Tweak Unity Desktop: Customize & Fix Common Issues

Yes, you can tweak the Unity desktop environment, and this guide shows you how to customize its appearance, behavior, and performance, plus how to fix common issues. Unity, the default desktop for Ubuntu from 11.04 to 17.04, is still used by many on older systems or via community editions. You’ll learn about built-in settings, the CompizConfig Settings Manager, and third-party tools like Unity Tweak Tool.

What Is Unity and Why Tweak It?

Unity is a shell for the GNOME desktop environment, introduced by Canonical in 2010. Its defining features are the launcher (a dock on the left), the dash (a search overlay), and the global menu bar at the top of the screen. While Unity was discontinued as the default in 2017, it remains available in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and is still used in some derivatives like Ubuntu Unity. Tweaking Unity lets you adjust the launcher size, auto-hide behavior, hot corners, workspaces, and even the dash’s search sources. Because Unity is built on Compiz, many tweaks are done through CompizConfig, which gives you low-level control over window animations, desktop effects, and input behavior.

Built-in Settings You Can Change Without Extra Tools

Before installing any third-party tools, you can already customize a lot through the standard system settings and a few dconf commands. Here’s what you can do with no extra software:

• Launcher icon size: Go to System Settings → Appearance and drag the slider. This is the quickest way to change the size of the launcher icons.
• Launcher auto-hide: In the same Appearance panel, toggle “Auto-hide the Launcher” to reveal it only when you move your mouse to the left edge.
• Reveal sensitivity: Use the command dconf write /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/unityshell/launcher-reveal-pressure 20 to make the launcher appear more or less easily.
• Workspaces: Enable workspaces in System Settings → Appearance → Behavior and set the number of rows/columns. You can also use dconf write /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/core/vsize 2 to set the number of virtual desktops vertically.
• Hot corners: In the same Behavior tab, you can assign actions to the top-left corner (dash), top-right (workspaces), and bottom-left (launcher).
• Menu bar location: To move the global menu from the top panel to inside each window, run gsettings set com.canonical.Unity always-show-menus true (or false to restore).

These built-in options cover the basics, but for deeper tweaks you’ll need additional tools.

Using Unity Tweak Tool for Easy Customization

Unity Tweak Tool is a graphical application that exposes many hidden Unity settings without requiring you to edit dconf keys manually. It’s not officially maintained anymore, but it still works on Ubuntu 18.04 and similar versions. You can install it with sudo apt install unity-tweak-tool. The tool organizes settings into categories like Launcher, Panel, Dash, and Workspaces. For example, you can:

• Change the launcher icon size and transparency.
• Enable or disable the launcher’s backlight (the light behind active icons).
• Adjust the panel’s font size and background opacity.
• Change the dash blur and transparency.
• Set the number of workspaces and their grid layout.
• Add a “Show Desktop” icon to the launcher.

If you prefer a more modern alternative, Gnome Tweaks (formerly GNOME Tweak Tool) can also change some Unity settings, but it’s primarily designed for GNOME Shell. For most Unity-specific tweaks, Unity Tweak Tool is the go-to choice.

Advanced Tweaks with CompizConfig Settings Manager

For power users, CompizConfig Settings Manager (CCSM) provides the deepest level of control. Install it with sudo apt install compizconfig-settings-manager. Be careful: changing the wrong setting can break your desktop, so always note what you change. Some useful and safe tweaks include:

• Window animations: Under Effects → Animations, you can change the animation style for opening, closing, and minimizing windows. You can also set the duration.
• Scale and switcher: Under Window Management → Scale, you can adjust the scale effect’s appearance and behavior, like the number of windows shown and the opacity of the background.
• Desktop cube: If you want the classic 3D cube for workspace switching, enable the Desktop Cube and Rotate Cube plugins under Desktop. This requires a graphics driver that supports 3D acceleration.
• Key bindings: Under General Options → Keybindings, you can remap shortcuts for workspace switching, window tiling, and the scale effect.

Always make a backup of your Compiz configuration before making major changes. You can do this by copying the ~/.config/compiz-1 directory to a safe location.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

After tweaking, you might encounter issues. Here are the most common ones and their fixes:

• Desktop freezes or becomes unresponsive: This often happens after changing Compiz settings. Press Ctrl+Alt+F1 to switch to a virtual terminal, log in, and run dconf reset -f /org/compiz/ to reset all Compiz settings to defaults. Then press Ctrl+Alt+F7 to return to the graphical session.
• Launcher doesn’t auto-hide properly: If the launcher stays visible even when auto-hide is enabled, try resetting the launcher reveal pressure: dconf reset /org/compiz/profiles/unity/plugins/unityshell/launcher-reveal-pressure.
• Dash is too slow or laggy: Disable the blur and transparency effects in Unity Tweak Tool under Dash. You can also reduce the number of scopes (online search sources) in System Settings → Security & Privacy → Search.
• Workspaces don’t work after enabling the cube: The cube plugin conflicts with the default workspace switcher. Disable the Desktop Cube and Rotate Cube plugins, or disable the Expo and Scale plugins that might conflict.
• Menus don’t show in the top panel: This can happen if the global menu plugin is disabled in CCSM. Go to Desktop → Unity and ensure the Global Menu plugin is enabled.

If you’re stuck, you can always reinstall Unity with sudo apt install --reinstall unity to restore default settings.

Alternatives to Unity Tweak Tool

If Unity Tweak Tool doesn’t work for you (e.g., on newer Ubuntu versions), there are other ways to tweak Unity:

• dconf-editor: A graphical editor for the entire dconf configuration database. You can navigate to org → compiz → profiles → unity to find all Unity settings. Install with sudo apt install dconf-editor.
• MyUnity: An older tool that was popular before Unity Tweak Tool. It’s not in the official repositories anymore but can be installed from a PPA. It offers similar customization options.
• Manual dconf commands: For a single setting, using dconf write in the terminal is often the fastest and most reliable method. You can find a list of useful commands in the Ubuntu wiki or forums.

Each method has its pros and cons. Graphical tools are easier for beginners, while dconf commands are more precise and scriptable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Unity still supported in 2024?

Unity is no longer developed by Canonical, but the Ubuntu Unity flavor provides a maintained version for new releases. On older LTS releases like 18.04, Unity still receives security updates from the Ubuntu archive. However, for most users, switching to a maintained desktop like GNOME or Xfce is recommended.

Can I use Unity Tweak Tool on Ubuntu 20.04 or later?

Unity Tweak Tool is not officially updated for newer versions, and it may not work due to changes in the underlying libraries. On Ubuntu 20.04 and later, you can try installing it from a PPA, but it’s not guaranteed to function. It’s better to use dconf-editor or manual commands.

How do I reset Unity to default settings?

To reset all Unity settings, run dconf reset -f /org/compiz/ and then log out and back in. This will restore the default launcher, dash, and workspace behavior. If you also want to reset the panel and other GNOME settings, you can use gsettings reset-recursively com.canonical.Unity.

Will tweaking Unity affect system performance?

Some tweaks, like enabling the desktop cube or increasing animation quality, can consume more GPU resources. On older hardware, this may cause lag. Conversely, disabling effects can improve performance. It’s best to test each tweak and see how your system responds.

Can I change the launcher position to the bottom or right?

Unity’s launcher is fixed to the left edge by design. There is no official setting to move it. You can use a workaround with Compiz to reposition it, but it’s not stable and may break after updates. If you need a movable dock, consider using a different desktop environment or a standalone dock like Plank.

Is it safe to use CCSM?

CCSM is powerful but can break your desktop if you change critical settings. Always back up your configuration before experimenting. If something goes wrong, you can reset Compiz as described above. For most users, Unity Tweak Tool is safer because it only exposes settings that are known to work.

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