Ubuntu Unity is one of the most distinctive official Ubuntu flavors available today. Born from a passion project by Rudra Saraswat — who began work on the distro as a teenager — Ubuntu Unity officially became a recognized Ubuntu flavor with the 22.04 cycle. It exists with a singular mission: to bring back the Unity 7 desktop environment that Canonical controversially retired in 2017 in favor of GNOME.
The Unity Desktop Reborn
The centerpiece of Ubuntu Unity is, of course, the Unity 7 shell. The vertical application launcher (the "Launcher") sits on the left side of the screen, providing quick access to pinned and running applications. The top panel combines a global application menu with system indicators, keeping the desktop clean and maximizing vertical screen space — particularly useful for widescreen monitors. The HUD (Heads-Up Display) is a killer productivity feature: press Alt and type any menu action to instantly find and execute it without navigating menus manually. Together these elements create a workflow that many power users genuinely miss from the Ubuntu 12.04–16.04 era.
Ubuntu Foundation
Underneath the Unity shell lies a standard Ubuntu base, which means Ubuntu Unity benefits from all the stability, security, and vast software ecosystem that Ubuntu provides. APT and Snap package management give users access to tens of thousands of applications. PPA support makes it easy to install third-party software, and the Ubuntu package archives ensure up-to-date kernel and driver support for a wide range of hardware. LTS releases provide 5 years of security updates, making Ubuntu Unity a viable long-term option for both desktops and light workstations.
Performance and Resource Usage
Unity 7 is built on Compiz and Nux, which means it uses hardware acceleration but is generally lighter than a full GNOME Shell experience. On modern hardware, Ubuntu Unity runs smoothly with 2 GB of RAM at minimum, though 4 GB is recommended for comfortable multitasking. The desktop's compositing effects — window animations, the Expo workspace view, and the Scale plugin for window overview — are polished and satisfying without feeling bloated. On mid-range hardware from 2015 onwards, performance is excellent.
Software and Ecosystem
Ubuntu Unity ships with a carefully curated set of default applications: the Nemo file manager, Firefox as the default browser, LibreOffice for productivity, and Thunderbird for email. The Ubuntu Software Center (now using GNOME Software with Snap support) provides a graphical way to discover and install applications. The distro does not include proprietary multimedia codecs by default, but the installer offers an option to install them during setup — a standard Ubuntu feature.
Community and Development
Despite being a relatively young official flavor, Ubuntu Unity has a dedicated and enthusiastic community. The project is actively maintained, with regular updates bringing Unity improvements, bug fixes, and compatibility patches for newer Ubuntu bases. The team has done impressive work keeping Unity 7 alive and relevant on modern systems, including Wayland compatibility efforts and HiDPI improvements that were never officially addressed before Unity's abandonment.
Who Should Use It?
Ubuntu Unity is ideal for users who fondly remember the Unity desktop from Ubuntu's 12.04–16.04 era, or anyone who appreciates a highly organized, launcher-based desktop paradigm. It's also a solid choice for new Linux users coming from macOS, as the left-side dock and global menu feel immediately familiar. IT professionals and productivity-focused users will appreciate the HUD and efficient screen real estate utilization.