How to Install Unity Desktop on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04

Ubuntu can run Unity 7 alongside the default GNOME desktop. Installing ubuntu-unity-desktop adds Unity as an X11 session on the login screen, so you can choose either desktop when you sign in. This is the Linux desktop environment, not the Unity game engine or Unity Hub.

The package comes from Ubuntu’s universe component and installs LightDM, Unity Greeter, Compiz, and the rest of the Unity desktop. Check APT’s summary before confirming: on Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04, the transaction can replace PipeWire audio packages with PulseAudio.

Ubuntu release	Installation note	What changes
26.04 LTS	Install ubuntu-unity-desktop from Universe	Adds LightDM; APT can replace pipewire-audio and pipewire-alsa with PulseAudio
24.04 LTS	Install ubuntu-unity-desktop from Universe	Adds LightDM; APT can replace pipewire-audio and pipewire-alsa with PulseAudio
22.04 LTS	Install dbus-x11 first, then the Unity metapackage	Adds LightDM; GNOME remains available as a fallback

Install Unity Desktop on Ubuntu

Install Unity from Ubuntu’s Repository

Unity is available from Ubuntu’s universe component, so no third-party repository is needed.

Refresh the Ubuntu Package Index

Refresh APT’s package index before checking the Unity candidate. The package-management commands use sudo; if your account cannot run administrative commands, add a user to sudoers on Ubuntu before continuing.

sudo apt update

Confirm that APT can see the package before starting the large desktop transaction:

apt-cache policy ubuntu-unity-desktop

The version varies by Ubuntu release, but the output should contain a version after Candidate:. If it says Candidate: (none), install the repository-management helper, enable Ubuntu’s Universe component, refresh APT, and repeat the check:

sudo apt install software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository --yes universe
sudo apt update
apt-cache policy ubuntu-unity-desktop

The Ubuntu Universe repository guide explains the component layout and additional verification options.

Install dbus-x11 on Ubuntu 22.04 Only

Install dbus-x11 first on Ubuntu 22.04; Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 do not need this separate prerequisite. If you are unsure which release is installed, check your Ubuntu version first.

sudo apt install dbus-x11

Install the Unity Desktop Metapackage

Install the standard metapackage so APT includes Unity’s recommended session and desktop integration packages:

sudo apt install ubuntu-unity-desktop

Avoid adding --no-install-recommends. Omitting recommended desktop components can leave Unity unable to maintain a usable login session. Also avoid --install-suggests, which can expand this desktop install into thousands of unrelated packages. Use the standard command above.

On Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04, inspect the REMOVED section before answering the APT prompt. If it lists pipewire-audio and pipewire-alsa, Unity is switching the desktop audio stack to PulseAudio. Enter n to cancel if you do not accept that change.

Select LightDM as the Display Manager

During installation, Ubuntu may ask which display manager should control the graphical login screen. Select lightdm to activate Unity Greeter as the login manager. You still choose the Unity session after reboot, and GNOME’s gdm3 remains installed so you can switch back later.

Use the arrow keys to highlight lightdm, press Tab to move to OK, and press Enter. Reboot when APT finishes so the new login manager and session are loaded:

sudo reboot

Log In to the Unity Session

At the LightDM login screen, open the session selector near the username or password field and choose Unity before signing in. LightDM remembers that choice for the next login, but GNOME remains available from the same selector.

Unity places its launcher along the left edge and the panel across the top. Tap the Super key to open the Dash and search installed applications and local files, or press and hold Super to display Unity’s keyboard shortcuts.

Unity Desktop Across Ubuntu Releases

Unity looks almost identical on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, and 22.04. In each release, holding Super opens the Keyboard Shortcuts overlay while leaving the launcher and top panel visible. Most differences come from the wallpaper, launcher icons, and panel indicators.

Verify the Unity Desktop Session

Confirm the Session Identity

Open a terminal inside Unity and check both the desktop identifier and session type:

echo "$XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP"
echo "$XDG_SESSION_TYPE"

A Unity 7 X11 login returns:

Unity:Unity7:ubuntu
x11

Confirm Unity and LightDM Services

Confirm that the Unity shell’s user service and the system display manager are active:

systemctl --user is-active unity7.service
systemctl is-active display-manager
systemctl show display-manager --property=Id --value

The first two commands should print active, and the last command should print lightdm.service. Learn how to interpret service states with systemctl if either result differs.

Switch Between Unity and GNOME

Log out, select Ubuntu or another GNOME session at LightDM, and sign in to return to GNOME. Use the same selector to choose Unity again. Both desktops use the same home directory, so files, installed applications, and some settings are shared rather than isolated between sessions.

Change the Default Display Manager

Open Ubuntu’s display-manager selector to switch between LightDM and GDM3:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm

Choose lightdm for Unity Greeter or gdm3 for GNOME’s login screen, then reboot. Do not force-enable one service over the other; the package configuration step updates Ubuntu’s display-manager selection consistently.

sudo reboot

After rebooting, compare the configured path with the active systemd unit:

cat /etc/X11/default-display-manager
systemctl show display-manager --property=Id --value

Troubleshoot Unity Desktop

APT Cannot Locate ubuntu-unity-desktop

Check the package candidate again if APT reports Unable to locate package ubuntu-unity-desktop:

apt-cache policy ubuntu-unity-desktop

No package candidate. A missing candidate normally means the universe component is disabled or the package index is stale. Enable the component as described in the installation section, run sudo apt update, and retry the standard installation command.

Unity Is Missing from the Login Screen

Ask dpkg which package owns Unity’s X11 session file:

dpkg-query -S /usr/share/xsessions/unity.desktop

Session file check. A complete session installation returns unity-session as the owner. If dpkg reports that no path matches, reinstall that package and reboot:

sudo apt install --reinstall unity-session
sudo reboot

Unity Shows a Black Screen or Returns to Login

Why this happens. Unity 7 uses X11 and Compiz. Its packages can install successfully even when the graphical session cannot draw correctly, particularly with virtual graphics. Keep GNOME available until Unity renders and remains logged in on your hardware.

Collect the Session State

Press Ctrl+Alt+F3 to open a text console, sign in, and collect the package, display-manager, and Unity service states:

sudo apt-get check
journalctl -b -u display-manager --no-pager | tail -n 50
systemctl --user status unity7.service --no-pager

Read the Result

• Package error. Resolve the APT or dpkg problem before retrying Unity.
• VM or Compiz graphics. Use the journalctl command examples if you need more of the current boot log, then enable supported 3D acceleration and install the appropriate guest integration tools. For VMware, install Open VM Tools on Ubuntu.
• NVIDIA graphics. Install NVIDIA drivers on Ubuntu or compare the installed driver state before retrying Unity.

Safe fallback. If Unity still returns to the greeter or stays black, select GNOME at login rather than repeatedly restarting a broken session.

The Wrong Display Manager Starts

Compare Ubuntu’s configured display-manager path with the active systemd unit:

cat /etc/X11/default-display-manager
systemctl is-active display-manager
systemctl show display-manager --property=Id --value

Display manager mismatch. If the configured path and active unit do not name the display manager you selected, run sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm again, choose the intended option, and reboot. Avoid manually forcing both GDM3 and LightDM because only one should own the graphical login.

Update Unity Desktop

Unity packages installed from Ubuntu’s repositories update through the normal APT workflow. Review the transaction summary before confirming desktop or audio package changes:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Remove Unity Desktop from Ubuntu

This rollback assumes you added Unity to an existing Ubuntu GNOME desktop and that GDM3 was present beforehand. Do not use it unchanged on the Ubuntu Unity flavor or on a system where Unity is the only working desktop.

Return to GDM3 and GNOME First

Open the display-manager selector, choose gdm3, and reboot before removing Unity or LightDM:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm
sudo reboot

At GDM3, choose an Ubuntu GNOME session and sign in. Confirm that GNOME and GDM3 are active before continuing:

echo "$XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP"
systemctl show display-manager --property=Id --value

The desktop value should identify GNOME or Ubuntu, and the display-manager unit should be gdm.service.

Remove the Unity Packages

Remove the Unity metapackage, shell, session, and greeter:

sudo apt remove ubuntu-unity-desktop unity unity-session unity-greeter

If the Unity installation introduced LightDM and no other installed desktop uses it, remove LightDM and its GTK greeter separately:

sudo apt remove lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter

On Ubuntu 22.04 only, remove dbus-x11 if you installed it solely for Unity and no other application needs it:

sudo apt remove dbus-x11

Restore PipeWire on Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04

If the Unity installation removed pipewire-audio and pipewire-alsa, reinstall them after removing Unity. APT resolves the conflicting PulseAudio packages during this transaction:

sudo apt install pipewire-audio pipewire-alsa

Preview Remaining Package Cleanup

Simulate APT’s orphan cleanup and inspect every proposed removal:

sudo apt -s autoremove

The preview can include packages that were already orphaned before Unity was installed. Do not rerun this command without -s unless every listed removal is expected and you have confirmed that no other desktop, driver, or application needs those packages.

Finish the package cleanup, then reboot so the restored display manager and audio session start cleanly:

sudo apt-get check
sudo reboot

After signing back into GNOME, confirm that Unity’s session file is gone and GDM3 controls the active display manager:

test ! -e /usr/share/xsessions/unity.desktop && echo "Unity session removed"
systemctl is-active display-manager
systemctl show display-manager --property=Id --value

On Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04, if you restored PipeWire during removal, verify both user services:

systemctl --user is-active pipewire.service pipewire-pulse.service

Conclusion

Unity is now available as an X11 session from the login screen, with GNOME still available from the same selector. Keep the LightDM and audio-stack changes in mind if you later remove Unity. If Unity is not the right fit, you can also install KDE Plasma on Ubuntu, install XFCE on Ubuntu, or install GNOME Flashback on Ubuntu.