Infinite Script

Configure Unity Workspace Layout in Ubuntu

Note: This post describes Unity 7 and Compiz, Ubuntu’s default desktop through Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. Canonical ended its work on Unity in 2017, and the default switched to GNOME Shell starting with Ubuntu 17.10 — where workspaces are configured differently and compizconfig-settings-manager no longer applies. The steps below are kept as a historical walkthrough; they still work on the community-maintained Ubuntu Unity flavor. Why change the layout? Every time I upgrade to a new Ubuntu release, the desktop defaults to a 2×2 workspace grid.