There go my hopes that someone would enshrine a sensible scheme for keyboard shortcuts. On new GNOME installs, I remap shortcut modifiers to
Super for actions that operate on the window. This is actually pretty straightforward since most of the default shortcuts can just be adjusted so replace Alt with Super, e.g., Super+Space to invoke the window menu, Super+F4 to close the window, Super+click-and-drag to move the window from anywhere on the window, Super+Tab to tab through windows. It also helps to dealing with this mentally when you realize that Super maps to the Windows key for most keyboards.
To pull the perspective back, Super+Alt is used for actions with a scope wider than one concerned with the current window, like desktop stuff. Super+Alt+Left/+Right for switching desktops, Super+Alt+F2 for bringing up the Run dialog, Super+Alt+T for opening a terminal, Super+Alt+F1 for GNOME menu, etc.
This has the added benefit of freeing up any combination of Ctrl and Alt to be used by applications. This can actually be a big problem, otherwise; I've run across many applications that assume Alt+Function key shortcuts, which cannot be used since they're bound to some global action in default Ubuntu (GNOME?) installs.
That's great to hear, I had just assumed Compiz wouldn't be available on Unity. I don't think I could live without Compiz Grid and Compiz Negative.
Edit: I see Unity is actually built with Compiz. Somehow I missed that on the Ubuntu Unity website way back when I started reading about it to evaluate it.
[1]: http://www.theopensourcerer.com/2011/04/21/ubuntu-natty-in-v...
I only had to install the guest extensions to get 3D acceleration and Unity to work.
To do this, open Synaptic, go to Settings -> Repositories, and in the Other Software tab click Add and paste this line:
ppa:canonical-dx-team/une
So while it seems like a good development in the abstract, it's hard for me to get excited about it personally.
I'll stick with WMII though as it never gets in my way.
Because the default desktop setup sucks.
But not anymore.
Unity makes things gnome-do and docky obsolete.
And please don't compare it to hacker-centric window managers.
My workflow adapted to some of the additions in Unity so quickly that it was absurd. At this point I could never go back to something without Super+#, Super+w, Super+s and the other keybindings found here: http://askubuntu.com/questions/28086/unity-keyboard-mouse-sh...
Just be sure to install compizconfigSettingsManager from the software center and you can tweak Unity to some degree.
Just an FYI, what I tend to dev on is Ruby/Rails, Python, Javascript (Node/etc), some Erlang (not as much anymore) and Android dev. This system is so freakin' fantastic for all of those...really quite happy.