~
~
:wq

Sunday, 6 November 2011

Unity's "about:config" doesn't work in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneirc Ocelot

Custumization of Unity in Ubuntu 11.10; about:config doesn't work

spanish version - all english posts

Unity probably due to a misguided Ubuntu's "zero-config" policy cannot be customized by the end user. At least by default.

Theroetically by pressing alt-F2 and typing in the laucher "about:config" the configuration/personalization utility of Unity should appear... but although the icon of the configuration utility shows up, nothing happens at all. Neither even a notice that the config utility is not working. A minimal configuration tool is not installed by default. Incredible!

To make the configuration utility work you must install CCSM (The «compiz config settings manager»):

apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Once that package is installed, the "about:config" thing will work. It's pretty sad that Ubuntu doesn't allow the end user to personalize the desktop (or doesn't seriously take into account that possibility); but it is at least as sad, that when the user tries to launch the "hidden" config utility there is not a minimal warning saying that the user should install CCSM to make it work.

To check the few (really few) options that the CCSM configuration tool allows, I recommend to read the following link; but once you have opened the utility you will notice that there's not much to customize:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/29553/how-can-i-configure-unity

However it seems that things will change in the near future:

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/11/ubuntu-desktop-designers-clarify-on-configurability/

0 comments:

Post a Comment