unity in the past.{{cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2014/03/ubuntu-make-amazon-product-results-opt-unity|title = Ubuntu To Make Amazon Product Results 'Opt-In'|access-date = 31 March 2014|last = Sneddon|first = Joey|date = 30 March 2014| work = OMG Ubuntu}} As of April 2016, with the release of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, the setting is off by default.{{cite web |title=Ubuntu 16.04 proves even an LTS release can live at Linux's bleeding edge |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/05/ubuntu-16-04-proves-even-an-lts-release-can-live-at-linuxs-bleeding-edge/ |date= May 10, 2016 |author= Scott Gilbertson}}

File:Ubuntu TV screenshot.png showing Big Buck Bunny]]

Ubuntu TV, running a Unity variant, was introduced at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show.{{cite web |url=http://news.techworld.com/operating-systems/3329027/ubuntu-tv-readies-for-battle-with-google-apple/ |title=Ubuntu TV readies for battle with Google and Apple |work=Techworld |access-date=11 February 2012}} Created for SmartTVs, Ubuntu TV provides access to popular Internet services and stream content to mobile devices running Android, iOS and Ubuntu.{{cite web |url=http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/tv/features-and-specs |title=Features and Specs |publisher=Canonical Ltd. |access-date=21 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814160311/http://www.ubuntu.com/devices/tv/features-and-specs |archive-date=14 August 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

{{Main|Ubuntu Touch#Design}}

On 2 January 2013, Canonical announced a smartphone variant of Unity running on the Mir display server.{{cite web|author=Vlad Savov |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/2/3827922/ubuntu-phone-os-announcement |title=Ubuntu phone OS announced, first devices shipping in early 2014 |website=The Verge |date=16 November 2012 |access-date=2 January 2013}}

{{Distinguish | Unity (game engine)}}

File:Unity 2D with KDE.png

Initially Canonical maintained two discrete versions of Unity, which were visually almost indistinguishable but technically different.

Unity is written as a plugin for Compiz{{cite web

| url=http://askubuntu.com/questions/13073/is-unity-just-a-plugin-of-compiz

| date=13 November 2010

| author=fluteflute

| title=Is unity just a plugin of compiz

| quote=The version of Unity that will be released in 11.04 is definitely implemented as plugin(s) in Compiz. }} and uses an uncommon OpenGL toolkit called Nux.{{cite web | url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/10/ubuntu-13-10-review-the-linux-os-of-the-future-remains-a-year-away/ | title=Ubuntu 13.10 review: The Linux OS of the future remains a year away | website=Ars Technica | first=Ryan | last=Paul | date = 17 October 2013 | access-date = 2 November 2013}} Being a plugin for Compiz gives Unity GPU-accelerated performance on compatible systems. It is written in the programming languages C++ and Vala.

Unity 2D was a set of individual applications:File:Unity-2D Natty.png developed for environments that Compiz does not run on, such as when graphics card does not support OpenGL. They were written in the GUI building language QML from the widespread Qt framework. By default Unity 2D used the Metacity window manager but could also use accelerated window managers like Compiz or KWin. In Ubuntu 11.10, Unity 2D used Metacity's XRender-based compositor to achieve transparency effects.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} Starting with Ubuntu 11.10, Unity 2D replaced the classic GNOME Panel as the fall-back for users whose hardware could not run the Compiz version of Unity.

Unity 2D was discontinued for the release of Ubuntu 12.10 in October 2012, as the 3D version became more capable of running on lower-powered hardware.

As Unity and the supporting Ayatana projects{{cite web

| url = https://launchpad.net/ayatana

| title = The Ayatana Project

| year = 2011

| publisher = Canonical Ltd.

| access-date = 31 October 2011

| quote = The Ayatana Project is the collective project that houses user interface, design and interaction projects started by Canonical.}} are developed primarily for Ubuntu and Ubuntu was the first to offer new versions.

Outside of Ubuntu, other Linux distributors have tried to pick up Ayatana, with varying success. The Ayatana components require modification of other applications, which increases the complexity for adoption by others.

• Arch Linux offers many Ayatana components, including Unity and Unity 2D, via an unofficial repository or through AUR.{{cite web | url = https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ayatana | publisher=Arch Linux Wiki | title = Ayatana}}
• Fedora does not offer Unity in its default repositories because Unity requires unsupported patches to GTK.{{cite web|url=https://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/devel/2012-January/161713.html |title=Unity For Fedora (As in OpenSUSE or Arch) |publisher=Lists.fedoraproject.org |date=26 January 2012 |access-date=22 September 2012}} However Unity 6 has been ported to Fedora 17 and can be installed through a branch in the openSUSE repositories where the patches are applied.{{cite web | url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/07/unity-desktop-available-for-fedora| title = Unity Desktop Available for Fedora| date = 19 July 2012| publisher=OMG! Ubuntu! }} Newer Fedora and Unity versions are not supported.
• Frugalware had adopted Ayatana, including Unity and Unity 2D, as part of the development branch for an upcoming Frugalware release but the project is no longer maintained.{{cite web | url = http://wiki.frugalware.org/index.php/Ayatana_Project_Portage | publisher = Frugalware Linux Wiki | title = Ayatana Project Portage | access-date = 26 November 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110929005843/http://wiki.frugalware.org/index.php/Ayatana_Project_Portage | archive-date = 29 September 2011 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}
• openSUSE offers many Ayatana components for GNOME.{{cite web | url = http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:GNOME_Ayatana | publisher=openSUSE Wiki | title = GNOME Ayatana}} After the packager abandoned the project because of problems with the then-current version of Compiz,{{cite web | url = http://lizards.opensuse.org/2011/02/15/abandoning-unity-for-the-time-being/ | publisher=openSUSE | title = GNOME Ayatana | author = Nelson Marques}} new developers picked up the task and provide packages for openSUSE 12.2 (along with versions for Arch Linux and Fedora 17). Newer openSUSE and Unity versions are not supported.{{cite web | url = https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Unity | title = Ayatana Project for openSUSE | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130122201449/http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Unity | archive-date = 22 January 2013 | url-status = bot: unknown | access-date = 2 January 2013 }}
• Manjaro has a Unity version of its distribution.{{cite web | url = http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Linux-Distributions/Manjaro-Unity-Community-Edition-103636.shtml | publisher=Softpedia | title = Manjaro Unity| date=31 March 2015 }}
• Ubuntu Unity uses the Unity 7 desktop.{{cite web |author=Ubuntu Unity |date=20 June 2020 |title=Ubuntu Unity - Unity os Power |url=https://ubuntuunity.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200620201816/https://ubuntuunity.org/ |archive-date=20 June 2020 |access-date=20 June 2020 |work=ubuntuunity.org}}{{cite web |last=Saraswat |first=Rudra |date=7 May 2020 |title=Ubuntu Unity Remix 20.04 |url=https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-unity-remix-20-04/15968 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200620202220/https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/ubuntu-unity-remix-20-04/15968/1 |archive-date=20 June 2020 |access-date=20 June 2020 |work=discourse.ubuntu.com}}
• Gentoo has a community-supported overlay to build the Unity7 interface.{{cite web | url = https://github.com/c4pp4/gentoo-unity7 | title = c4pp4 / gentoo-unity7 | website = GitHub | access-date=25 September 2024 }}

Unity was originally unveiled on 10 May 2010 during Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth's keynote at the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Brussels.{{Cite web |last=Humphrey |first=Benjamin |date=2010-05-10 |title=Ubuntu Developer Summit Maverick plenary and keynote: New Ubuntu "instant on", netbook shell, more |url=http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/05/ubuntu-developer-summit-maverick-plenary-and-keynote-new-ubuntu-instant-on-netbook-shell-more |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=OMG! Ubuntu! |language=en-GB}} It was announced as the new interface of both Ubuntu Netbook Edition and a then-planned OEM platform called Ubuntu Light.{{Cite web |last=Parfeni |first=Lucian |date=2010-05-11 |title=Canonical Unveils 'Unity' Interface for Netbooks and Ubuntu Light |url=https://news.softpedia.com/news/Canonical-Unveils-Unity-Interface-for-Netbooks-and-Ubuntu-Light-141759.shtml |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=softpedia |language=english}} The new interface was also made available for download during the keynote and visitors of the summit could try it out on a Dell Mini 10v.

Ubuntu originally used the full GNOME desktop environment; Shuttleworth cited philosophical differences with the GNOME team over the user experience to explain why Ubuntu would use Unity as the default user interface instead of GNOME Shell, beginning April 2011, with Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal).{{cite web|title=Canonical Ubuntu Splits From GNOME Over Design Issues|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/208708/canonical_ubuntu_splits_from_gnome_over_design_issues.html|access-date=17 September 2017|archive-date=29 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129161856/http://www.pcworld.com/article/208708/canonical_ubuntu_splits_from_gnome_over_design_issues.html|url-status=dead}}

In November 2010, Ubuntu Community Manager Jono Bacon explained that Ubuntu will continue to ship the GNOME stack, GNOME applications, and optimize Ubuntu for GNOME. The only difference, he wrote, would be that Unity is a different shell for GNOME.{{cite web

| url = http://www.jonobacon.org/2010/10/25/ubuntu-11-04-to-ship-unity/

| title = Ubuntu 11.04 to ship unity

| author = Jono Bacon

| date = 25 October 2010

| access-date = 21 December 2010

| archive-date = 25 August 2011

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110825150909/http://www.jonobacon.org/2010/10/25/ubuntu-11-04-to-ship-unity/

| url-status = dead

}}

Canonical announced it had engineered Unity for desktop computers as well and would make Unity the default shell for Ubuntu in version 11.04.{{cite magazine|last=Noyes|first=Katherine|title=Is Unity the Right Interface for Desktop Ubuntu?|url=http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102610-is-unity-the-right-interface.html|magazine=PC World|access-date=28 October 2010|date=26 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613143109/http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102610-is-unity-the-right-interface.html|archive-date=13 June 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} GNOME Shell was not included in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal because work on it was not completed at the time 11.04 was frozen, but was available from a PPA,{{cite web | url = https://launchpad.net/~gnome3-team/+archive/gnome3 | title = Ubuntu GNOME 3 Team | access-date = 2 March 2011}} and was available in Ubuntu 11.10 and later releases, through the official repositories.{{cite web |url=http://www.webupd8.org/2011/10/things-to-tweak-after-installing-ubuntu.html |title=Things To Tweak After Installing Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot – Web Upd8: Ubuntu / Linux blog |author=Andrew |date=13 October 2011 |publisher=webupd8.org |access-date=13 October 2011 }}

In November 2010, Mark Shuttleworth announced the intention to eventually run Unity on Wayland instead of the currently used X Window System,{{cite web

| url=http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/551

| title=Unity on Wayland

| author=Mark Shuttleworth

| quote=The next major transition for Unity will be to deliver it on Wayland ...

| date=4 November 2010 }} although this plan has since been dropped, replacing Wayland with Mir for Unity 8.{{cite web |url=https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MirSpec |title=MirSpec |publisher=Ubuntu.com |access-date=6 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306104754/https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MirSpec |archive-date=6 March 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} (2013)

In December 2010, some users requested that the Unity launcher (or dock) be movable from the left to other sides of the screen, but Mark Shuttleworth stated in reply, "I'm afraid that won't work with our broader design goals, so we won't implement that. We want the launcher always close to the Ubuntu button."{{cite web

| url = https://bugs.launchpad.net/unity/+bug/668415

| date = 30 October 2010

| author = Mark Shuttleworth

| title = Movement of Unity launcher}} However, with Ubuntu 11.10, the Ubuntu button was moved into the launcher. A third-party plugin that moved Unity 3D's launcher to the bottom was available.{{cite web |url=http://www.webupd8.org/2011/11/install-ubuntu-unity-bottom-launcher.html |title=Install Ubuntu Unity Bottom Launcher Via PPA – Web Upd8: Ubuntu / Linux blog |date=29 November 2011 |author = Andrew |publisher=webupd8.org |access-date=13 October 2011 }} An option to move the launcher to the bottom of the screen was officially implemented in Ubuntu 16.04.{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/3047157/linux/ubuntu-1604-lts-will-let-you-move-unity-7s-launcher-to-the-bottom-of-your-screen.html|title=Ubuntu 16.04 LTS will let you move Unity 7's launcher to the bottom of your screen|work=pcworld.com|access-date=26 July 2016}}

{{As of | 2010}}, the Unity shell interface developers use a toolkit called Nux instead of Clutter.{{cite web

| url = http://inalogic.com/component/content/article/35-nux/49-nux-and-unity

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110611054422/http://www.inalogic.com/component/content/article/35-nux/49-nux-and-unity

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = 11 June 2011

| date = 8 December 2010

| author = Jay Taoko

| title = Nux and Unity }} Unity is a plugin of the Compiz window manager, which Canonical states is faster than Mutter,{{cite web|url=http://www.webupd8.org/2010/10/unity-to-use-compiz-instead-of-mutter.html|title=Unity To Use Compiz instead of Mutter [Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal News] ~ Web Upd8: Ubuntu / Linux blog|date=25 October 2010 }} the window manager for which GNOME Shell is a plugin.

On 14 January 2011, Canonical also released a technical preview of a "2D" version of Unity based on Qt and written in QML.{{cite web|url=http://developer.qt.nokia.com/forums/viewthread/3214/|title=Canonical building Unity 2D on QML and Qt | Qt DevNet forums | Qt Developer Network|access-date=25 February 2011|archive-date=14 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314195132/http://developer.qt.nokia.com/forums/viewthread/3214/|url-status=dead}} Unity-2D was not shipped on the Ubuntu 11.04 CD, instead the classic GNOME desktop was the fall-back for hardware that could not run Unity.{{cite web|url=http://digitizor.com/2011/01/18/no-unity-2d-natty/|title=Canonical Says Unity 2D Not Part Of The Ubuntu 11.04 Plan|date=18 January 2011}}{{cite web|url=https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/730588/comments/8|title=Comment 8 for bug 730588|date=9 March 2011 }}

In March 2011, public indications emerged of friction between Canonical (and its development of Unity) and the GNOME developers. As part of Unity development Ubuntu developers had submitted API coding for inclusion in Gnome as an external dependency. According to Dave Neary, "... an external dependency is a non-GNOME module which is a dependency of a package contained in one of the GNOME module sets," and the reasons why libappindicator was not accepted as an external dependency are that "... it does not fit that definition," it has "... duplicate functionality with libnotify," (the current Gnome Shell default) and its CLA does not meet current GNOME policy.{{cite web|url = http://bethesignal.org/blog/2011/03/15/timeline-gnome-user-experience-hackfest-2008/|title = Timeline: The Greatest Show on Earth – Dave Neary comment|access-date = 1 April 2011|last = Waugh|first = Jeff|date = March 2011|archive-date = 17 May 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110517033841/http://bethesignal.org/blog/2011/03/15/timeline-gnome-user-experience-hackfest-2008/|url-status = dead}} Mark Shuttleworth responded,

{{cquote|This is a critical juncture for the leadership of Gnome. I'll state plainly that I feel the long tail of good-hearted contributors to Gnome and Gnome applications are being let down by a decision-making process that has let competitive dynamics diminish the scope of Gnome itself. Ideas that are not generated 'at the core' have to fight incredibly and unnecessarily hard to get oxygen... getting room for ideas to be explored should not feel like a frontal assault on a machine gun post. This is no way to lead a project. This is a recipe for a project that loses great people to environments that are more open to different ways of seeing the world ... Embracing those other ideas and allowing them to compete happily and healthily is the only way to keep the innovation they bring inside your brand. Otherwise, you're doomed to watching them innovate and then having to "relayout" your own efforts to keep up, badmouthing them in the process. We started this with a strong, clear statement: Unity is a shell for Gnome. Now Gnome leadership have to decide if they want the fruit of that competition to be an asset to Gnome, or not.{{Cite news|url = http://www.ubuntu-user.com/Online/News/Has-GNOME-Rejected-Canonical-help-Shuttleworth-Responds|title = Has GNOME Rejected Canonical help? Shuttleworth Responds|access-date = 19 March 2011|last = Graner|first = Amber|date=March 2011| work = Ubuntu User}}{{cite web|url = http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/654|title = Internal competition is healthy, but depends on strong and mature leadership|access-date = 19 March 2011|last = Shuttleworth|first = Mark|date=March 2011}}{{cite web|url = http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/661|title = All the other guys are not wrong|access-date = 19 March 2011|last = Shuttleworth|first = Mark|date=March 2011}}}}

In April 2011, Mark Shuttleworth announced that Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot would not include the classic GNOME desktop as a fall-back to Unity, unlike Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal. Instead Ubuntu 11.10 used the Qt-based Unity 2D for users whose hardware cannot support the 3D version.{{Cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/05/unity-2d-lands-in-oneiric-daily-build|title = Unity 2D lands in Oneiric daily build|access-date = 27 May 2011|last = Sneddon|first = Joey|date=May 2011| work = OMG Ubuntu!}}{{Cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/04/ubuntu-11-10-will-not-ship-with-classic-gnome-desktop/|title = Ubuntu 11.10 will not ship with 'classic' GNOME desktop|access-date = 6 April 2011|last = Sneddon|first = Joey|date=April 2011| work = OMG Ubuntu!}} However, the classic GNOME desktop (GNOME Panel) can be installed separately in Ubuntu 11.10 and later versions through gnome-panel, a package in the Ubuntu repositories.{{cite web|author=Andrew |url=http://www.webupd8.org/2011/08/installing-using-classic-gnome-desktop.html |title=Installing / Using Classic GNOME Desktop In Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot ~ Web Upd8: Ubuntu / Linux blog |publisher=Webupd8.org |date=24 August 2011 |access-date=22 April 2012}}

At the November 2011 Ubuntu Developer Summit, it was announced that Unity for Ubuntu 12.04 would not re-enable the systray, and would have better application integration, and the ability to drag lenses onto the launcher, and that the 2D version of Unity would use the same decoration buttons as the 3D version.{{Cite news|url = http://www.webupd8.org/2011/11/expected-changes-in-ubuntu-1204-precise.html|title = Expected Changes In Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin (UDS-P In Brief) |author = Andrew|date = 5 November 2011| work = Web Upd8 |access-date = 5 November 2014}}

During the planning conference for Ubuntu 12.10 it was announced that Unity 2D would probably be dropped in favour of making Unity 3D run better on lower-end hardware.{{cite web|url=http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/05/uds-q-summary-bye-bye-unity-2d-hello-gnome-shell-spin |title=UDS-Q Summary: Bye-Bye Unity 2D, Hello GNOME-Shell Spin |publisher=Omgubuntu.co.uk |date=12 May 2012 |access-date=7 July 2012}}

In July 2012, at OSCON, Shuttleworth explained some of the historical reasoning behind Unity's development. The initial decision to develop a new interface in 2008 was driven by a desire to innovate and to pass Microsoft and Apple in user experience. This meant a family of unified interfaces that could be used across many device form factors, including desktop, laptop, tablet, smart phones and TV. Shuttleworth said "‘The old desktop would force your tablet or your phone into all kinds of crazy of funny postures. So we said: Screw it. We’re going to move the desktop to where it needs to be for the future. [This] turned out to be a deeply unpopular process."{{cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/07/mark-shuttleworth-the-desktop-we-had-4-years-ago-sucked|title = Mark Shuttleworth: 'We Didn't Want Ubuntu To End up Like Windows 8′|access-date = 21 July 2012|last = Sneddon|first = Joey|date = 20 July 2012| work = OMG Ubuntu}}

Initial testing of Unity during development was done in a laboratory setting and showed the success of the interface, despite public opposition. Real world shipping return rates also indicated acceptance. Shuttleworth explained, "ASUS ran an experiment where they shipped half a million [Unity netbooks and laptops] to Germany. Not an easy market. And the return rates on Ubuntu were exactly the same as the return rates on Windows. Which is the key indicator for OEMs who are looking to do this."

Microsoft's development of Windows 8 and its Metro interface became an additional incentive for Unity development, as Shuttleworth explained, "we [had to move] our desktop because if we didn’t we’d end up where Windows 8 is. [In Windows 8] you have this shiny tablet interface, and you sit and you use then you press the wrong button then it slaps you in the face and Windows 7 is back. And then you think OK, this is familiar, so you’re kind of getting into it and whack [Windows 8 is back]."

In March 2013 the plan to use the Mir display server was announced for future development of Unity, in place of the previously announced Wayland/Weston.{{cite web |url = https://www.engadget.com/2013/03/04/canonical-announces-mir/ |title = Canonical announces Mir, a custom display server that will serve up future versions of Unity |publisher = engadget.com |date = 4 March 2013 }}{{cite web |url = http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Canonical-reveals-plans-to-launch-Mir-display-server-Update-1815982.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130306011841/http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Canonical-reveals-plans-to-launch-Mir-display-server-Update-1815982.html |archive-date = 6 March 2013 |title = Canonical reveals plans to launch Mir display server – Update |publisher = H-online.com |date = 24 February 2013 |access-date = 6 March 2013 }}{{cite web |last = Brodkin |first = Jon |url = https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/03/ubuntu-dumps-x-window-system-creates-replacement-for-pc-and-mobile/ |title = Ubuntu dumps X window system, creates replacement for PC and mobile |website = Ars Technica |date = 17 May 2012 |access-date = 6 March 2013 }}

In April 2015 it was announced that Unity 8 would ship as part of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, or possibly later. It was also noted that this version of Unity would not visually differ much from Unity 7.{{cite news|url = http://news.softpedia.com/news/Unity-8-Won-t-Be-Very-Visually-Very-Different-from-Unity-7-477711.shtml|title = Unity 8 Won't Be Very Different Visually from Unity 7|access-date = 7 April 2015|last = Stahie|first = Silviu|date = 6 April 2015| work = News Organization}}

In April 2016 Ubuntu 16.04 was released with Unity 7, not Unity 8, as the default user interface, though Unity 8 could be installed through the Ubuntu software repositories as an optional, preview package.{{cite web|url=http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2016/04/ubuntu-16-04-unity-8-desktop-progress-video|title=Unity 8 Takes Shape, Here's How To Install It on Ubuntu 16.04|author=Joey-Elijah Sneddon|work=OMG! Ubuntu!|date=3 April 2016|access-date=30 April 2016}} During an Ubuntu Online Summit, Canonical employees said that their goal is to ship Unity 8 as the default interface for Ubuntu 16.10, to be released in October 2016.{{cite web|url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/ubuntu-16-10-to-have-unity-8-mir-and-snappy-personal-as-default-496340.shtml|title=Ubuntu 16.10 to Have Unity 8, Mir, and Snappy Personal as Default|author=Silviu Stahie|date=18 November 2015|work=softpedia|access-date=30 April 2016}} These plans are now changed and for now Unity 8 will come preinstalled with 16.10 but not as default.{{cite web|url=http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2016/05/ubuntu-16-10-unity-8-default-desktop|title=Ubuntu 16.10 Won't Use Unity 8 By Default|date=3 May 2016}}{{Update inline|date=September 2023|reason=16.10 was released 7 years ago - this can no longer be described as "planned"}}

On 5 April 2017, Mark Shuttleworth announced that Canonical's work on Unity would end. Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, a year away from release at the time, would abandon the Unity desktop and employ the GNOME 3 desktop instead.{{cite web |title=Ubuntu To Abandon Unity 8, Switch Back To GNOME |url=http://phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Ubuntu-Dropping-Unity |access-date=2017-04-06 |publisher=Phoronix.com}} Development of Unity 7 was taken over by the Unity7 Maintainers team. They released version 7.6 on 30 June 2022 as the first new version in 6 years.{{Cite web |last=Nestor |first=Marius |date=2022-06-30 |title=Unity 7.6 Released as the First Major Update to Ubuntu's Unity7 Desktop in 6 Years |url=https://9to5linux.com/unity-7-6-desktop-released-as-the-first-major-update-to-unity7-in-6-years |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=9to5Linux |language=en-US}}

Upon hearing the news, multiple teams forked the Unity 8 repository, including Unity8org and UBports. Unity8org later renamed themselves as Yunit, declaring its focus on desktop development.{{Cite web |title=Unity 8 Fork is Now Known as "Yunit", May Collaborate with UBports |url=https://www.ubuntuvibes.com/2017/04/unity-8-fork-is-now-known-as-yunit-may.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418222417/http://www.ubuntuvibes.com/2017/04/unity-8-fork-is-now-known-as-yunit-may.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=18 April 2017 |access-date=2022-10-22 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=UBports' Fork Of Unity 8 Plans To Eventually Get On Wayland |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/UBports-Unity-8-Wayland-Talk |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=www.phoronix.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Nestor |first=Marius |date=2017-07-12 |title=Unity 8 Fork "Yunit" Now Available as an Overlay Repository for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS |url=https://news.softpedia.com/news/unity-8-fork-yunit-now-available-as-an-overlay-repository-for-ubuntu-16-04-lts-516949.shtml |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=softpedia |language=english}} However, this fork was shortly abandoned in favor of UBports' version.

UBports founder Marius Gripsgård announced on 7 April 2017, that the organization would continue Unity8 development.{{cite web |last=Nestor |first=Marius |date=7 April 2017 |title=Unity 8 Now Has a New Home Over at UBports, Development Will Start Very Soon |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/unity-8-now-has-a-new-home-over-at-ubports-development-will-start-very-soon-514663.shtml |access-date=8 April 2017 |work=Softpedia}} On 27 February 2020, UBports announced that it renamed Unity8 to Lomiri.{{Cite web |date=2020-02-27 |title=Lomiri: New Name, Same Great Unity8 |url=https://ubports.com/de/blog/ubports-blogs-nachrichten-1/post/lomiri-new-name-same-great-unity8-115 |access-date=2021-05-14 |website=UBports Foundation}} Development of this fork is still active as of 2022.

In May 2020, Ubuntu Unity, a new unofficial Ubuntu version was first released, using the Unity7 desktop as its default environment.{{cite web |last=Evangelho |first=Jason |date=12 May 2020 |title=A Surprising New Remix Of Ubuntu 20.04 Brings Unity Back To Life |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2020/05/12/a-surprising-new-remix-of-ubuntu-2004-revives-the-unity-desktop/#1634f35c275b |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200620203216/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2020/05/12/a-surprising-new-remix-of-ubuntu-2004-revives-the-unity-desktop/%235fae9b1d275b |archive-date=20 June 2020 |access-date=20 June 2020 |work=Forbes}} It became an official Ubuntu flavor starting with version 22.10{{Cite web |title=Ubuntu Unity Becoming An Official Flavor With 22.10 Release |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/Ubuntu-Unity-22.10-Official |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=www.phoronix.com |language=en}} and includes early support for Lomiri starting with version 24.04.{{Cite web |title=Ubuntu Unity 24.04 released |url=https://ubuntuunity.org/posts/ubuntu-unity-2404-released/ |date=2024-04-25 |access-date=2024-06-09 |language=en}}

Early versions of Unity received mixed reviews and generated controversy. Some reviewers found fault with the implementation and limitations, while other reviewers found Unity an improvement over GNOME 2 with the further potential to improve over time.{{Cite news|url = https://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2010/05/exclusive-hands-on-with-ubuntus-new-unity-netbook-shell.ars|title = Hands-on with Ubuntu's new Unity netbook shell|access-date = 1 April 2011|last = Paul|first = Ryan|date=July 2010| work = Ars Technica}}{{Cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/03/unity/|title = What's wrong with Unity & how we can fix it|access-date = 14 March 2011|last = Humphrey|first = Benjamin|date=March 2011| work = OMG Ubuntu}}{{Cite news|url = https://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2010/10/ars-reviews-ubuntu-1010-wip.ars/7|title = Blessed Unity: Ars reviews Ubuntu 10.10|access-date = 1 April 2011|last = Paul|first = Ryan|date=November 2010| work = Ars Technica}}{{Cite news|url = https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2011/04/unity-environment-in-good-shape-on-track-for-ubuntu-1104.ars|title = Unity environment in good shape, on track for Ubuntu 11.04|access-date = 19 April 2011|last = Paul|first = Ryan|date=April 2011| work = Ars Technica}}{{Cite news|url = http://desktoplinuxreviews.com/2011/05/01/ubuntu-11-04/6/|title = Ubuntu 11.04|access-date = 2 May 2011|last = Lynch|first = Jim|date = May 2011|work = Desktop Linux Reviews|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110505172652/http://desktoplinuxreviews.com/2011/05/01/ubuntu-11-04/6/|archive-date = 5 May 2011|url-status = dead|df = dmy-all}}

With Ubuntu 12.04, Unity received good reviews. Jack Wallen described it as an "incredible advancement". Jesse Smith described it as "attractive" and said it had grown to maturity. Ryan Paul said Unity was responsive, robust and had the reliability expected from a mature desktop shell.

The Dash feature of Unity in Ubuntu 12.10 generated a privacy controversy.{{Cite web |last=Sneddon |first=Joey |date=2012-10-29 |title=EFF: 'Ubuntu Shopping Lens A Major Privacy Problem' |url=http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/10/eff-ubuntu-shopping-lens-a-major-privacy-problem |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=OMG! Ubuntu! |language=en-GB}}

In reviewing an alpha version of Unity, shortly after it was unveiled in the summer of 2010, Ryan Paul of Ars Technica noted problems figuring out how to launch additional applications that were not on the dock bar. He also mentioned a number of bugs, including the inability to track which applications were open and other window management difficulties. He remarked that many of these were probably due to the early stage in the development process and expected them to be resolved with time. Paul concluded positively, "Our test of the Unity prototype leads us to believe that the project has considerable potential and could bring a lot of value to the Ubuntu Netbook Edition. Its unique visual style melds beautifully with Ubuntu's new default theme and its underlying interaction model seems compelling and well-suited for small screens." In an extensive review of Ubuntu 10.10 shortly after its release in October 2010, Paul made further observations on Unity, noting that "Unity is highly ambitious and offers a substantially different computing experience than the conventional Ubuntu desktop." He concluded that "The [application] selectors are visually appealing, but they are easily the weakest part of the Unity user experience. The poor performance significantly detracts from their value in day-to-day use and the lack of actual file management functionality largely renders the file selector useless. The underlying concepts behind their design are good, however, and they have the potential to be much more valuable in the future as unity matures."

In March 2011, writer Benjamin Humphrey of OMG Ubuntu criticized the development version of Unity then being tested for Ubuntu 11.04 on a number of grounds, including a development process that is divorced from user experiences, the lack of response to user feedback, "the seemingly unbelievable lack of communication the design team has," and a user interface he described as "cluttered and inconsistent". Overall, however, he concluded that "Unity is not all bad... While a number of the concepts in Unity may be flawed from a design point of view, the actual idea itself is not, and Canonical deserve applause for trying to jump start the stagnant open source desktop with Unity when the alternatives do not evoke confidence."

On 14 April 2011 Ryan Paul reviewed Unity as implemented in Ubuntu 11.04 beta, just two weeks before its stable release. He reported that Unity was on track for inclusion in Natty Narwhal, despite the ambitious development schedule. He indicated, "close attention to detail shines through in many aspects of Unity. The menubar is clean and highly functional. The sidebar dock is visually appealing and has excellent default behaviors for automatic hiding." He noted that the interface still had some weak points, especially difficulties browsing for applications not on the dock, as well as switching between application categories. He noted that, in particular, "random packages from the repositories, which are presented as applications that are available for installation in the launcher, are distracting and largely superfluous". Paul concluded, "There is still a lot of room for improvement, but Unity is arguably a strong improvement over the conventional GNOME 2.x environment for day-to-day use. The breadth of the changes may be disorienting for some users, but most will like what they see when Unity lands on their desktop at the end of the month." Two weeks later he added the lack of configurability to his criticisms.{{Cite news|url = https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2011/04/ubuntu-1104-released-a-natty-narwhal-rises-from-the-depths.ars|title = Ubuntu 11.04 released, a Natty Narwhal rises from the depths|access-date = 30 April 2011|last = Paul|first = Ryan|date=April 2011| work =Ars Technica}} In a very detailed assessment of Ubuntu 11.04 and Unity published on 12 May 2011, Paul further concluded Unity was a positive development for Ubuntu, but that more development had to be invested to make it work right. He wrote, "They have done some incredibly impressive work so far and have delivered a desktop that is suitable for day-to-day use, but it is still very far from fulfilling its full potential."{{Cite news|url = https://arstechnica.com/open-source/reviews/2011/05/riding-the-narwhal-ars-reviews-unity-in-ubuntu-1104.ars|title = Riding the Narwhal: Ars reviews Unity in Ubuntu 11.04|access-date = 12 May 2011|last = Paul|first = Ryan|date=May 2011| work = Ars Technica}}

On 25 April 2011, the eve of the release of Ubuntu 11.04, reviewer Matt Hartley of IT Management criticized Unity, saying that the "dumbing down of the Linux desktop environment is bordering on insane".{{Cite news|url = http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/3931691/WhyIsUbuntusUnitySqueezingoutGNOME3.htm|title = Why Is Ubuntu's Unity Squeezing out GNOME 3?|access-date = 29 April 2011|last = Hartley|first = Matt|date=April 2011| work = IT Management}}

Reviewer Joey Sneddon of OMG Ubuntu was more positive about Unity in his review of Ubuntu 11.04, encouraging users, "Sure it's different—but different doesn't mean bad; the best thing to do is to give it a chance." He concluded that Unity on the desktop makes "better use of screen space, intuitive interface layouts and, most importantly, making a desktop that works for the user and not in spite of them."{{Cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/04/ubuntu-11-04-released-reviewed/|title = Ubuntu 11.04 released, reviewed|access-date = 3 May 2011|last = Sneddon|first = Joey|date=May 2011| work = OMG Ubuntu}}

Following the release of Ubuntu 11.04 Canonical Ltd. founder Mark Shuttleworth indicated that, while he was generally happy with the implementation of Unity, he felt that there was room for improvement. Shuttleworth said, "I recognise there are issues, and I would not be satisfied unless we fixed many of them in 11.10 ... Unity was the best option for the average user upgrading or installing. There are LOTS of people for whom it isn't the best, but we had to choose a default position ... It's by no means perfect, and it would be egotistical to suggest otherwise... I think the bulk of it has worked out fantastically—both at an engineering level (Compiz, Nux) and in the user experience."{{Cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/05/mark-shuttleworth-talks-windicators-changes-for-unity-in-oneiric-and-whole-lot-more/|title =Mark Shuttleworth talks Windicators, changes for Unity in Oneiric, and whole lot more...|access-date = 5 May 2011|last = Sneddon|first = Joey|date=May 2011| work =OMG Ubuntu}}

In reviewing Unity in Ubuntu 11.04 on 9 May 2011, Jesse Smith of DistroWatch criticized its lack of customization, menu handling and Unity hardware requirements, saying, "There's really nothing here which should demand 3D acceleration." He also noted that "The layout doesn't translate well to large screens or multiple-screen systems."{{Cite news|url = http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20110509#feature|title = A look at Ubuntu 11.04|access-date = 10 May 2011|last = Smith|first = Jesse|date=May 2011| work = Distrowatch}} Jack M. Germain of Linux Insider reviewed Unity on 11 May 2011, indicating strong dislike for it, saying, "Put me in the Hate It category" and indicating that as development has proceeded he likes it less and less.{{Cite news|url = http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/Natty-Narwhal-Offers-Unity-but-No-Clarity-72417.html|title = Natty Narwhal Offers Unity but No Clarity|access-date = 12 May 2011|last =Germain|first = Jack M.|date=May 2011| work = Linux News}}

File:Ubuntu 11.10.png

More criticism appeared after the release of Ubuntu 11.10. In November 2011 Robert Storey writing in DistroWatch noted that developer work on Unity is now taking up so much time that little is getting done on outstanding Ubuntu bugs, resulting in a distribution that is not as stable or as fast as it should be. Storey concluded "Perhaps it would be worth putting up with the bugs if Unity was the greatest thing since sliced bread — something wonderful that is going to revolutionize desktop computing. But it's not. I tried Unity, and it's kind of cute, but nothing to write home about."{{Cite news|url = http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20111107#opinion|title = Disunity|access-date = 8 November 2011|last = Storey|first = Robert|date = 7 November 2011| work = DistroWatch}}

In November 2011 OMG! Ubuntu! conducted a non-scientific poll that asked its readers "which Desktop Environment Are You Using in Ubuntu 11.10?". Of the 15,988 votes cast 46.78% indicated that they were using Unity over GNOME Shell (28.42%), Xfce (7.58%), KDE (6.92%) and LXDE (2.7%).{{Cite news|url = http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/11/poll-result-15800-votes-cast-unity-named-most-popular-desktop/|title = Poll Result: 15,900 votes Cast; Unity Named Most Popular Desktop|access-date = 18 December 2011|last = Sneddon|first = Joey|date = 20 November 2011| work = OMG! Ubuntu!}}

Developers of Linux distributions based upon Ubuntu have also weighed in on the introduction of Unity in early 2011, when Unity was in its infancy. Some have been critical, including two distributions who base their criticism on usability testing. Marco Ghirlanda, the lead developer of the audio- and video-centric ArtistX, stated, "When I tried Unity on computer illiterates, they were less productive and took ages to understand the concepts behind it. When I show them how to use it, they said that it is pretty to see but hard to use." Stephen Ewen, the lead developer for UberStudent, an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution for higher education and college-bound high school students, stated, "Unity's design decreases both visual and functional accessibility, which tabulates to decreased productivity." Ewen also criticized Unity's menu scheme as much less accessible than on GNOME 2, which he said, "means that the brain cannot map as quickly to program categories and subcategories, which again means further decreased productivity."{{cite magazine|last=Byfield|first=Bruce|title=Other Linux Distros' View of Ubuntu's Unity: It Ain't Pretty|magazine=Datamation|date=17 May 2011|url=http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/12068_3933716_2/Other-Linux-Distros-View-of-Ubuntus-Unity-It-Ain146t-Pretty.htm}}

File:Ubuntu Unity Keyboard shortcuts - En.png

Jesse Smith of DistroWatch said that many people, like him, had questioned Ubuntu's direction, including Unity. But with Ubuntu 12.04 he felt that the puzzle pieces, which individually may have been underwhelming, had come together to form a whole, clear picture. He said "Unity, though a step away from the traditional desktop, has several features which make it attractive, such as reducing mouse travel. The HUD means that newcomers can find application functionality with a quick search and more advanced users can use the HUD to quickly run menu commands from the keyboard." He wrote that Unity had grown to maturity, but said he was bothered by its lack of flexibility.

{{cite news

| url = http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20120507#feature

| title = Review of Ubuntu 12.04

| last= Smith

| first = Jesse

| date = 7 May 2012

| access-date = 1 November 2013

| work = DistroWatch}}

Jack Wallen of TechRepublic—who had strongly criticized early versions of Unity—said "Since Ubuntu 12.04 was released, and I migrated over from Linux Mint, I’m working much more efficiently. This isn’t really so much a surprise to me, but to many of the detractors who assume Unity a very unproductive desktop... well, I can officially say they are wrong. [...] I realize that many people out there have spurned Unity (I was one of them for a long time), but the more I use it, the more I realize that Canonical really did their homework on how to help end users more efficiently interact with their computers. Change is hard – period. For many, the idea of change is such a painful notion they wind up missing out on some incredible advancements. Unity is one such advancement."{{cite news|url = http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/opensource/ubuntu-unity-making-the-desktop-seriously-efficient-again/3701|title = Ubuntu Unity: Making the desktop seriously efficient again|access-date = 1 November 2013|last = Wallen|first = Jack|date = 25 June 2012|work = TechRepublic|archive-date = 20 May 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130520145358/http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/opensource/ubuntu-unity-making-the-desktop-seriously-efficient-again/3701|url-status = dead}}

Ryan Paul said Unity was responsive, robust and had the reliability expected from a mature desktop shell. He considered the HUD as one of several excellent improvements that had helped to make Unity "even better in Ubuntu 12.04". Yet he also wrote: "Although Unity's quality has grown to the point where it fulfills our expectations, the user experience still falls short in a number of ways. We identified several key weaknesses in our last two Ubuntu reviews, some of which still haven't been addressed yet. These issues still detract from Unity's predictability and ease of use."{{cite news | url = https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/precision-and-purpose-ubuntu-12-04-and-the-unity-hud-reviewed | title = Precision and purpose: Ubuntu 12.04 and the Unity HUD reviewed | access-date = 12 August 2012 | last = Paul | first = Ryan | date = 28 May 2012 | work = Ars Technica}}

File:Ubuntu 16.04 Desktop.png

Jack Wallen of TechRepublic, in reviewing the changes scheduled for Unity in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, concluded, "Ubuntu Unity is not the desktop pariah you once thought it was. This desktop environment has evolved into a beautiful, efficient interface that does not deserve the scorn and derision heaped upon it by so many."{{cite web|url=http://www.techrepublic.com/article/10-reasons-why-you-should-stop-picking-on-ubuntu-unity/|title=10 reasons why you should stop picking on Ubuntu Unity|author=Jack Wallen|date=1 March 2016|work=TechRepublic|access-date=1 March 2016}}

• Comparison of X Window System desktop environments
• Comparison of X window managers
• Ubuntu Unity

{{Portal bar|Free and open-source software|Linux}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Unity (desktop environment)}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Unity Official wiki]
• [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DemystifyingUnityGraphicsHardwareRequirements Official Unity hardware requirements]
• [https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity Bugs of Unity in Ubuntu]
• [http://www.ubuntu.com/aboutus/privacypolicy/thirdparties Ubuntu Third Party Privacy Policies page]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170622144855/https://yunit.io/ Yunit, a fork of Unity]}}

{{Ubuntu}}

{{X desktop environments and window managers}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unity (Desktop Environment)}}

Category:Canonical (company)

Category:Graphical user interfaces

Category:Software that uses GTK

Category:Software that uses QML

Category:Touch user interfaces

Category:Ubuntu