11.10 impossible to navigate, want to revert to 10.04

You can't downgrade. You must reinstall for have a previous version.

Why not install xfce4, it looks and feels like Gnome2. Gnome2 is dead and gone and if you want to use Gnome then I suggest you get used to the new layout

you do know that you can use the dash search bar to search for any installed application? You can pin any app to the launcher that you use often also.

You have a number of options here

1. Get used to the new layout

2. Backup all your data and reinstall 10.04 LTS. There is no way to downgrade.

3. There is a desktop that is similar to the old one that you can install instead. Its not identical but close enough to feel familiar. If you want to do this have a look at this question

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+question/180077

@warren
the technique given in the link does not work for 11.10. i tried it.

@kmastin
i suggest you re-install 10.04. back up all your data first or you'd lose everything. if you want the new features of 11.10 minus unity, you might want to do what lots of other people have done. install mint linux instead.

@everyone else
i don't think it's a problem of getting use to unity. it just plain sucks dead ponies. it's not intuitive. it's not efficient. it does't provide flexibility. it hides everything so you can't do anything you need to. the use of software center to install apps is slow and tedious. etc, etc, etc.

as was mentioned somewhere, probably in the link warren hill gave, the unity interface is application specific instead of task specific. people work by task, not application. hmmmm...the microshaft office ribbon sucks way less than unity and gnome fallback. and that ribbon sucks big time.