Change Ubuntu into a Mac.
I hate to say it, but I've always kind-of admired Macs from afar.
When I was using XP, I used a Mac OS theme and liked it. I like the dock (and am glad that Win7 copied/improved it) and I like the chromeness of it all. Don't like Macs though!
When I saw a screenshot of an Ubuntu Mac-like theme, I decided to give it a go. I don't suspect that my PC will slow down with a dock etc running in Linux
Not as simple as installing Stardock and Windows Blinds though... oh no! You didn't think it would, did you?
Using this guide, I followed the instructions and am over the moon with the results.
1.dowload
http://maketecheasier.com/a/Mac4Lin_modified_theme/
http://maketecheasier.com/a/Mac4Lin_Icons_modified/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/mac4...Lin_Wallpapers
http://gnome-look.org/CONTENT/conten...gant_glass.tgz
2.With
Archive Manager extract Modified Mac4Lin theme and Mac4Lin wallpaper to a new folder home/main called “Mac_files“ (no quotations).
3.Go to System->Preferences->Appearance. Select Install and select the Mac4Lin GTK theme (/home/username/Mac_files/Mac4Lin_v0.4/GTK MetacityTheme/Mac4Lin_GTK_v0.4.tar.gz).
4.Next, click Install again and select the Mac4Lin icon theme. (/home/username/Mac_files/Mac4Lin_Icons_Part2_v0.4.tar.gz /home/username/Mac_files/Mac4Lin_Icons_modified.tar.gz). When prompted, select “Apply new themes“.
5.Next, click Install again and select the Mac4Lin icon theme. (/home/username/Mac_files/Mac4Lin_Icons_modified.tar.gz)
Again, click “Apply new themesâ€
6.Click Install again and select the Mac4Lin mouse cursor theme. (/home/username/Mac_files/Mac4Lin_v0.4/GTK Cursor Theme/Mac4Lin_Cursors_v0.4.tar.gz). Select “Apply new themes†when prompted.
7.Click ‘customize’ and choose Mac4Lin_GTK_v0.4. Go to the “Window border†tab, choose Mac4Lin_GTK_v0.4. Click Close.
8.On the top, go to the Background tab. Click Add and select the Leopard wallpaper. (/home/username/Mac_files/Wallpapers/Leopard.jpg). Click Close to terminate the Appearance window
9.Open a terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal) and type
gksu gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
and add the following lines to the end of the file:
deb
http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src
http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main
Save and close the file. In your terminal, type
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator-trunk awn-manager-trunk awn-extras-applets-trunk
Go to System->Preferences->AWN manager. On the left, click on the Theme. On the right, click Add and navigate to the Mac_files folder. Select the Elegant_glass.tgz file. Check the bullet beside the Elegant glass theme and click Apply.
10.Enjoy...
There were steps to move the “traffic lights†to the left. That would just annoy me though. Also, the log-in screen can be changed to something more apple-like. I don’t see the point. Black DOS-type screen is fine for me.
http://maketecheasier.com/turn-your-...ard/2008/07/23
I LOVE the new interface. As I said, I've always been a fan of the Mac's layout and was over the moon when Microsoft headed in the same direction with Win7.
Changing the interface was a great learning task. I was typing lines of code into the terminal and finding my way around the system. Although, for the most part, I really didn't know what code I was typing, some things such as “
sudo apt-get†started to reappear time and time again. Although I couldn't tell you what they mean, I could tell you in what circumstance they're likely to appear.
As a spritely 27 year old, I don't really remember using computers when typing code was necessary. I do know one thing though, I feel like one of the tecchies on CSI Miami when I do it. There's something so rewarding about typing in apparent nonsense and having things transform before your eyes. Far more satisfying than the simplicity of Windows... and that got me thinking. If Apple users are knuckle dragging morons who don’t care if they’re controlled by their OS, and Windows users have some freedom â€" but not too much, where does that leave Linux?
So far, I’ve enjoyed using it. It still feels a little sterile. Not too welcoming and although
fun isn’t the right word, to kill 30 minutes, Win7 is still far more appealing. I can see the niche that Linux fits, and it fits very well. But maybe that’s all it is. A niche brand for a niche market.
With Linux I feel as though I’m there to do work. Word processing, the OpenOffice equivalent of Powerpoint and other dull tasks.
There are still some aspects that I’d like to change and the exciting thing about Ubuntu is that I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to. As far as customisability [sic] goes, it’s a big Win for Linux.
Things I'd like to do (assuming they're possible).
1. have uTorrent running all of the time, whichever OS I'm using. I'm an ex-pat who misses British TV. I have a bollocks-slow internet connection and don't want to stop downloading. I know that there's a torrent client in Linux (and it works), I'd love ot be able to add a torrent in one OS and if I boot into the other, for the download to still be running.
I've a feeling that this will be impossible... perhaps using a separate drive as the target folder, and adding the torrent to both OSs.
2. With Win7, I've had an empty desktop. Much better than the 10+ shortcuts I had with XP. I need a good think about what I want and where with Linux.
3. Tomorrow's a super-busy work day, but I want to change the default OS to Linux. I want to try using it for the every-day email checking, OCN browsing type tasks. If I'm just using my PC for 15 minutes after work, why not use Linux?
4. Have a go with GIMP. At some point tomorrow I need to make a simple flier. I could do it in 30-45 minutes with PS CS4.
5. After selecting Ubuntu in the boot menu, I'm faced with more options. Something like
9.10.10.4 PAE
9.10.10.4 PAE (safemode)
um... and another.
I'm never, ever going to need safemode for Ubuntu. I'll just reinstall it if it's really neccessary. I want to skip that nonsense. I suspect that the words 'GRUB' and 'bootloader' will be in any tutorial I find to alter these settings...
6. Download a "Dummies guide to Linux / Ubuntu" for bedtime reading.