The Unity Desktop Environment offers a distinctive user experience originally developed by Canonical for Ubuntu. With its signature features like the Dash, HUD (Head-Up Display), and globally integrated menu, Unity provides an efficient workflow for users who prefer a streamlined, vertically-oriented launcher and unified search experience. While Ubuntu has since transitioned to GNOME as its default, Unity remains actively maintained and popular among users who appreciate its focused design philosophy.
This guide walks you through installing Unity alongside the default GNOME Desktop Environment using Ubuntu’s default repositories. By the end, you will have both desktop environments available on your system, allowing you to switch between Unity and GNOME at the login screen depending on your preference. The installation process takes approximately 10-30 minutes depending on your chosen option and internet speed.
These steps cover Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 26.04 LTS. The Unity package is available in Ubuntu’s default repositories across all supported LTS releases, and commands work identically on each version unless noted otherwise.
Choose Your Unity Installation Option
Unity offers three installation profiles to accommodate different system requirements and user preferences. Before proceeding, review the options below to select the one that best fits your needs.
| Option | Package Command | Download Size | Disk Space | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (Recommended) | ubuntu-unity-desktop | ~250-300 MB | ~1.6-1.7 GB | Most users who want a complete, functional Unity experience |
| Minimal | ubuntu-unity-desktop --no-install-recommends | ~80-100 MB | ~280-300 MB | Testing, older hardware, or minimal setups |
| Complete | ubuntu-unity-desktop --install-suggests | ~3 GB | ~16 GB | Users who want every possible application and feature |
For most users, the Standard installation is recommended because it provides a balanced mix of applications and features without excessive bloat. The Minimal option works well for testing or resource-constrained systems, while the Complete option installs many applications you may never use, including database servers and audio processing tools.
Install Unity Desktop via Terminal
Update Ubuntu Before Installation
Before installing any new packages, update your package index and upgrade existing packages to ensure compatibility with the latest versions. This step prevents dependency conflicts and ensures you receive the most recent Unity release available in your repositories.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgradeInstall Required Dependencies (Ubuntu 22.04 Only)
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS requires one additional package for Unity to function correctly at login. This step is only necessary for Ubuntu 22.04 users because Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04 include this dependency automatically.
sudo apt install dbus-x11If you are running Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04 LTS, skip this step. The
dbus-x11package is included as a dependency of the Unity desktop package on these versions and will be installed automatically.
Option 1: Install Unity Desktop (Standard)
The standard installation provides the recommended Unity experience with all commonly used applications and features. This option balances functionality with reasonable disk usage and is suitable for daily use.
sudo apt install ubuntu-unity-desktopDuring installation, APT downloads approximately 250-300 MB of packages and requires around 1.6-1.7 GB of disk space. The process typically takes 5-15 minutes depending on your internet connection and system speed.
Option 2: Install Unity Desktop (Minimal)
The minimal installation includes only the essential components needed to run Unity. This option works well for testing the desktop environment, running on older hardware, or when disk space is limited.
sudo apt install ubuntu-unity-desktop --no-install-recommendsThe --no-install-recommends flag instructs APT to skip optional packages that are suggested but not required for basic functionality. As a result, you may need to install additional applications manually if you find certain features missing.
Option 3: Install Unity Desktop (Complete)
The complete installation includes every package suggested by the Unity metapackage, resulting in a maximally-featured system. However, this option installs many applications that most users will never need.
sudo apt install ubuntu-unity-desktop --install-suggestsThe complete installation requires approximately 3 GB of downloads and 16 GB of disk space. It includes applications like Firebird database server and jackd2 audio server that are unnecessary for typical desktop use. Consider the Standard installation instead and install specific applications as needed.
Select Your Display Manager
During installation, a prompt appears asking you to choose a default display manager. The display manager controls the graphical login screen and manages user session startup. You will see two options: lightdm and gdm3.
Select lightdm for the best Unity experience. LightDM is the display manager designed to work with Unity and provides the Unity Greeter login screen. If you select gdm3 instead, you will see the GNOME login screen but can still log into Unity sessions.
Use the arrow keys to highlight your choice, then press Tab to select OK and Enter to confirm. If you miss this prompt or want to change your selection later, see the “Switching Display Managers” section below.
Reboot to Complete Installation
After the installation completes, reboot your system to activate the new display manager and make Unity available as a session option.
sudo rebootLog In to Unity Desktop
After your system restarts, you will arrive at the login screen. Before entering your password, you need to select the Unity session. Look for a small gear or session icon near the password field or in the corner of the login screen.
Click the session selector and choose Unity from the available options. Your selection will be remembered for future logins, so you only need to do this once unless you want to switch back to GNOME.
Once logged in, you will see the distinctive Unity interface with its vertical launcher on the left side of the screen. The Dash (activated by pressing the Super key or clicking the Ubuntu logo) provides unified search across applications, files, and online sources.
Verify Unity Installation
After logging into Unity, verify that the desktop environment is running correctly by checking the current session type. Open a terminal (press Ctrl+Alt+T or search for “Terminal” in the Dash) and run the following command.
echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOPThis command displays the name of your current desktop environment. If Unity is running correctly, you should see the following output.
Unity
You can also verify which display manager is active by checking the systemd service status.
systemctl status display-managerIf you selected lightdm during installation, you should see output similar to:
● lightdm.service - Light Display Manager
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/lightdm.service; indirect; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Sun 2025-12-29 10:30:00 UTC; 5min ago
Manage Desktop Environments
Switch Between Unity and GNOME
Both Unity and GNOME remain available on your system after installation. To switch between them, log out of your current session (click your username in the top-right corner and select “Log Out”), then select a different session from the login screen before entering your password.
This approach allows you to try both environments and decide which one suits your workflow without making permanent changes. Each session remembers its own settings independently.
Switch Display Managers
If you want to change your default display manager (for example, to switch from LightDM back to GDM3 to see the GNOME login screen), use the dpkg-reconfigure command. This reopens the display manager selection prompt you saw during installation.
sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3Use the arrow keys to select your preferred display manager, then press Tab and Enter to confirm. After changing the display manager, reboot your system for the change to take effect.
sudo rebootYour choice of display manager only affects the login screen appearance. Both LightDM and GDM3 can launch either Unity or GNOME sessions, so you can use whichever login screen you prefer.
Troubleshooting Unity Installation
Unity Session Not Appearing at Login
If you do not see Unity as a session option at the login screen, ensure the installation completed successfully by verifying that the Unity session file exists.
ls /usr/share/xsessions/ | grep -i unityA successful installation displays session files such as:
unity.desktop
Should no files appear, the installation may have failed. Try reinstalling the package.
sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-unity-desktopBlack Screen or Login Loop
If you experience a black screen or login loop when trying to start Unity, the issue often relates to graphics drivers or missing dependencies. First, switch to a TTY console by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F3, log in with your username and password, and check for missing packages.
sudo apt install --fix-broken
sudo apt install dbus-x11 unity-sessionIf the problem persists, check the Xorg log for errors.
cat ~/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log | grep -i errorGraphics driver issues often cause login failures. If you see errors related to your graphics card, ensure you have the appropriate drivers installed. For NVIDIA systems, see our NVIDIA driver installation guide on Ubuntu for detailed instructions.
Display Manager Configuration Issues
If the display manager prompt did not appear during installation or you cannot reconfigure it, you can manually set the default display manager by editing the configuration file.
sudo nano /etc/X11/default-display-managerSet the content to /usr/sbin/lightdm for LightDM or /usr/sbin/gdm3 for GDM3, then save and reboot.
Remove Unity Desktop Environment
If you decide to remove Unity from your system, you can uninstall it while preserving your GNOME installation. First, switch your display manager back to GDM3 and log into a GNOME session before removing Unity.
sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3Select gdm3, reboot, and log into a GNOME session. Then remove the Unity packages.
sudo apt remove ubuntu-unity-desktop unity unity-session unity-greeter lightdmAfter removing the main packages, clean up any orphaned dependencies that were installed alongside Unity but are no longer needed.
sudo apt autoremoveThis command removes packages that were automatically installed to satisfy Unity’s dependencies but are no longer required by any other installed package.
Reinstall GNOME Desktop (If Needed)
In some cases, removing Unity may also remove packages shared with GNOME. If your GNOME session is missing features after removing Unity, reinstall the GNOME desktop package to restore full functionality.
sudo apt install ubuntu-desktopNext, ensure GDM3 is enabled and running as your display manager.
sudo systemctl enable gdm3 --nowAfter completing these steps, reboot to apply all changes and return to your standard GNOME experience.
sudo rebootConclusion
You now have the Unity Desktop Environment installed alongside GNOME on your Ubuntu system. The vertical launcher, integrated Dash search, and global menu provide a focused workflow that many users find more efficient than GNOME’s horizontal approach. You can switch between environments at the login screen whenever you want, keeping both options available without conflicts. If you enjoy exploring alternative desktops, consider trying KDE Plasma on Ubuntu for a feature-rich experience, XFCE on Ubuntu for a lightweight option, or GNOME Flashback on Ubuntu for a classic interface.