Ubuntu Netbook Edition provides extensive flexibility for netbook users. This pages describes the available desktop sessions. These sessions are available in the GDM login manager.

Ubuntu Netbook Edition

This is the default session for Ubuntu Netbook Edition installations. It uses 3D acceleration to give a smooth and modern looking application launcher. If your netbook hardware is not capable of the 3D acceleration needed for this type of desktop session, the launcher will fall back to a 2D version (see next section)

The default desktop panel in this session provides many useful applets by default but does not allow editing of the panel itself or adding of applets. If you would like to have more flexibility in setting up your panel but keep the Ubuntu Netbook Edition look and feel, see ConvertGnomeSession.

Ubuntu Netbook Edition 2D

This session is for people who either prefer the 2D launcher or do not have a video graphics card capable of 3D acceleration. It is otherwise the same as the default Ubuntu Netbook Edition session.

GNOME

This session is equivalent to the regular Ubuntu desktop session, with a different set of default application. You can still install ubuntu-desktop metapackage to get the full Ubuntu experience. It does not use the netbook application launcher, does not automatically maximize windows, etc.