Here is a guide to modify GNOME fallback to something that looks like GNOME 2. First you need to install the GNOME Classic (Fallback) session, when installed you need to add a PPA and install the Ubuntu indicators and make GNOME Classic work with compiz. When done you can login the GNOME Classic session and enjoy a GNOME 2-ish desktop.
To make the changes you need to have the ‘GNOME Classic (No Effects)’ session installed. To install the GNOME classic package open a terminal window (press Ctrl+Alt+T) and copy+paste the following line:
sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
When installed log out and select the GNOME Classic (No Effects ) session and log back in.
Change the top panel background.
To change the top panel background press Alt and click with your right mouse button on the top panel and select Properties -> background. Then open the following folders usr -> share -> themes -> Ambiance -> gtk-2.0 -> img and select panel.png.
Install the Ubuntu indicators.
You can install the Ubuntu indicators using the Jason Conti PPA for the Ubuntu indicator applet. To add the PPA and install the Ubuntu indicator applet open a terminal window (press Ctrl+Alt+T) and copy+paste the follwoing lines:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jconti/gnome3
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install indicator-applet-complete
When the installation is finished you can close the terminal window
Before adding the indicator applet you need to remove the existing indicator applet. To remove it press Alt and click with your right mouse button on the left border and select Remove From Panel.
To add the Ubuntu indicator applet to the top panel press Alt and click with your right mouse button the panel and select Add Applets. Double click the Indicator Applet Complete and the indicator applet will be added to the top panel.
Add the Ubuntu logo to the left side of the top panel.
To add the Ubuntu logo to the panel open a terminal window and copy+paste the following line:
gksu gedit /usr/share/themes/Ambiance/gtk-3.0/apps/gnome-panel.css
When the gnome-panel.css file is open press Ctrl+F and search for:
PanelMenuBar.menubar.menuitem
And add the following at the bottom of the PanelMenuBar.menubar.menuitem section:
-PanelMenuBar-icon-visible: true;
When done save and close the file.
Enable Compiz
Now you all you need to do is to enable Compiz, to do this open a terminal window and copy+paste the following line:
gksu gedit /usr/share/gnome-session/sessions/gnome-classic.session
Now search for the line:
RequiredProviders=windowmanager;notifications;
And change it into:
RequiredProviders=windowmanager;
When done you can save and close the file.
After this step you are finished and now you can logout and select the GNOME Classic session and log back in. If all went well you can now enjoy a GNOME 2-ish desktop. If you want to add other applets to the top panel you need to log into the GNOME Classic (No Effects) session.
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