Ubuntu - The Journey from Unity to GNOME and the Story of MIR
Over the years, Ubuntu has experienced significant changes in its desktop environment. The most noteworthy transformation was the shift away from Unity and back to GNOME, a move that marked a return to the more traditional desktop setup that Ubuntu had before the Unity experiment began.
When Unity was first introduced with Ubuntu 11.04 in 2011, it was a bold, innovative step. The idea behind Unity was to create a fresh, modern interface designed for both desktop and touch-screen use. Canonical’s goal was to make Ubuntu stand out from other Linux distributions by offering a unique user interface. Unity came with a vertical dock on the left side, a global top bar for application menus, and a host of features designed to enhance usability and multitasking. This design was initially aimed at smaller devices like netbooks but eventually became the default for all Ubuntu desktop versions.
However, Unity’s transition to the main desktop UI didn’t come without controversy. While some users appreciated the new approach, many found it a departure from the familiar GNOME 2 environment that Ubuntu originally used. Over time, this divide became more pronounced, and user feedback revealed frustrations with some of Unity’s quirks, such as the lack of customization options and performance issues when using the Compiz compositing window manager.
In parallel to Unity’s development, Canonical had another ambitious project: MIR. Announced in 2013 as part of the Unity 8 initiative, MIR was intended to be the next-generation display server designed to work with Unity 8, which itself aimed to provide a consistent user experience across all devices, from phones to desktops. The goal was to reduce Ubuntu’s reliance on the X Window System and provide Canonical with more control over the graphics stack. But after several years of development, Unity 8 was eventually dropped in 2017 due to various technical challenges, and the vision of a unified Ubuntu interface collapsed.
Despite Unity’s demise, MIR didn’t disappear. The project continued, albeit with a shift in focus. MIR has since found a place in Internet of Things (IoT) applications, where its lightweight design and flexibility are better suited. Interestingly, there’s a developer working on a window management system called Miracle, which leverages MIR to create a more user-friendly alternative to Hyprland, making it easier to use and more accessible for users.
Canonical abandons Unity and returns to Gnome
Fast forward to today, Canonical’s decision to abandon Unity was followed by a return to GNOME as the default desktop environment, starting with Ubuntu 17.10. While the move back to GNOME may seem like a step backward, in reality, it represents a return to a more widely accepted and mature desktop environment, which had long been the basis of Ubuntu prior to 11.04. However, the experience of GNOME on Ubuntu today is not exactly the same as it was in the past. Canonical’s GNOME implementation now closely mirrors the design and functionality of Ubuntu 11.04—conceptually, at least. The left-side dock, reminiscent of Unity, is still present, but instead of a custom-built interface, it’s GNOME that powers the experience.
In essence, Canonical has come full circle. The default Ubuntu desktop now closely resembles what users saw in 2011, with the familiar left-side dock and emphasis on simplicity, but GNOME has replaced Unity as the core user interface. This decision allows Canonical to tap into the robustness and widespread adoption of GNOME while still maintaining some of the design elements that users loved from Unity.
Ubuntu’s story is one of evolution and experimentation, where bold decisions and shifts in direction have ultimately led to a more refined and familiar experience for users today. Whether or not Canonical’s past experiments with Unity and MIR will continue to shape the future of Ubuntu remains to be seen, but they’ve certainly played an integral role in the distribution’s development over the years.