{"id":3412,"date":"2011-05-02T16:37:07","date_gmt":"2011-05-02T20:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/?p=3412"},"modified":"2011-11-23T20:12:29","modified_gmt":"2011-11-24T01:12:29","slug":"bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing back the classic &#8220;netbook remix&#8221; interface in Ubuntu 11.04 &#8220;Natty Narwhal&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The other day I saw the news that the latest version of <a href=\"https:\/\/wiki.ubuntu.com\/NattyNarwhal\">Ubuntu 11.04 \u201cNatty Narwhal\u201d<\/a> had been released. So, like any self-respecting geek, I updated my netbook (which runs Ubuntu).<\/p>\n<p>The upgrade was smooth and easy, but one thing I noticed right away after rebooting was that <em>nothing looked the same.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The thing is, Ubuntu has committed to using the new \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/unity.ubuntu.com\/\">Unity<\/a>\u201d interface for Ubuntu, and they have also folded the netbook remix stuff into the main \u201cUbuntu\u201d release. What this means is that, starting with 11.04:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ubuntu uses \u201cUnity\u201d by default, <em>even on netbooks<\/em><\/li>\n<li>There is no longer a separate \u201cnetbook remix\u201d for Ubuntu<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now, don\u2019t get me wrong \u2013 I appreciate the \u201cUnity\u201d interface, and I like the idea and the execution of it is pretty great\u2026 but I disagree with the idea that this is the perfect interface for netbooks.<\/p>\n<p>First off, the \u201cUnity\u201d interface is rather graphically intensive \u2013 it has some neat 3-D effects as you mouse over the bar \u2013 and this just really kind of bogs down a netbook. Now, maybe newer netbooks have more powerful graphics cards, but I always think of Linux as being great for older computers too, and the \u201cUnity\u201d interface just doesn\u2019t cut it on older hardware.<\/p>\n<p>Now, you can always switch back to the Ubuntu Classic UI (by using the Logon Screen app, or by just choosing at the login screen itself), but even that is a bit of a compromise, especially for netbooks. The netbook UI was optimized for small screens, where every inch of screen space was valuable.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3417\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3417\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-classic-desktop.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3417\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-classic-desktop\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-classic-desktop.png\" data-orig-size=\"1024,768\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu classic desktop\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The &amp;#8220;Classic&amp;#8221; desktop doesn&amp;#8217;t use vertical space very efficiently&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-classic-desktop.png\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3417 \" title=\"ubuntu classic desktop\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-classic-desktop-300x225.png\" alt=\"ubuntu classic desktop\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-classic-desktop-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-classic-desktop.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3417\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The &quot;Classic&quot; desktop isn&#39;t that great for small netbook screens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So, I set about trying to find how to bring back that classic \u201cnetbook\u201d look that previous versions of Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR) had. After some experimentation with a virtual machine (and, in the extreme, trying out some other Linux distros to see if they were more netbook-friendly) I found the way to do it.<\/p>\n<p>Before we begin, I suggest that you switch to the classic UI before beginning \u2013 that way you won\u2019t need to worry about fiddling with the \u201cUnity\u201d launcher bar thing.<\/p>\n<p>There are 4 packages you need to have before you begin, so fire up the Synaptic package manager (or a terminal if that\u2019s your thing) and make sure these packages are installed:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<pre><a href=\"http:\/\/packages.ubuntu.com\/natty\/netbook-launcher-efl\">netbook-launcher-efl<\/a><\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<pre><a href=\"http:\/\/packages.ubuntu.com\/natty\/maximus\">maximus<\/a><\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<pre><a href=\"http:\/\/packages.ubuntu.com\/natty\/window-picker-applet\">window-picker-applet<\/a><\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<pre><a href=\"http:\/\/packages.ubuntu.com\/natty\/go-home-applet\">go-home-applet<\/a><\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These 4 packages are what basically make up the older \u201cNetbook Remix\u201d edition of Ubuntu.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3422\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3422\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/package-manager-netbook-launcher-efl.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3422\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/package-manager-netbook-launcher-efl\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/package-manager-netbook-launcher-efl.png\" data-orig-size=\"843,612\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"package manager &amp;#8211; netbook launcher efl\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Selecting the &amp;#8220;netbook-launcher-efl&amp;#8221; package for installation&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/package-manager-netbook-launcher-efl.png\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3422\" title=\"package manager - netbook launcher efl\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/package-manager-netbook-launcher-efl-300x217.png\" alt=\"Ubuntu package manager - showing &quot;netbook-launcher-efl&quot; package\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/package-manager-netbook-launcher-efl-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/package-manager-netbook-launcher-efl.png 843w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3422\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Selecting the &quot;netbook-launcher-efl&quot; package for installation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The first thing to do is to go to your startup applications in Ubuntu and add <strong>netbook-launcher-efl<\/strong> and <strong>maximus<\/strong> to your startup applications.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3418\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3418\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-preferences-menu-startup-applications.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3418\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-preferences-menu-startup-applications\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-preferences-menu-startup-applications.png\" data-orig-size=\"1024,768\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu preferences menu &amp;#8211; startup applications\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Selecting the &amp;#8220;Starup Applications&amp;#8221; app from the &amp;#8220;Preferences&amp;#8221; menu&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-preferences-menu-startup-applications.png\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3418\" title=\"ubuntu preferences menu - startup applications\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-preferences-menu-startup-applications-300x225.png\" alt=\"Ubuntu preferences menu - startup applications\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-preferences-menu-startup-applications-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-preferences-menu-startup-applications.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3418\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Selecting the &quot;Starup Applications&quot; app from the &quot;Preferences&quot; menu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3421\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3421\" style=\"width: 375px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-netbook-launcher-efl.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3421\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-netbook-launcher-efl\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-netbook-launcher-efl.png\" data-orig-size=\"375,207\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu startup program &amp;#8211; add netbook-launcher-efl\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Adding the Netbook Launcher to startup&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-netbook-launcher-efl.png\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3421\" title=\"ubuntu startup program - add netbook-launcher-efl\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-netbook-launcher-efl.png\" alt=\"ubuntu startup program - add netbook-launcher-efl\" width=\"375\" height=\"207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-netbook-launcher-efl.png 375w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-netbook-launcher-efl-300x165.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3421\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adding the Netbook Launcher to startup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3420\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3420\" style=\"width: 372px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-maximus.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3420\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-maximus\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-maximus.png\" data-orig-size=\"372,204\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu startup program &amp;#8211; add maximus\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Adding Maximus to startup&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-maximus.png\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3420\" title=\"ubuntu startup program - add maximus\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-maximus.png\" alt=\"ubuntu startup program - add maximus\" width=\"372\" height=\"204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-maximus.png 372w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-program-add-maximus-300x164.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3420\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adding Maximus to startup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3419\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3419\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-applications-preferences.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3419\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-startup-applications-preferences\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-applications-preferences.png\" data-orig-size=\"618,489\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu startup applications preferences\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Startup Applications&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-applications-preferences.png\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3419\" title=\"ubuntu startup applications preferences\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-applications-preferences-300x237.png\" alt=\"Ubuntu Startup Applications Preferences\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-applications-preferences-300x237.png 300w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-startup-applications-preferences.png 618w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3419\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Startup Applications<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Next, add the window-picker-applet and go-home-applet to the top panel in Ubuntu. You may also want to remove some of the other panel items that are up there currently, and then re-size and re-position the panels so they look like the old netbook remix. If you have a panel at the bottom of the screen, remove that as well.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3413\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3413\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-add-to-panel.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3413\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-add-to-panel\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-add-to-panel.png\" data-orig-size=\"552,210\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu &amp;#8211; add to panel\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Adding an applet to the panel&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-add-to-panel.png\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3413\" title=\"ubuntu - add to panel\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-add-to-panel-300x114.png\" alt=\"ubuntu - add to panel\" width=\"300\" height=\"114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-add-to-panel-300x114.png 300w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-add-to-panel.png 552w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3413\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adding an applet to the panel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3414\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3414\" style=\"width: 229px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-delete-this-panel.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3414\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-delete-this-panel\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-delete-this-panel.png\" data-orig-size=\"229,190\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu &amp;#8211; delete this panel\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Deleting the lower panel&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-delete-this-panel.png\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3414\" title=\"ubuntu - delete this panel\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-delete-this-panel.png\" alt=\"ubuntu - delete this panel\" width=\"229\" height=\"190\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3414\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deleting the lower panel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Finally, reboot the system and <em>voil\u00e0<\/em>! The look of the old Ubuntu Netbook Remix is back!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3416\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3416\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-and-feel.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3416\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-netbook-look-and-feel\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-and-feel.png\" data-orig-size=\"1024,768\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu &amp;#8211; netbook look and feel\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;The old Ubuntu Netbook Edition look &amp;#038; feel has been restored!&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Ubuntu Netbook Look and Feel Restored!&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-and-feel.png\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3416\" title=\"ubuntu - netbook look and feel\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-and-feel-300x225.png\" alt=\"ubuntu - netbook look and feel\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-and-feel-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-and-feel.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3416\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ubuntu Netbook Look and Feel Restored!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3415\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3415\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-with-windows-open.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3415\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/ubuntu-netbook-look-with-windows-open\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-with-windows-open.png\" data-orig-size=\"1024,768\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ubuntu &amp;#8211; netbook look &amp;#8211; with windows open\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Maximus and the window picker app keep things organized on small netbook screens better than the default classic GNOME desktop.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Maximus and the window picker app keep things organized on small screens&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-with-windows-open.png\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3415\" title=\"ubuntu - netbook look - with windows open\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-with-windows-open-300x225.png\" alt=\"ubuntu - netbook look - with windows open\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-with-windows-open-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/ubuntu-netbook-look-with-windows-open.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3415\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Maximus and the window picker app keep things organized on small screens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I really like the netbook interface &#8211; I think it&#8217;s the best fit for netbooks, especially not-very-powerful ones like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2009\/08\/06\/my-new-netbook-acer-aspire-one\/\">mine<\/a>. The maximus package keeps windows from having a title bar (it gets merged into the panel at the top, where the window-picker-applet takes care of showing you the app&#8217;s name and giving you a close button) and of course keeps windows maximized all the time (which is the only way you&#8217;d ever want them to be on a netbook&#8217;s small screen). Plus, the netbook launcher is just great for launching the few programs you use on a netbook. The icons are huge and easy to click when using a little touchpad, and the graphics are smooth but not overdone.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3435\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3435\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/Screenshot.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3435\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/05\/02\/bringing-back-the-classic-netbook-remix-interface-in-ubuntu-11-04-natty-narwhal\/screenshot-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/Screenshot.png\" data-orig-size=\"1024,600\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Netbook Screenshot\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Ubuntu with these netbook changes on my little netbook&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/Screenshot.png\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3435\" title=\"Netbook Screenshot\" src=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2011\/05\/Screenshot-300x175.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of Ubuntu on a Netbook\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Screenshot-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Screenshot.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3435\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ubuntu with these netbook changes on my little netbook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s worth mentioning that during my experimentation, I tried out a few other options, including some different distributions that claimed to be good for netbooks. One distribution I found called \u201cEasyPeasy\u201d was based on Ubuntu and was basically the classic \u201cNetbook Remix\u201d that I remember. However, it seems to lag behind Ubuntu in terms of releases \u2013 it was still using Firefox 3 for example. Still, if you\u2019re just getting a new netbook, you might want to try EasyPeasy from the start, as it comes \u201cout of the box\u201d with the netbook look &amp; feel.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you want to stick with the Ubuntu you know and love, these steps will bring back that classic Ubuntu Netbook Remix interface, just the way you remember it.<\/p>\n<p>(<strong>Update<\/strong>: if you&#8217;re using Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot, I&#8217;ve got some <a title=\"Bringing back the classic \u201cnetbook remix\u201d in Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/11\/23\/bringing-back-the-netbook-remix-in-ubuntu-11-10-oneiric-ocelot\/\">extra steps for you here that should do the trick<\/a>.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to bring back the classic netbook interface of the old &#8220;Ubuntu Netbook Remix&#8221; (UNR) in the latest version of Ubuntu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"webmentions_disabled_pings":false,"webmentions_disabled":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[201],"tags":[23,227,224,97,228],"class_list":["post-3412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-software-technology","tag-computers","tag-linux","tag-netbook","tag-software","tag-ubuntu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pimUj-T2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3676,"url":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/11\/23\/bringing-back-the-netbook-remix-in-ubuntu-11-10-oneiric-ocelot\/","url_meta":{"origin":3412,"position":0},"title":"Bringing back the classic &#8220;netbook remix&#8221; in Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)","author":"Keith Survell","date":"November 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"How to bring back the old-style \"netbook remix\" user interface in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Software&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Software","link":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/category\/technology\/software-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2766,"url":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2009\/08\/20\/acer-aspire-one-life-so-far\/","url_meta":{"origin":3412,"position":1},"title":"Acer Aspire One: Life So Far","author":"Keith Survell","date":"August 20, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Taking a look at the Acer Aspire One D150 after living with it for a few weeks - and the verdict is good!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Gadgets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Gadgets","link":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/category\/technology\/gadgets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The truly AWESOME look of Ubuntu Netbook Remix","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2009\/08\/Screenshot-300x175.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3860,"url":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2012\/04\/10\/breathing-new-life-into-an-old-netbook\/","url_meta":{"origin":3412,"position":2},"title":"Breathing New Life into an Old Netbook","author":"Keith Survell","date":"April 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Lately I had been getting a bit frustrated with the performance of my old netbook, so I decided it was time for an upgrade to a SSD.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Gadgets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Gadgets","link":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/category\/technology\/gadgets\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SSD drive icon","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2012\/04\/Ssd-slick-drive-256-150x150.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3390,"url":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2011\/03\/26\/some-completely-pointless-benchmarks\/","url_meta":{"origin":3412,"position":3},"title":"Some Completely Pointless Benchmarks","author":"Keith Survell","date":"March 26, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Just for fun, I timed how long it takes to start up my desktop computer and my netbook. Guess which one won?","rel":"","context":"In &quot;personal&quot;","block_context":{"text":"personal","link":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/category\/personal\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2741,"url":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2009\/08\/06\/my-new-netbook-acer-aspire-one\/","url_meta":{"origin":3412,"position":4},"title":"My New Netbook: Acer Aspire One","author":"Keith Survell","date":"August 6, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"I finally get the Acer Aspire One netbook I've been lusting after - and it is every bit as good as I'd hoped it would be!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;My Life&quot;","block_context":{"text":"My Life","link":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/category\/personal\/my-life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"my new netbook - ryo-ohki","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2521\/3795219458_1e843337c8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4151,"url":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/2013\/02\/13\/new-laptop\/","url_meta":{"origin":3412,"position":5},"title":"New Laptop","author":"Keith Survell","date":"February 13, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"After an extended power outage forced me to work from my netbook, I realized it's time for me to get a proper laptop - and this is what I ended up with.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;My Opinion&quot;","block_context":{"text":"My Opinion","link":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/category\/personal\/my-opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Acer Aspire Timeline X 4830T notebook","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2013\/02\/notebook-acer-aspire-timelinex-4830t-2313g32mnbb-front-300x220.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3412\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.starkeith.net\/coredump\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}