How to Fix Ubuntu Unity Application Search

If you are anything like me, you probably freaked out about “zeitgeist” spying on your activities in Ubuntu and you may have attempted to remove it from your system only to find out that Unity depends on it very heavily in order to function properly.  The application search tool breaks down and the shortcuts for “Applications” and “Files & Folders” disappear from the sidebar.  Here is how you go about fixing the problem:

1.  Open the “Ubuntu Software Center” from the Unity sidebar.

2.  Search for “Unity” in the search bar.

3.  In the search results, select the option that says “Interface designed for efficiency of space and interaction”.

4.  Click “More Info”.

5.  Under the section titled “Add-ons”, check the boxes labeled “Application place for unity” and “File place for unity”.

6.  Apply the changes, then log out and log back in.

That should do it!  I got positive feedback about this fix on the Ubuntu forums so I hope it works for you as well.