Start Menu for Ubuntu

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This guide explains how to get Linux mint like start menu on Ubuntu.

ubuntu system panel, Start menu for ubuntu, linux mint

Ubuntu System Panel

This application is just a gnome panel applet pretending like improved version of windows start menu. So lets get started.

Installation

Ubuntu System Panel is not included in repositories but fortunately its simple to install. First checkout source code.

svn checkout http://ubuntu-system-panel.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/ ubuntu-system-panel

Execute following command to install it. For that first go into the directory ubuntu-system-panel and execute following command.

./usp_update install fresh

Execute following command to reload gnome-panel. 

killall -9 gnome-panel

Now right click on any ubuntu panel and add "Ubuntu System Panel" applet.

Comments

Unknown said…
It says something like 'no file or directory' when it comes to entering the second command.

I really want to get this working as I like it, but don't want to have to use Linux Mint or OpenSUSE etc to use something like it.

Thanks in advance,

Lee
August 19, 2008 at 7:20 PM
groggyboy said…
pablo said: "It looks too much like mintMenu, is it a derivated work?"

actually, pablo, it's the other way around. USP existed before LinuxMint ever formed. mintMenu is a forked project of Ubuntu System Panel.
August 19, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Vamsee said…
@Leo,

After doing svn checkout you will see a new directory called "ubuntu-system-panel" and execute the command you have trouble with.

Hope it helps.
August 19, 2008 at 9:20 PM
Unknown said…
Hmmm, still can't manage to get it to work. I executed the usp_update, it said everything is up to date, yet I still don't see the menu in the applets window.

I've only been using Linux since February so I'm still not good with things like this -_-

Lee
August 19, 2008 at 9:52 PM
Anonymous said…
The Windows 'Start' menu is one of the most brilliant Windows usability failures, imho. I don't see this taking off in Ubuntu too far save for people who got too used to it.
August 19, 2008 at 10:40 PM
Vamsee said…
@Lee,

You have to either kill gnome-panel process or logout and login again. Then you should be able to see it in applet list.
August 19, 2008 at 11:01 PM
Unknown said…
Hmmm, I've restarted and nothing is there. Oh well -_-
August 19, 2008 at 11:50 PM
Unknown said…
Instead of doing that, you might aswell do this:

sudo apt-get install gnome-main-menu
sudo apt-get install beagle



Lee Jarratt
August 20, 2008 at 2:14 AM
Anonymous said…
how do i remove it? it nearly broke my ubuntu 9.10:| first of all it gives an eror and after i rebooted my monitor wasn't turning on:|
February 3, 2010 at 3:45 AM
Thomas Mc. said…
When I was using Ubuntu I tried USP. I like it, a lot, but it was too unstable to actually keep on my system.

When I tried Linux Mint, I was pleasantly surprised to find they had adopted USP, removed its buggy parts, and made it the default menu of the system. That was a MAJOR plus, and one of the reasons I've switched to Linux Mint.
February 12, 2010 at 3:13 AM
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