How To Install Gnome 3 And Classic Gnome Session In Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot

Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot has been released with Unity 2D and Unity 3D, while the classic menu has been removed. Canonical has given an additional option to install Gnome 3 from Ubuntu repositories. If you don’t like Unity, then you can always opt for the Gnome sessions. In this post I will tell you how to Install Gnome 3 and classic Gnome session on Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot.

Gnome 3 Installation

Gnome 3 can be installed from Ubuntu 11.10 universe repository. To install Gnome 3, enter the following command in the Terminal.

sudo apt-get install gnome-shell

Now log out, click the cog icon, select “Gnome” from the list of available login sessions, to log back in (as shown below).

Login

Install Gnome Classic Session

If you do not wish to use Gnome3 and Unity, you can install “Gnome Session Fallback” to get classic gnome desktop using this command.

sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback

Now, log out and select the session “Gnome” or “Gnome Classic” to log-in. You will require need holding Alt key to configure the panel. If you like the Gnome session and would like to auto log into it at system start up, then check out my post: How To Auto Login With Gnome 3 In Ubuntu 11.10.

Note: Due to previous history of Gnome 3 issues and the buggy Gnome 2 session in Ubuntu 11.10, it is advised to backup your system to avoid any system issues. After the final Ubuntu 11.10 release, Gnome 3 seems to be more functional in Oneiric than it was in Natty, however, users are suffering from periodic Gnome and Unity issues. Some of these issues seem to be occurring after a system update.

[via Ubuntu Sharing ]