GNOME Shell vs. Ubuntu Unity: Which desktop wins?(GNOME VS Unity,谁是linux桌面之王)

本文翻译于：http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/opensource/gnome-shell-vs-ubuntu-unity-which-desktop-wins/2291  （英文版权归原作者所有, 部分中文翻译来自译言网）

     Takeaway: The war is almost on: GNOME Shell vs. Ubuntu Unity. Both have been available long enough to draw the conclusion as to which will rise above and find success. Jack Wallen offers up his take on the battle.  

      linux下两大桌面gnome与unify大战一触即发，两个桌面系统可能出于长期的对持状态，都有可能取得最后的胜利，Jack Wallen（一个著名的专栏作者，其专栏评注已经有超过12年的工作经历，其主要贡献在liunx操作系统，不管是在开源社区还是非开源社区都具有很大的影响力）为你描绘这种未来的情况。

     Both GNOME Shell and Ubuntu Unity are looming on the horizon. Both of these desktop replacements will incite a lot of reactions from users — some good, some bad.But when it all boils down, one of these two takes on the desktop will rise above the other. Which one? I’m going to compare the two and offer up a conclusion on the future of both GNOME Shell and Ubuntu Unity.

      不管是gnome还是unify目前都处于冉冉升起的阶段，两个可以互相代替的桌面系统将会引起巨大的争论，不管是好还是坏，但是当任意一个衰落的同时，也就是说一个稍微占上风的时候，你会选择哪一个？我将把两个桌面系统做一个对比，然后提供给大家一个参考的结果。

   上图为unify的桌面提供截图

上图为 gnome提供的截图

Each of the desktops you see in the images are default (minus the addition of The GIMP for quality screenshots.) The lack of an obvious means to launch applications in GNOME Shell will trip up new users.The Unity advantage pretty much ends there.

上面两张图使用GIMP（linux下的PS的minus插件截的高清图片）对于新用户来说，gnome在应用程序的点击上缺乏明显的指示，unify更加完美一些

Dig a little deeper（进一步比较）

Once you get beyond the surface, a few glaring issues start popping up for Ubuntu Unity. I will highlight the most glaring.

Connect to server（链接服务器）

One of the most handy menu entries in GNOME (for me at least) is the Connect to Server entry in the Places menu. This allows the user to connect to nearly any type of server quickly and easily. The user can even connect to a Windows Share from here. In Unity - you won’t find that. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find any means to connect to a server in Ubuntu Unity. The only way to make any sort of connection in Ubuntu Unity is:

(在 GNOME 中，“位置”菜单里的“连接到服务器”是最好用的菜单项之一（至少对我而言）。通过它，用户可以方便快捷地连接到几乎任意种类的服务器，甚至还可以在这里连接到 Windows 共享。可在 Unity 中，您无论如何也找不到这一功能——事实上，在 Ubuntu 

Open Nautilus from the command line（从命令行的操作来看打开 Nautilus）.

This, however, did not work for me. From GNOME Shell I could effortlessly connect to my shared folders using the Connect to Server wizard. From Ubuntu Unity…no dice. Even though I know Samba is configured correctly and working, Ubuntu Unity simply wouldn’t play along.

Unity 中，仅仅为了寻找一种可以连接到服务器的方式就可以让您忙得不可开交。要想在 Ubuntu Unity 中建立任意种类的连接，唯一的途径是：从命令行打开 Nautilus 文件管理器。

然而，当我真的这样做后，迎接我的却是失败的结果。在 GNOME Shell 中，我可以通过“连接到服务器”向导不费吹灰之力地连接到我的共享目录。至于 Ubuntu Unity……连门都没有。即便我已经正确地配置了 Samba 并且确保了它工作正常，Ubuntu Unity 就是怎么都不愿跟着我的路数走。

Configuring the desktop(桌面的配置方面)

In order to configure the GNOME Shell desktop the user only has to right-click the desktop as they have for years. Ubuntu Unity? No dice. In order to configure desktop with Unity, the user must click Applications | System | Appearance. Most new users aren’t even going to know how to get to Systems from within Applications. And if they do figure it out (it’s not difficult), chances are they won’t know that Appearance configuration is tucked into the System category. Shouldn’t there be a Preferences category? Bad call on Unity’s part.

在 GNOME Shell 中，用户若想设置自己的桌面，只需像多年来业已习惯的那样右键单击桌面便可。Ubuntu Unity 中可否如此呢？还是没门。在 Unity 中，用户要想设置桌面，就必须单击“应用程序”|“系统”|“外观”。大部分的新用户完全没法搞懂“系统”为何偏偏要从“应用程序”里面进去。而就算他们知道了“系统”在那个地方（这并不难做到），他们可能也不会想到外观设置的菜单项竟然会藏在“系统”类别里面。难道就不应该再设立一个“首选项”类别？这对 Unity 一方而言真是个坏消息。

And while we’re at it…both desktops are still using Mutter. I realize that Unity is in major transition from X to Wayland and the rumors have been flip flopping since the announcement as to which compositor it will use. (I just googled it and still find instances where some are saying Mutter and some are saying Compiz.) Regardless of which it uses, just make sure compositing can be customized. That has been one of the best features of Linux desktop - customization!

是时候开始设置桌面了……这两种桌面界面依然在使用 Mutter。据我了解，Unity 方面正在花大量精力准备从 X 转向 Wayland，而自从该决定对外发布以来，有关其将使用何种混成管理器的各种流言便不断涌现。（我刚才上 Google 搜了下有关这方面的信息，结果仍然可以搜到人们纠结究竟是 Mutter 还是 Compiz 的结果。）无论这两种界面使用哪种混成管理器，只要确保用户可以自定义便可。这正是 Linux 桌面最大的特色之一——自由定制！

What? No run dialog?（什么?没有运行对话框）

That’s right. Ubuntu Unity has forsaken the trusty run dialog. I don’t know about you, but that dialog has been my bread and butter for launching applications for a very long time. Why would a desktop designer think removing that tool is anything but a horrible idea? GNOME Shell? Of course, you can have your run dialog!

确实如此——Ubuntu Unity 放弃了可靠的运行对话框。我不清楚您是如何看待它的，但对我而言，这个对话框长期以来一直都是我启动应用程序的根本。真搞不懂怎么就有设计桌面界面的人会认为去掉这个工具不是一个糟糕透顶的想法？那么 GNOME Shell 又是怎样的情况呢？不用我多说，您依然可以在里面调出运行对话框！

What? I can’t change my window manager?（什么？我不能改变我的window管理器？）

This is the case for both desktops. You can not change your window manager. Say you prefer Emerald over the standard window manager…if you’re using either GNOME Shell or Ubuntu Unity, you’re out of luck. One of the draws of the Linux desktop has always been its flexibility. If you’re using either GNOME Shell or Ubuntu Unity, kiss that flexibility goodbye.

其实这两种桌面界面都存在这个问题——您不能换上自己喜欢的窗口管理器。假如您喜欢 Emerald 胜过默认的窗口管理器……那么，不论您使用 GNOME Shell 还是 Ubuntu Unity，您都要失望了。Linux 桌面的灵活性一直是它最吸引人的地方之一，可如果您使用了 GNOME Shell 或 Ubuntu Unity，那就得和这种灵活性说再见了。

Draw a conclusion（得出一个结论）

      Anyone that has read my column long enough knows I have been a big champion of Ubuntu and Canonical for a long time. When Mark Shuttleworth announced that Ubuntu was migrating to Ubuntu Unity I was on his side. I assumed there was good reason for the shift. Well, I’ve had plenty of time to give Unity a try and, to be quite frank, it’s a mistake. Ubuntu Unity simply does not perform or behave up to the standards users have grown to expect from a Linux desktop. My fear is this will actually do more to harm than to help the Linux desktop cause. When new users install Ubuntu 11.04 they will be greeted with a desktop designed for netbooks and will feel cheated.

       如果您一直阅读我的专栏的话，您一定知道我向来都是 Ubuntu 和 Canonical 的铁杆拥护者。当马克·沙特尔沃思（Mark Shuttleworth）宣布 Ubuntu 的界面将改为使用 Ubuntu Unity 时，我当时就站在了他这一边。我很想当然地认为作出这种改变必然有它的道理。可是，当我花了足够的时间试用 Unity 后，我承认，改用 Unity 是一个错误的决策。Ubuntu Unity 的表现和行为完全不符合用户心中不断完善的对 Linux 桌面的判定标准。当一个新用户安装 11.04 的时候，迎接他/她的却是一个专为上网本设计的界面，这时他/她一定会有种被欺骗的感觉。

      As for GNOME Shell…that’s a tougher one. It’s certainly not a step back because it functions so well and offers a lot of really nice “evolutions” to the current state of the desktop. My biggest gripe with GNOME Shell is its lack of flexibility. But GNOME Shell certainly does have a lot more polish and looks worlds more professional (where Unity seems to be convinced looking like a toy is a better take on the desktop.)

　　至于 GNOME Shell……要定夺它的优劣似乎有点难。可以肯定的是，Gnome Shell 的出现绝不是一种倒退，因为它不仅运行顺畅，而且还为现在的桌面界面注入了不少令人振奋的“革新”。GNOME Shell 在灵活性上有所欠缺，这是我对它最不满的一个地方，但 GNOME Shell 确实在细节上处理得更好，看上去也更富有专业精神（而 Unity 则好像执意地认为越是看起来像个玩具就越适合桌面应用）。

      Given the choice between the two, I would choose GNOME Shell any day. Fortunately that is not the only option. We will see plenty of Ubuntu re-spins (a GNOME Shell spin will probably appear right away). In fact, these migrations will probably bring some of the alternative desktops (such as my favorite, Enlightenment) to the fore. And that is probably where I will be heading to full time - Enlightenment. What about you? What is your take on the GNOME Shell vs. Ubuntu Unity battle?

　　如果必须要两者选其一的话，  我无论如何也会选择 GNOME Shell。不过好在这两者并不是唯一的选择，因为到时我们一定会看到众多 Ubuntu 衍生版本的出现（或许不久后就会出现一个使用 GNOME Shell 的衍生版本）。事实上，这些衍生品很可能还会把其他的桌面界面（比如我最喜欢的 Enlightenment）推向前台。针对现在对阵的双方，您的观点如何？您又会怎样看待 GNOME Shell 和 Ubuntu Unity 的这场对决？

目前的投票结果显示，gnome的比例占上风。