30 Gnome themes to enhance your Ubuntu experience

by Jean-Baptiste Jung. 71 Comments -

To be honest, I never really liked Human, Ubuntu’s default theme, and seems that many other people don’t. Happilly, on GNU/Linux systems it is easy to customize everything, even the buttons aspect or the windows borders. Here’s a list of 30 Gnome themes of all styles, from the Windows XP look-a-like to the very original skin, to enhance your Ubuntu experience.

Apotheosis

Blubuntu Aurora

Blue Joy

Bluespace

Bluman

ColorBit

Creamy

Darker Ice Murrina

Elegant Aurora

Elegant Brit

Gaia Nova

Gilouche Posh

Gray Human

Moomex

Moomex Ultimatum

Murina Aero

Nimbus Vista Look

Noname Peace

Not XP

Orange Linsta Black Plastic

Royale

Slickness Black

SlicknesS

Soffice

Tigris

Want more?

Check out our list of 20 beautiful dark themes for Gnome and Ubuntu.

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Comments (71) - Leave yours

  2. Will said:

    Good list of themes here, I currently use the blue version of the Human theme installed by default but I may check some of these out..

  4. DanK said:

    Thanks for the post! It’s always a little overwhelming trying to dig through all the themes to find the best ones out there.

    Looks like I have a few new ones to try now.

  7. Phil said:

    I used to use slickness black until I got tired of the dark text areas and I switched to the lighter one but could never find a happy tone of gray…and didn’t like the scroll bar. I told myself I wasn’t going to go theme hoping again but some of them are too tempting.

    This is why I can’t understand the call from Canonical to come up with a new default for Ubuntu. What is has is clean and functional for the home and business user. I’d mainly just change the color scheme. Come up with an ultra simple way to install these themes with one click and point the users at that on first boot. Let them choose what they want for their desktop.

  8. Skull F. K. R. said:

    Okay, go to gnome-look.org to download & install via appearance these:

    1) Controls: Ubux2
    2) Window Border: Gilouche Express – color it blue or but whatever you like.
    3) Icons: MacUltimate Leopard
    4) Cursor or pointer: ArchCursorBlue

    5) Firefox Browser: just go to the add-on part of their website, and install iFox Metal for your skin. Probably the most important part, as you use the net the most.

    Thank me later.

  13. anonymous said:

    Lots of really nice themes.

    Were these included with Ubunut?

    If not, where did you get them?

    Could you give a quick description on how you went about changing them?

    Thanks and keep up the good work!

  15. bob said:

    Yeah, this collection shows the problem with trying to find a different theme; 80% of them are a simple recolor, or clearly a windows/leopard ripoff or clone (or a weird mix of the two, which never works out well). If I wanted Linux to look like Windows or Leopard, I would just run Windows or Leopard.

  17. jbj said:

    @anonymous: You can download theses themes and many others on gnome-look.org. If you’re interested in how yo customize your Ubuntu desktop, you should totally grab the rss feed as I’m planning to publish a post on that subject next week :)

  18. Martin said:

    So, if I don’t use Ubuntu, but I use gnome I shouldn’t use this themes?. Please, GNU/Linux is not only Ubuntu, it is a lot more.
    And by the way, you can use gnome not only in Linux.
    Stop confussing people please.

  19. jbj said:

    @Martin: I named the post in order to make it more accessible from Linux novices. I know that Gnome is only Ubuntu or only GNU/Linux, but you right, I should have said it somewhere in the post.

  25. Vadim P. said:

    It’s Katie the troll again! Her post has been added to my Troll Cave Colletion: http://vadi-blog.com/2008/07/15/the-troll-cave/

  31. wally said:

    Black menu bars and title bars sure are an ugly fad. They’ll be here a few months and then will look hopelessly dated.

  33. Michael Shigorin said:

    > It’s Katie the troll again!
    Hey, it made my day 8) There’s such a brilliant collection of amusing nonsense behind that “promotinglinux” link, you know. (disclaimer: I’m not *their* audience, and agree that “there’s a twist” — and a paid campaign indeed)

    jbj, thanks for the post; still, I personally second the opinion that mostly dark stuff in working area is less personally usable (while running darkish theme/bakground with my WindowMaker, but *not* the widgets). Forwarded to a friend with a comment “| grep -v vista-like, and you might get a few interesting ones” :)

  44. Jamie Souef said:

    Great list. With all these themes around that look great (i love Moomex) i don’t understand why Ubuntu ships with the dated looking brown desktop.. maybe I’m missing something or some cultural significance?

  50. Getting Started with Linux said:

    Great! This proves Linux can be attractive too.

    From the list my favourite theme is Elegant Brit.

    As for the Promoting Linux website, I believe that everyone should use the OS that adapts better to their needs. I am not saying that Linux is better than Windows and viceversa, cause they both have different goals. The user has the power to choose what Operating System he/she will use on him/his PC.

  56. FLIR B60 said:

    I have been wanting to get to know Linux for ahwile. From what I hear it is amazinly secure, and now with themes like these the gui isn’t bad either.

  57. Money Academy said:

    i’m new in UBUNTU or Linux i think the default is good in ubuntu 8.10 and they offer nice themes but i want to know how i move from workspace to another using the mouse .

  66. shintu said:

    Respected Sir

    I don’t know anything about linux I want to know how to apply ‘ Not XP ‘ themes in my computer

    hoping more infermatiuon about linux administration

    regards shintu antony

  71. David said:

    Actually, all of the themes do look like someone didn’t had a chance to play with transparency and glass-effects on windows…

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