Unity (user interface)
| Unity | |
|---|---|
Unity 7.7, running on Ubuntu 24.04 | |
| Original author(s) | Canonical Ltd. |
| Developer(s) | Unity7, UnityX: Unity7 Maintainers Lomiri (Unity8): UBports |
| Initial release | 9 June 2010 |
| Stable release | 7.7
/ 24 December 2022 |
| Repository | |
| Written in | Unity 2D: C++, JavaScript, QML 2.0–7.4: C, C++, Python, Vala 8: C++ and QML UnityX: Fish |
| Operating system | Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu TV, Ubuntu Touch |
| Type | Graphical shell |
| License | GPL v3, LGPL v3 |
| Website | unityd |
Unity is a graphical shell originally developed by Canonical Ltd. for its Ubuntu operating system. It debuted in 2010 in the netbook edition of Ubuntu 10.10 and was used until Ubuntu 17.10. Since 2017, its development was taken over by the Unity7 Maintainers (Unity7) and UBports (Lomiri, formerly known as Unity8).
Unity7 is the default desktop environment in Ubuntu Unity, an official flavor of Ubuntu since 2022. Ubuntu Unity and Unity7 Maintainers have started working on the successor of Unity7, UnityX.
It was part of the Ayatana project, an initiative with the stated intention of improving the user experience within Ubuntu. It was initially designed to make more efficient use of space given the limited screen size of netbooks, including, for example, a vertical application switcher called the launcher, and a space-saving horizontal multipurpose top menu bar. Unlike GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce, or LXDE, Unity is not a collection of applications. It is designed to use existing programs.