3/29/12 - Installed Ubuntu 12.04 "Precise" beta 2 into VirtualBox (VB). Installation was uneventful. After installing set VB to use 3D with 64megs video memory - VB complains about host IO cache not enabled [enabled it]. The issue I was having in the previous install with the title bar not updating properly under compiz is definitely a VB bug - before installing the guest additions the title bar worked correctly - dimming when the window wasn't focused. After installing the VB guest additions (GA), the title bar is always focused and doesn't properly indicate editor modified status. Also getting a popup "system problem detected" soon after every bootup, can't remember if it happened before installing the GA.. probably related to running under VB (which hates compiz it seems). Did however get a problem alert before installing the GA when I tried to scroll the dash. [edited notes 4/4/12] It's plymouthd - apport says some stuff isn't updated and it can't send a report, same as with my other VB test install and a live USB install - at this stage 99% of the time when apport says something crashed there is no visible evidence of a real crash... so apport ends up getting removed. The problem with it not cleanly unmounting is still present, this bug can potentially cause data loss (workaround is to run sync before shutting down or restarting, at least that'll force important stuff to disk). On my other test system I have the spash disabled and can see the "/ is busy" message on shutdown/restart and recovering message on startup. With the splash enabled there is no visible effect but the system logs record the recovery. This is most likely a VB-induced effect, at least I hope it is. The global menu now works correctly - last time I tried it, it got lost if an app was unfocused then refocused. But in my other install I removed it long ago - I prefer having menus in their apps - the only time it makes sense to me to put on the top panel is if an app is maximized. Fortunately it's only active when Unity is running.. I'm kind of getting used to it in that environment, and it is required to use that HUD thing, so for now leaving it be. So in short - not much has changed by a fresh VB install, still has the same likely VB-related bugs that are in my other install that was updated from pre-alpha. Ignoring those glitches (and the still somewhat borked Ambiance theme - I use my own mods) the system seems quite stable and it was fairly easy to configure gnome-panel and lxpanel sessions that work like a traditional desktop environment.. panel(s) with a normal app menu and a window list for quick app/window switching and a functional desktop that supports files, folders, app launchers and symlinks. [end edit] 3/30/12 installed gnome-panel installed gnome-shell (dumb - added an icon for it to the launcher) installed synaptic In Gnome Shell the activities background is garbled, just like in my other 12.04 install. It used to work in GS 3.2, and still works in Fedora. Something out GS 3.4 (or Ubuntu) that's not compatible. [Gnome Shell failed completely in the latest VB 4.1.12 and GA, reverted back to VB 4.1.10. Another clue - the garbled Activities background contains bits of images that were viewed on the host (!)] Try Classic... well the task bar is blocky but otherwise works OK. 4/4/12 Added in ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts ----- Terminal --------------- #!/bin/bash gnome-terminal & ------------------------------ ----- CreateLauncher --------- #!/bin/bash gnome-desktop-item-edit --create-new $(pwd) & ------------------------------ ----- BrowseAsRoot ---------- #!/bin/bash gksudo "nautilus $(pwd)" & ------------------------------ added /etc/X11/Xsession.d/80overlayscrollbars containing... export LIBOVERLAY_SCROLLBAR=0 removed apport apport-gtk apport-symptoms installed gnome-tweak-tool gconf-editor dconf-tools The normal Ambiance theme scrollbars are nearly invisible. Created ~/.themes directory, added my AmbianceMod theme to it. Selected using gnome-tweak-tool. Not working right... background of gnome panel is white. Fixed up a bit more, updated on web... http://newton.freehostia.com/comp/AmbianceMod.tar.gz Must select "use system settings" for panel background or inactive panel buttons aren't right, still haven't quite found perfection yet. dconf-editor apps metacity general button_layout :minimize,maximize,close To get splash to show right when booting, did... sudo -s echo FRAMEBUFFER=y >>/etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/splashroot update-initramfs -u To install VirtualBox shared folder... From VB menu selected Devices Shared Folders, clicked Add navigated to my shared folder on the host, selected, checked automount and permanent. In Ubuntu, rebooted, ran sudo adduser terry vboxsf then dragged /media/sf[name] to a desktop symlink (hold ctrl/shift). Desktop... For shutdown/logout icons dragged them from /usr/share/applications edited indicator-session-logout|shutdown.desktop files to comment out OnlyShowIn line, now: #OnlyShowIn=Unity; [4/28/12 these no longer exist, instead can make launchers that run... /usr/lib/indicator-session/gtk-logout-helper --shutdown ...for the shutdown launcher and... /usr/lib/indicator-session/gtk-logout-helper --logout ...for the logout launcher. To set the icons without hunting, make with generic then from a terminal gedit the .desktop files and change the Icon entries to system-shutdown and system-log-out] Still has the unclean shutdown bug, made a launcher containing a sync command to force cached writes to disk. Usually it doesn't matter but since it can't seem to manage to unmount the disk cleanly it's a good idea to sync after installing apps or saving files. [4/28/12 - better fix if affected by this bug.. first do dmesg|grep EXT and if it doesn't say "recovering" then shutdown is proper, no fix needed. Otherwise edit /etc/init.d/umountroot and make the part that remounts root read-only look something like... ..... fi # fix unclean shutdown /sbin/killall5 -15 sleep 2 MOUNT_FORCE_OPT= ..... (add the new code between the existing fi and MOUNT_FORCE_OPT= lines) ...or wait for the fix to be released... it's bug #963106. If unsure about editing stuff like this, just wait 30 seconds or so after saving files or applying updates before shutting down or rebooting.] Used gnome-tweak-tool to tell it to display the home folder and mounted disks. Made icons for Terminal, FireFox, Synaptic and Update Manager. Gnome Panel... added launchers for Firefox, Terminal, Files. Added custom launchers for "unity-2d-shell" and "killall unity-2d-shell". Added CPU usage widget. Removed pager from the bottom, added to the top, set for 2 workspaces. Enabled hide buttons. Moved stuff where I want. Fairly usable Gnome-Classic system now, boots very quickly. There's some duplication but that helps when stuff crashes. Setting up a "LxGnome" session... Installed lxpanel and lxpanel-indicator-applet-plugin Created mystartapps.sh containing... #!/bin/bash if [ "$DESKTOP_SESSION" == "lxgnome" ];then lxpanel & fi ...and set permissions to executable. Added /home/terry/mystartapps.sh to startup applications. gksudo gedit /usr/share/gnome-session/sessions/lxgnome.session [GNOME Session] Name=GNOME (lxpanel) RequiredComponents=gnome-settings-daemon; RequiredProviders=windowmanager; DefaultProvider-windowmanager=metacity DefaultProvider-notifications=notify-osd DesktopName=GNOME gksudo gedit /usr/share/xsessions/lxgnome.desktop [Desktop Entry] Name=GNOME (lxpanel) Comment=Gnome with lxpanel Exec=gnome-session --session=lxgnome TryExec=gnome-session Icon= Type=Application X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=gnome-session-3.0 gedit has a bug where it opens up an extra blank modified tab when run as root. Also, root things take on a "primitive" look when an alternate theme is selected.. which is fine [there is a fix for this in Ubuntu Tweak but I don't have that installed, I kind of like the archaic look of default GTK for root stuff]. Log out and select GNOME (lxpanel) Panel setup... Remove existing (mostly nonfunctional) app shortcuts Added Files Terminal FireFox Moved pager to end, set up spacers to look right Added volume control Set clock format to: %a %b %e %l:%M %p (see man 3 strftime) Set File Manager to nautilus Set Terminal Emulator to gnome-terminal Set Logout Command to... /usr/lib/indicator-session/gtk-logout-helper --logout Set other stuff to taste.. I set the panel to 24 pixels high, gray and semi-transparent. Works well, the only visible bug is the virtual desktop pager isn't fully compatible and leaves a window outline when all windows are closed.. [use WNCKpager instead to fix this issue... doesn't allow the number of workspaces to be edited, fixed at two]. 4/6/12 - When gtk2-engines-pixbuf is installed (pulled in by a recent update) LxPanel's window buttons lose their rounded corners. To fix, I installed gtk-chtheme and used it to select another theme for GTK2 apps (including FireFox), not all themes work right at the moment but Crux and ThinIce work for me. This overrides the GTK2 section of the selected Gnome 3 theme. 4/14/12 - the new Light Themes no longer require the pixbuf engine and no longer disturb LxPanel (whether or not gtk2-engines-pixbuf is installed). So gtk-chtheme is no longer needed. Updated AmbianceMod.tar.gz with the new GTK2 fixes.