Making Ubuntu Look Like Windows 7 473
DeviceGuru writes "Although it won't help Linux run Windows-specific software applications, this easy hack produces an Ubuntu desktop that looks and feels a lot like Windows 7. It's particularly suitable for reviving older PCs or laptops on which the main activities will be web-browsing, email, document writing, and streaming music and videos from from the web. The process installs a Windows 7-like GNOME theme on an otherwise standard Ubuntu 10.04 installation, although it might work on other Linux distros with GNOME and appropriate other packages installed. Naturally all this begs the question: why would anybody want to do this? Why indeed!" People have been doing this sort of look-and-feel swap-out for years; it seems best to me as a practical joke.
begs the question (Score:2, Informative)
Naturally all this begs the question
No, it doesn't. Proper use of "begging the question. [wikipedia.org]
Re:begs the question (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I see you are running Windows 7... (Score:4, Informative)
Copyright Lawsuit waiting to happen. (Score:1, Informative)
I think its a good idea to help ease people into using Ubuntu by making the desktop work the same sort of way as Windows. They're already going to have to relearn a lot of the applications (except the applications that are cross platform like Firefox) without having to learn a new desktop too.
Actually putting Microsoft icons, wallpapers, registered trademark logos on is probably going to kill this though. (Not a lawyer but) it looks like the pure intent is to make people think this is Microsoft Windows which is misrepresentation.
Re:begs the question (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Who else is disappointed? (Score:3, Informative)
Windows 7 doesn't (by default) use dark UI elements, there's no transparency for the task/menu bar,
Win7 Grue edition?
Re:"But look! You can make it look like Windows 7! (Score:2, Informative)
use Microsoft powershell then, once you get to know it's oo model, it is stronger than bash
Re:"But look! You can make it look like Windows 7! (Score:5, Informative)
Then use Services for Unix or PowerShell. Problem solved 11 years and 6 years ago respectively.
Re:begs the question (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, I think "it raises the question" is a better fit for the usage that I have seen.
Re:Dock (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Ugh (Score:2, Informative)
On the other hand, if anyone wants to point me to how to move the minimize/maximize/close buttons to the top right hand side of windows I'd appreciate it
This is quite simple to do, but it does require some text editing. Here is a simple step-by-step guide [howtogeek.com] -Quartinae
Re:Dock (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Why use a sub-standard Desktop? (Score:3, Informative)
Either you are in the business to make tools for smart, tech-savvy people (see Linux) or you are in the business for the general population (See Microsoft). Depends how do you want to measure success, I guess.
See, that I can agree with.
I bloody hate Virtual Desktops. Why do they even exist? I'm serious... I don't get it. What's their advantage?
Organization. Give each desktop a purpose, and you can switch between tasks much easier. Say I have a bunch of PDFs open on one desktop and I get a notification that a download has completed. I don't have to search around for whatever window in my task bar. I just go to the torrent desktop and it has the client right there and a terminal open in the relevant directory where i left it.
I don't know how people can get along without this, minimizing and maximizing all the time, just letting windows pile up, or even closing apps. With virtual desktops I can come back to a project days later, after all sorts of casual computer use, and pick right up where I left off.
Re:Why use a sub-standard Desktop? (Score:4, Informative)
> I bloody hate Virtual Desktops. Why do they even exist? I'm serious... I don't get it. What's their advantage?
You can use them to organize desktop clutter, like any other desktop container.
You don't need a 2nd and 3rd monitor just to have things sorted and nicely laid out and handy.
If you do anything but use your machine as an xbox or a web kiosk, the extra real estate and organization is very handy.