From last couple of months I am using UBUNTU 11.04 RC release. I am not die hard fan of GNOME but from the start of my Linux usage I am using GNOME over KDE. Now UBUNTU’s default desktop environment would be Unity, so I tried to make myself comfortable to this change and using unity from couple of months.
But I still found, I am more comfortable with GNOME rather than UNITY. I am writing this post for those who still want to use GNOME in UBUNTU 11.04.
For switching to the GNOME desktop environment you don’t need to install any extra package. You just need to select Ubuntu Classic Desktop while logging into UBUNTU 11.04 desktop. See the screen shot for better understanding.
My name is Vidyadhar Sarmalkar & I work as a consultant and have done RHCE & CCNA. 
Too bad this screen shot doesn’t represent what actually installs.
Care to click on the screen shot. It is a thumbnail of screen shot
Bro,
I don’t get that bottom bar at all !
I installed the Beta version last night which looked like the normal 10.10 so i went to update manger and refreshed to find that there are more updates. I installed them and now its all screwed up !
1. I dont get the menu at the bottom of the screen like shown on your screenshot.
2. If I log in the side bar/ the whole desktop is overlayed with black patches and it occasionally shows the desktop when i move my mouse. I know that the side bar is there and when i click on it I can see programmes getting launched, but I cannot see anything on the bar as such.
The bottom bar appears after you selects the user name in your login screen
In the Alternative Installer I just downloaded, GNOME Desktop Environment is not installed – this had to be installed from the Ubuntu Software Center.
This would be great… looks easy enough except that I do not even have this pull-down (or, should I say, “pull-up”) menu where you are supposed to select “Ubuntu Classic Desktop”. Any idea why that would be and how to overcome that?
Thanks.
Boris.
OK, I figured it out – you first select a username, then get the menu.
Thanks.
Boris.
I think you should mention in the original post that you have to enter the user name before the selection menu is available. Once I got that, it worked just fine. Thanks!
thanks for posting this. i installed 11.04 last night and while unity looks like it would be ideal for a smart phone, i’d really rather use GNOME. this looks pretty simple.
i’ve heard that ubuntu is going to ditch GNOME altogether in a future release. hopefully mint will have drivers for my dell inspiron 15r by then.
there is another way to make this environment default.
http://kumarvimal.in/blog/ubuntu-11-04-unity-to-classic-desktop-environment-in-3-steps/