Ubuntu 11.10 does not come with the classic desktop environment and users can only login to either Unity 2D or 3D with the additional option to install Gnome 3 from Ubuntu repositories.

The scrapping of the classic start menu in Ubuntu 11.10 was rumored earlier long before the Alpha release of Oneiric. After the initial version releases it became evident that the Classic Start menu was no longer a default option. This has put Ubuntu users in the same dilemma as the Windows users who were quite annoyed when Microsoft scrapped the Classic Start menu in Windows 7. However, despite the recent Ubuntu 11.10 change it is still possible to get the classic start menu in Ubuntu 11.10. In this post I will tell you the procedure to get back the classic start menu in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot.

To get back the classic start open a Terminal window and enter the following command:

sudo apt-get install gnome-panel

Once installed, log out, click on the gear icon from the Ubuntu logon screen, select Gnome Classic and log back in.

This will give you the Classic Start menu in Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot. If you login with the Classic Session, the Unity Launcher will not be present and almost all of the Classic Session options will appear as they did in earlier Ubuntu versions.

Here is a screenshot of how your desktop will look like with the classic desktop environment in Ubuntu 11.10.

If you would like to find out about the new features of Ubuntu 11.10, then check out my post: New Features Of Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot [Review, Screenshots, Video].

In case you would like to install Gnome 3 in Ubuntu 11.10, you can do so by following the procedure mentioned in this post: How To Install Gnome 3 And Classic Gnome 2 In Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot.