gnome3 – why not? :)
installing ubuntu gnome and broke it in less than 24 hours.
I really need to find a way to transfer home and all config data without breakage – or better: what not to transfer…

– do not install encrypted home – let’s do that later

I have tried getting my home directory encrypted, following these two articles:

http://www.linux-mag.com/cache/7568/1.html
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/EncryptedHomeFolder

– Logout from the graphic interface

– Login with Alt+Ctl+F1 to get a terminal with the minimum open files.

– Create a new admin user:
sudo adduser –ingroup admin deleteme

– Exit, log back in with ‘deleteme’

– Get the old home out of the way:
sudo mv /home/user /home/olduser

– Rename the old user
sudo usermod –home /home/olduser –login olduser user

– Create the new encrypted user
sudo adduser –home /home/user –ingroup admin –encrypt-home user

– Exit, then login with the new user and copy all the files
sudo rsync -a /home/olduser /home/user

– Make these files your own
cd /home
sudo chown -R user user

– Logout, then login with the user, make sure everything works. After a couple of days without a problems, clean up:

sudo deluser –remove-all-files deleteme
sudo deluser –remove-all-files olduser

after installation: this needs to be done:
– check encrypted home (see above)
– install programs
– check locale (adjust if needed – .bashrc)

https://launchpad.net/~danielrichter2007/+archive/ubuntu/grub-customizer