How To Install Ubuntu 12.04 Scroll Bar In Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot

Ubuntu’s Andrea Cimitan recently provided a demo for the Ubuntu 12.04 overlay scrollbar. This version included some initial improvements to Ubuntu’s overlay scrollbar which have been added for version 12.04, codename: Precise Pangolin. The new scroll bar comes with an animated jump scrolling feature, subtle animations and timeouts, a retracting tail (when the thumb is hidden), and smart timeout, which reduces visual clutter. A PPA has been made available to install this new overlay scroll bar in Ubuntu 11.10, Oneiric Ocelot. In this post I will tell you how to get this improved Ubuntu scrollbar in Ubuntu 11.10.

Ubuntu 12.04 Overlay Scrollbar

Before installing the new overlay scroll bar, check out this video preview.

Subtle animations and timeouts in Ayatana Overlay Scrollbars – Ubuntu 12.04 from Andrea Cimitan on Vimeo.

You can install this scrollbar in Ubuntu 11.10 by adding the below PPA to your Ubuntu sources. In case you do not know how to add a PPA to software sources, then check out my guide: How To Add PPA To Software Sources In Ubuntu Linux.

ppa:ayatana-scrollbar-team/release

Note: This is just a preview release, which is available for Ubuntu 11.10 users only. The below PPA should only be installed by those users who wish to preview the new overlay scrollbar changes. Since this scroll bar is in its early development stage, you may face some lags or bugs.

P.S.: If you are not a fan of the overlay scrollbar and would rather prefer having the classic scrollbar back in Ubuntu, then check out my post: How To Get Classic Scrollbar Back In Ubuntu 11.04 and 11.10.