Ubuntu Unity

Ubuntu Unity is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu, using the Unity interface in place of Ubuntu's GNOME Shell. The first release was 20.04 LTS on 7 May 2020. Prior to the initial release it had the working names of Unubuntu and Ubuntu Unity Remix.

The Unity interface was originally developed by Canonical and first included as the default interface in Ubuntu 11.04, which was released in April 2011. Unity was developed as an alternative to the GNOME Shell, which replaced the GNOME 2 interface. At that time, Canonical had planned to converge the desktop, cellphone and tablet interfaces into Unity 8, a project that was abandoned in 2017 when Ubuntu moved to the GNOME 3 desktop instead, ending Unity development at version 7, version 8 being incomplete. Ubuntu 17.10 introduced the GNOME 3 desktop in October 2017, but it was not universally accepted by Ubuntu users or developers. A number of forks were proposed, with UBports taking over Unity 8 development for its value as a cellphone interface and renaming it Lomiri in February 2020. In 2019 Canonical gave its approval for the use of trademarks for a Unity 7 Ubuntu remix.

Linux Foundation Certified Developer and Ubuntu team member Rudra B. Saraswat, who is based near Bangalore, India, started Ubuntu Unity. He polled users and used a stock Unity 7 interface with the Ubuntu backend and minimal changes otherwise. He included the Nemo file manager as an alternative to GNOME Files and employed the GNOME Display Manager to replace LightDM X display manager.

Saraswat had previously created several other Linux distributions, including the server-focused Krob Linux. About his motivations for starting Ubuntu Unity, Saraswat stated, "I had used Ubuntu 17.04 back when I was 8 [years old] and I really loved Unity7, so when Unity7 was discontinued by Canonical, I wasn't happy and wanted to bring it back. I created this project to give Unity7 a new life". Saraswat was ten years old in 2020 when he first released Ubuntu Unity. He indicated at the time that his goal was to eventually have the distribution accepted as an official Ubuntu "flavour".

Ubuntu Unity became a recognized flavour starting with the 22.10 release.

Unity7 was the default Desktop Environment of Ubuntu from Ubuntu 11.04 to Ubuntu 17.04, before being replaced by GNOME 3.

There are versions of Ubuntu Unity based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS available on the Internet Archive.

This release was the first Ubuntu Unity release, as well as the first long-term support release. It was released on 7 May 2020, two weeks after the release of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. It uses a default Yaru theme with Papirus icons with Adwaita, Ambiance, Radiance and High Contrast themes available.