How to: Customize your GNU/Linux desktop in 7 easy steps
Posted by jbj on Aug 9, 2008 in Operating systems • 51 commentsI absolutely love Linux, but in terms of design I have saw better than the default theme of most of the available distributions. Here’s a complete how-to for giving your Linux desktop the look you want and customize everything, from themes to fonts.
The Wallpaper
For sure, the wallpaper is the easiest element to customize, as well as the most common. The main problem is more to find the great wallpaper. I found mine on deviantart.com.
To change your wallpaper, nothing easier: Just right-click on your desktop, and select Change Desktop Background.
Themes
Gnome themes works as Wordpress theme: Once installed, you keep the same engine but have a totally new look and feel. I recently posted a list of 30 great Gnome themes, so you should check it out if you haven't read this article yet.
To change your Gnome theme, do not extract the achive, go to the System menu, then Preferences → Themes.
On the opening window, click on Install, then choose the archive you downloaded. Most of the times, the theme will be applied automatically, but sometimes it doesn't works. In this case, you'll have to select your new theme from the list.
Icons from Elementary Icons by DanRabbit.
Icons
Changing icons is as easy as modifying your Gnome theme. Go to System, preferences, click on Install and select a pack of icons to add. If you want to replace your current icons with a pack which is already installed, click on Customize in the Appearance window and choose the package you want in the tab icons.
Don't forget to check out our list of the top 10 icon sets for your GNU/Linux desktop if you haven't made your icon set choice yet!
Main menu Icon
It can be really fun to place your own logo instead of your distribution logo, near the Applications menu. To do so, open the terminal and type:
gconf-editor
Go to apps, panel, objects and click on menu_bar_screen0. On the right side of the window, you can set custom values. Cick on custom_icon and type the path to your icon as a value. You may have to reboot the graphical interface in order to see the modification.
Dock (Mac OS X like)
You can add launchers to panels, but if you're looking for a more eye-candy solution, or really love the Mac OS look and feel, a Dock is what you need.
There's many Docks available for GNU/Linux systems. I like Cairo Dock but my favorite is AWN.
To install AWN, simply open the terminal and type:
sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator
If you need help or more info, you can visit AWN website here.
Note that AWN requires a composite manager as such as Compiz-Fusion. Otherwise, you'll see an ugly black shape all around the dock.
Widgets
I rarely use Widgets, but I must say that some of them are really awesome. For those who doesn't know, Widgets are small applications that run on your desktop, telling you tomorrow's weather, your computer memory charge, an alarm clock, your google analytics stats and a lot more.
Some months ago, I used gdesklets, which is pretty good in my opinion. You can install it easily by typing:
sudo apt-get install gdesklets
in a terminal or download it via Synaptic.
Just like AWN, gdesklet requires a composite manager.
Fonts
Die hard GNU/Linux users will probably hate me for saying this, but I really think that Ubuntu default font ("sans") is pretty ugly. Instead, I prefer using Microsoft "Segoe UI", which is in my opinion very good for user interface.
Sure, it's not open-source, but at least, it looks good.
To install additional fonts, press Alt-F2 to open the run dialog. Type fonts:// into the text box and press Enter. You just have to paste your font in the folder.
You'll need to restart your applications in order to see the new fonts.
Any tips to complete this post? Something you'd like to customize that we haven't talked in the article? Leave us a comment!
You say ‘GNU/Linux” - GNU/Linux is neither Gnome nor Ubuntu. Hope you correct your mistake, thanks.
I have to admit that most of the tips here are mainly for Ubuntu and/or Gnome. But what about the docks, the fonts, or the widgets? Theses tips works on most desktops like Gnome, KDE and XFCE. This is why I chose to say “GNU/Linux” instead of “Gnome/Ubuntu”.
On second thought, since Gnome/Ubuntu is a GNU/Linux, there’s nothing wrong with the article’s title. In fact, these steps can be used verbatim with any Debian based distro that uses Gnome, and claiming that it’s for Ubuntu would technically be incorrect.
Also, thanks for posting this entry. I never actually considered searching deviantart.com for wallpapers, even though I’ve been there a lot lately.
Glad you found this post interesting, Sam. I totally agree with you about the post name.
You can’t “fonts:///” in GNOME 2.22. You now have to make a “.fonts” folder in your Home Folder and move all your .ttf files to there. GDesklets is old and no one uses it. Screenlets is better. The AWN in 8.04’s repos are outdated. You need to instruct users to add the PPA repo of AWN. This tutorial is messed up in so many ways and isn’t specific. Sounds like it was written by a new Linux recruit who finds Linux fascinating and wants to teach others about it but doesn’t have the necessary information to.
@Exsecrabilus: You’re right about the fonts:// in Gnome 2.22. Sorry for the mistake. Though, I’m not agree with you about Screenlets. I like it, but I still prefer GDesklets. That’s my personal tastes, and of course someone else can have a different point of view about that question.
Get a Mac
@Sam and jbj,
I’d have to say that neither of you have a decent grasp of sets and subsets. It’s clear to anyone that the above instructions are for Ubuntu. While it is true that most of the steps will work to some degree in Debian and/or Gnome it is untrue to claim this approach for GNU/Linux.
Ubuntu is Linux
Linux != Ubuntu
wow thank you so much for this ive learned a lot
Deadcabbit:
You’re an idiot.
Thank you.
i have to agree with Exsecrabilus here; gDesklets is nearly dead. Also, moving fonts to a .fonts folder will only make those fonts available for you. Moving them via the terminal or a sudo-enabled file manager to the /user/share/myfonts dir will make them available for all system users.
I personally hate the pre-packaged fonts and typically use the Apple Garamond and Lucida Grande fonts as my serif/sans-serif choices.Also, since this post is rather Ubuntu specific in many ways you should make it a point to include customizations via Emerald and Compiz Fusion. Some screenschots of my desktop:
http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w341/mepolite/Screenshot-1.png
http://i522.photobucket.com/albums/w341/mepolite/Screenshot-2.png
@Gee: I already got (and love) a Mac
@Mr Polite: Great desktops. The font looks very good!
hey just to let you know…
sudo apt-get intall doesn’t work in distributions of linux that are not based upon debian.
Also most of the steps you state are far from easy. To get AWN working correctly rarely is easy….
I agree with the other comments you should do more research about LINUX before claiming to have a comprehensive linux guide.
@Gee, funny that you say that I ordered my Apple MacBook Air with VMWare so that could continue to use Linux.
Yeah, they’re right, you’re installation instructions are probably Ubuntu-specific, Apt is generally used on Debian-based distros. Apt-based distros don’t always have the same packages either. It’s not a big deal, the recommendations are still pretty solid anyway.
“Die hard GNU/Linux users will probably hate me for saying this, but I really think that Ubuntu default font (”sans”) is pretty ugly.”
I’m not sure anyone can say the default fonts in any Linux distro are very pleasing. Some of them look OK for the default user interface but once you start browsing the web it’s a very horrendous experience.
I really with the big Linux distros would pool their resources and come up with some really good, high-quality, open fonts. Red Hat did a great job with their Liberation font set but that doesn’t go nearly far enough. One of the first things most people do with a new Linux distro is install the Microsoft Core Fonts, which means that we need good alternatives to every font in that set (well, OK, we can do without Comic Sans), and default fontconfig settings that, for example, render a font that looks like Verdana in place of Verdana.
I spent *hours* trying to get fonts to look decent in Ubuntu and it’s still only about 3/4 of the way there. If Mark Shuttleworth truly wants Ubuntu to look better than OSX out of the box, then fonts have a *long* way to go.
@Gee: Hmmmm…. $1200 - $2000 for a Mac or stick with Linux which is free and I can make it look and behave just like a Mac or anything else I want…. Oh, the agonizing choice.
I believe this article of yours has caused much disagreements from the Linux users.
There are few things that n0ia has pointed out in Digg (http://digg.com/linux_unix/How_to_Customize_your_GNU_Linux_desktop_in_7_easy_steps ), just to state one of them:
“APT, the Advanced Packaging Tool, is not installed by default on non-Debian systems (at least none that I’m aware of), especially not on Fedora, which is one of the more popular distros aside from Debian/Ubuntu.”
Many other distros uses RPM instead of APT, and depending on the distros, some do not recommend use of ’sudo’. There are many differences in different distros. Your instructions do not apply to the general GNU/Linux actually.
Besides, your instructions are also only applicable on GNOME desktop environment. If a user is using KDE, XCFE, Fluxbox, Blackbox, LXDE etc., the instructions are not applicable. Therefore, it is more appropriate to use the title “How to: Customize your GNOME Ubuntu in 7 easy steps”
You should really try other distros to understand the differences between Ubuntu and other distros (live CDs are popular these days!). They work differently, so different that your guide doesn’t apply on them. And I hope you can correct this mistake because I think it might cause new Linux users to get a wrong idea. =)
Oh ya, like Exsecrabilus and Mr. Polite have stated gDesklets is an obsolete project. You should try the newer Screenlets! =)
HEY, I noticed my icons up there looking sexy with that dark theme in the first screenshot.
Do you think you could link to me and that theme’s creator and also maybe the wallpaper?
I would really appreciate it.
If not, can you add my icons to your top 10 list? you currently only have 9 anyways :p
In case your interested - i just posted my wallpaper (for ubuntu) on my blog: http://www.mozami.net/blog/2008/08/ubuntu-wallpaper/
Great article - thanks for putting all this info in one place.
Mr. Polite - how did you get your about blank page to function as what I’m guessing are links?
Stupid article naming. What the fuck happen to KDE ???
@DanRabbit: Sure, your icons looks very good so i’ll add it to the “10 icon sets” article
Just give me the exact link, please.
@All: Sorry for the controversial title. I thought the title were good because even that most instructions are Gnome/debian-based specific, some tips should also work in other distros as well.
To make the things clear, I added a note on the top of the article.
@x2eagle Firefox extension Fastdial.
if you don’t like Linux, it’s okay. Don’t use it, and don’t read this article. It’s that simple.
KDE is alive and well. The day it isn’t, I will either use my existing distro, Kubuntu, forever, or get a Mac.
I do not want a computer that does not have:
Kalarm
Kstars
Kgeography
and lots more goodies.
The Gnome lovers have taken over on some distros, and think no rational person should want anything else. Wrong. I have been using KDE since 1999 and do not wish to change, in addition to favorite applications.
This one goes to the page where they are hosted:
http://danrabbit.deviantart.com/art/Elementary-Icons-65437279
This one just starts the download:
http://www.deviantart.com/download/65437279/Elementary_Icons_by_DanRabbit.zip
Thanks!
Mr. Polite: I just love the simplicity of your desktop theme. Do you have a link to the theme and perhaps to the wallpaper as well?
Even if it did have some issues in it, and if it wasn’t specific enough, it has good ideas and users can get ideas from it and then use google and fine more specific instructions. i thought it was a good article.
Well done, great article, have already used a couple of the ideas. Like many people, I knew it was easy, yet with other things clamouring for attention, never had the time to experiment or (gasp) look it up.
Hoping for more such how-to articles.
@DanRabbit: Link added
@michael & RR: Thank you! Glad you found the article usefull.
This is a very nice article — thanks!
My only suggestion is to watch for grammatical errors that detract from the content. From the start:
“I absolutely love Linux, but in terms of design I have saw better than the default theme of most of the available distributions.”
This should be:
“… I have seen … ”
And this is only one of many such errors. I am not sure if your native language is English or not, but blatant grammatical errors diminish the credibility of valuable information you are providing.
Again, thanks for your article!
@JediV: My mother tongue is French, so I guess I’m half forgiven
Thanks for pointing out my errors!
jbj,
That makes great sense! In that case, fantastic job with the article!
Thanks! I always try to do my best when I write/talk in English, but I’m sadly not as fluent as I wish!
@Irlandes: you can install KDE apps on Gnome, Apt or Synaptic will take care of the dependencies (KDE libraries). I even run a Gnome-KDE ‘hybrid’ launching Kicker and Kwin at login so I have cooler windows decorations (from KDE) and a twin-row panel made with a Gnome panel and a KDE one, both reduced to the smallest possible size.
I can use applets for both Gnome and KDE and have both start menus (This works for sure on Ubuntu/Gnome, and probably on any Gnome desktop). The integration between Gnome and KDE looks is done by like this:
1 - install as many KDE applets as you can find in Synaptic and let it install the dependencies.
2 - Install the Geramik theme for Gnome (you may want to install some icon theme like Noia or similar)
3 - Launch Kwin with the kommand kwin –replace; add the same command in Main Menu => System => Preferences => Session => Startup Programs
4 - Launch kicker (KDE panel) with the command kicker, add the same command to Startup Programs as seen above.
5 - Make Both panels as small as possible (I also deleted the upper Gnome panel), add buttons and applets as necessary.
6 - Adjust your KDE colors using the KDE control center (you may want to save your new color scheme with a name)
7 - Go to Menu => Preferences => Appearance and choose the Geramik theme
8 - Restart X (log out/log in)
9 - Enjoy your new integrated “Knome” desktop. You can use any application and applet for both Gnome and Kde, and you have pretty decent looks.
(10 - I guess you can make Gnome and KDE “merge” looks using other themes too, experiment to find _your_ perfect looks)
nice post. How do you add items to the AWN doc? Every time i add them the are gone when i reboot…
This sucks. I thought this article was about customizing the linux terminal, not the “login to a fancy GUI and click the menu bar, terminal”, but the black one with white text letters.