Reviving Ubuntu's Unity Desktop: A Modern Take with Wayfire and Libadwaita
A Glimpse Into an Alternate Ubuntu History
Imagine a world where Canonical never diverted its resources into the ill-fated Ubuntu Touch smartphone project. In that timeline, Unity—Ubuntu’s own desktop environment—would have evolved continuously, perhaps becoming one of the most beloved Linux interfaces today. Reality, however, took a different turn. Canonical shuttered Unity development in 2017, shifting back to GNOME. But the spirit of Unity lives on, thanks to community efforts.
One such effort comes from Muqtxdir, an active contributor to Ubuntu’s Yaru theme and the immutable Vanilla OS distribution. He’s built a fascinating proof-of-concept: a modern Unity-like desktop shell running on Wayfire (a Wayland compositor) and using Libadwaita widgets via the gtk4-layer-shell protocol. The result is a sideways glimpse of what a contemporary Unity could have looked like if Canonical had stayed the course.
The Unity Legacy and Its Community Revival
Unity debuted in 2010 as Ubuntu’s own desktop interface, featuring a top panel with global menu, a dock (the Launcher), and a Dash for searching apps and files. It was innovative but controversial. After Canonical’s smartphone detour ate into cash and goodwill, the company abandoned Unity. The project was picked up as Lomiri by the UBports community, but that focuses on mobile convergence.
Muqtxdir’s project is different: it’s not a fork of the old Unity codebase. Instead, it rebuilds the look and feel using modern components—Wayfire for compositing, Libadwaita for styling, and GTK4 shell layers. This approach means the shell is lightweight, Wayland-native, and integrates with GNOME’s ecosystem of Libadwaita apps.
Technical Ingredients: Wayfire, Libadwaita, and GTK4 Layer Shell
Wayfire: The Compositor Foundation
Wayfire is a modular, extensible Wayland compositor inspired by Compiz. It supports 3D effects, plugins, and custom animations. Muqtxdir’s shell runs as a Wayfire plugin, handling window management, the top panel, and the launcher. Because Wayfire uses wlroots, it’s highly configurable and doesn’t rely on X11.
Libadwaita: Modern GNOME Styling
Libadwaita is the GNOME project’s UI toolkit for GTK4, providing consistent, adaptive widgets. By using Libadwaita for the panel, Dash, and notifications, the Unity clone inherits a polished, rounded look that matches current GNOME apps. This makes the desktop feel cohesive without inheriting GNOME’s own shell.
gtk4-layer-shell: Putting Widgets on the Window Manager Layer
The gtk4-layer-shell library allows GTK4 applications to render as “layer surfaces” (e.g., top panel, background, overlays) rather than regular windows. This is essential for building a desktop shell that sits above all other windows. Muqtxdir uses it to position the panel and the Dash.
Features Shown in the Video
Muqtxdir shared a short video demo (available on his social media) that reveals a functional prototype. Key features include:
- A top panel with an app menu (the current application’s menu bar appears in the panel, classic Unity style).
- A launcher (Dash) that slides out from the left, showing favorite and running apps with search.
- Window controls integrated into the panel – the title bar is merged with the top bar to save vertical space.
- Libadwaita-styled notifications that appear as pop-ups.
- Wayfire effects like smooth window animations and cube workspace switching.
The video demonstrates the shell on Ubuntu 23.10, but the project is distribution-agnostic; it could run on any Linux system with Wayfire and the required libraries.
Roadblocks and Future Possibilities
This is an experiment, not a full desktop environment. Several essential components are missing:
- System settings – no dedicated settings panel yet; users would rely on GNOME Control Center or dconf.
- Indicator applets – the old Unity had system indicators (sound, network, battery); those would need to be recreated using modern APIs.
- Global menu integration – while the panel can show menu bars, many GTK4 apps don’t expose their menus via the D-Bus interface that Unity used. Workarounds (like appmenu-gtk-module) exist but need adjustment.
- HUD (Heads-Up Display) – Unity’s Alt+F2 command launcher is not yet implemented.
Nevertheless, the project proves that the Unity concept is alive and adaptable. Muqtxdir has released the code on GitHub (search for “unity-wayfire”) for curious developers to experiment with.
What This Means for Ubuntu and Linux Desktop
While Canonical has embraced GNOME (with custom extensions like the Ubuntu Dock), there remains a nostalgic contingent that misses Unity’s efficiency. This remake shows that the ideas behind Unity—space efficiency, integrated menus, and a focused launcher—can be implemented on modern foundations like Wayland and Libadwaita.
It also highlights the power of the Linux ecosystem: when a major project abandons a technology, the community can resurrect it in a new form. Muqtxdir’s shell isn’t a replacement for GNOME, KDE, or Budgie, but it’s a creative tribute that could inspire derivative desktop variants or even a future Ubuntu spin.
How to Try It Yourself
If you want to test the Unity remake, you’ll need a system with Wayfire and the required libraries. Muqtxdir has provided installation instructions in his repository. Be warned: it’s alpha-quality and not for daily use. But for the curious, it’s a fun way to experience a “what if” scenario.
As the developer puts it, this is “a sideways glimpse” at an alternate history. It’s also a testament to the enduring appeal of Unity’s design philosophy.