Ubuntu – How to switch the current session between Unity, Unity 2D, and Gnome

I use a script to switch between Metacity and Unity and another to reload unity when I need to.

A probable solution would involve:

#!/bin/sh

#stop Compiz and thus Unity.

killall compiz &

#make sure to kill any conflicting processes (just in case, but this is optional).

killall metacity &

#This does not always exit cleanly, so kill it with fire for surety that it is dead.
killall unity-panel-service &

#load Unity 2D.

metacity --replace&
unity-2d-shell &
unity-2d-panel &
disown

^-- to load Unity 2D, and:

#!/bin/sh
killall unity-2d-panel &
killall unity-2d-shell &
killall unity-2d-spread &
killall metacity &
unity &
disown

^-- to load Unity 3D

You could save them as scripts in your ~/bin folder, for example as unity2dloader and unity3dloader respectively, and then simply run them from the run dialogue (alt+f2).

You could also place them in your nautilus scripts folder, and run them from the Desktop by right clicking on the Desktop, choosing the scripts menu and then the appropriate script.

Press Alt+F2, and

• to run unity, execute unity --replace
• to run gnome-shell, execute gnome-shell --replace