Canonical's Ubuntu is a powerhouse in the world of Linux, so it was a surprise when, in an unexpected post, Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical's founder, announced a major reversal of direction. From Ubuntu 18.04 on the default desktop environment will no longer be Unity, but GNOME. Work on Unity8 will be completely halted.

Unity was introduced with the promise that it would make Ubuntu easier to work with on tablets, and it ended up spreading to the desktop and phone versions of Ubuntu. Its further aim was to replace the long time standard X-Windows Server in Linux with a new windows server called Mir. This too has been abandoned.

Unity (and Mir) were motivated by the view that a unified Ubuntu UI running on all platforms was a good idea, and indeed it was a good idea. But no major manufacture wanted to risk using Ubuntu in a mass market phone or tablet, so as good as it may have been it wasn't a practical idea.

Ubuntu's phone and tablet also have been discontinued, and the six-year project to create a unified Ubuntu Unity UI on all platforms is officially at an end.

Can't say this comes as a surprise, only that it was a long time getting here, and anyone with their eyes opened could see the handwriting on the wall from the very start.

The only thing constant about tech stuff is change. No one has a hoot or holler idea of where it's going, what's best or how well it will work. I think less is a whole lot more and I'll remain on the cutting edge of obsolete technology.

That said, the tech industry has delivered amazing devices with more capabilities and much lower costs.

"The cutting edge of obsolete technology" perfectly describes an XT225 owner. It's a great place to be.

I enjoy it and the simplicity that ensues. Mind needs a break every once in a while. Just so it can focus on other complex events.

+1!

Being on the "cutting edge of obsolete technology" is where most of us who have been or will be XT owners and riders live our lives, mechanically, digitally, socially, politically and otherwise.

Nothing quite like reclaiming supposedly obsolete tech with years of good life left in it for our own purposes. Whether we're talking about XTs, computers, tool sets or social arrangements that better fit our needs, making things useful again on a budget is most fulfilling!

Many buy into the urge to splurge on things they really don't need. However what's actually most satisfying is keeping our hands out of deeper pockets and taking on projects that challenge and admirably serve perceived needs on the cheap, relatively speaking!

Such projects include XT225s and older PC's, which says a lot about the mindset of those we look to as friends, fellow riders and adventurers along life's twisting off the beaten track trails!..

For those who are using the main Ubuntu edition as their go to OS, the news that Canonical is ceasing work on its in-house developed Unity desktop environment, with future versions of Ubuntu deploying the full GNOME desktop, will have an impact. Today's Ubuntu GNOME community project will be folded into the Unity desktop team. Beginning with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS a year from now, the GNOME desktop will be Ubuntu's standard UI. There won't be a separate community developed GNOME Shell flavor of Ubuntu.

Development teams from both the Ubuntu GNOME Shell project and Ubuntu's now defunct Unity Desktop project will merge resources and focus on a single release providing the best possible GNOME desktop experience in a cutting edge Ubuntu package.

Interestingly enough, the latest Ubuntu 17.04 release, just recently available, will be the last Ubuntu release that comes with the Unity desktop environment. So if the Unity UI is your thing, this may well be your last chance to experience it!..

I don't use Ubuntu. Went down the Mint pathway instead. Seems to be working fine so far. All of this relates to the Linux kernel (under all the Linux O/S loads) and how well it fits a given piece of hardware. Run what works best for you.

I'm with you, Scott. Went with Linux Mint and GNOME-2 (now available as the MATE' desktop) on every computer I've run beginning just over a decade ago. Never really looked back!


+1!!

No real beefs with the O/S. Just the usual issues from time to time. I too run the MATE desktop. I wish they'd left in the scroll bars at the bottom.

Not quite sure what you're referring to as the "scroll bars" in MATE, Scott? Mint comes default with a single "MATE Panel," positioned at the bottom of the screen, on which the "MATE Menu" along with handy info and app links are located. The only scroll bars that come to mind in the default setup are those that individual apps provided their users - for example, scroll bars in web browsers or those found in graphic or audio apps.

I don't leave the MATE desktop in its default layout on my computers, so I may be missing something that's of concern to you. First thing I do after I install Mint is remove the "main MATE Menu" from the bottom panel, replacing it with the next item in the "Add to Panel" dialog box, the "custom menu bar." It's the "Applications Places System" menu that originally came with GNOME-2, and I like it much better than the newer MATE Menu.

Anyway, if I'm simply missing default scroll bars that appear ill placed to you, I do apologize. Whatever they may be there's virtually nothing you can't change to suit yourself as far as the MATE desktop is concerned. Post a screen grab of your setup and point out what it is that concerns you. That way it'll be easier to suggest a solution that works. A picture is worth a thousand words!