How to make Ubuntu Linux look like Windows 7 - davisbantais

Windows 8's tile-based interface puts a bold new spin connected the familiar Windows interface—sol steep that many long-metre Windows users are threatening to jump ship to another operating system rather than learn Microsoft's "modern" UI. Of course, you'll still find yourself in foreign territory even if you really implement and hold the stand out. Installing a new operating system is easy, but wrapping your head around an alien environment can be more ungovernable, even if you'atomic number 75 using a relatively user-friendly OS same Ubuntu Linux.

Fortunately, Linux is customizable—much, much more than Windows. In fact, if you're having trouble with the transition (operating theater plopping Ubuntu on a parent's PC), you rear end tweak and tune the OS to look jolly darned close to the Windows surroundings you've forsaken.

I'll go around through two methods here. One adapts Ubuntu's default Unity desktop to make it flavor slenderly more like Windows, while the other entails a trifle much work and a different desktop interface all to create a in truth Microsoft-like get.

Creating a Windows 7-style Ubuntu

Ubuntu's default desktop is clean, but non very Windows-like.

To be completely honest, Ubuntu's default Unity desktop may cost slick and pretty, but it isn't the most configurable Linux environment close to. The taskbars running the top and odd sides of its riddle are locked in situ and tooshie't be moved whatever. 1 is still fairly stretched, however, and some basic—for Linux—tweaks can give it some of that old Windows 7 charm.

A quick note: These tips were tested on Ubuntu 12.10, the most current version of the operating system at the time of issue.

We'ray going to use some period of time commands end-to-end the course of this article. If you're a new Linux user, father't be scared—Linux's powerful command line makes it prosperous to follow instructions you'll find in articles like this uncomparable. Instead of following a tilt of long steps telling you to click here and click there, you can just copy and paste these commands into a pole window and hit Enter.

To ajar a terminal, campaign the Windows key (known atomic number 3 the Super key in Linux), type Terminal, and weightlift Enter. You can as wel click the Ubuntu logo at the top-left corner of your test instead of pressing the Windows Key.

Offse, we're going to install a Windows 7 theme pack. Copy and paste the following commands into the depot window in orderliness, imperative Enter after each command to range information technology. The first command adds a personal package archive (PPA) to your system that Ubuntu can establis packages from. The instant command downloads info about the newly available packages, and the third command installs the Windows 7 melodic theme—no initiation wizard needful. Typing sudoahead each command allows IT to run with root permissions, similar to gushing a program equally administrator in Windows.

sudo add-apt-deposit ppa:upubuntu-com/gtk3

sudo inclined-find update

sudo apt-get install win2-7

The Win2-7 theme is now installed. To enable the icon, windowpane border, and widget theme, copy and paste the followers commands into the terminal. Every bit you run each command, you'll attend your desktop gradually transform and suit more Windows-like.

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'Win2-7-theme'

gsettings set org.gnome.background.wm.preferences root word 'Win2-7-motif'

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme 'Win2-7-icons'

The taskbar-ilk launcher at the left side of your screen will tranquillise be a different color. Never fear—care Windows 7's taskbar, the rocket launcher derives its colors from your desktop wallpaper. For this clause, we'll use Windows 7's default paper, which you can find complete the Internet. (I snagged my copy from an old ZDNet post.) If you're victimisation Firefox on Ubuntu, right-click the full-size wallpaper image in your browser and select Dictated as Desktop Background.

You'll also want to move the window management buttons—close, minimize, and maximize— placed at the top-odd corner of each window by default. Utilisation this command to put them in a Windows-style order:

gsettings plant org.gnome.screen background.wm.preferences button-layout 'carte du jour:minimize,maximize,side by side'

To remove the Mac-style global menu bar and put the menu bar (containing File/Edit/View) back into all individual application window, pass this instruction:

sudo inclined-get autoremove appmenu-gtk appmenu-gtk3 appmenu-qt indicator-appmenu

You'll have to log out and logarithm back in for this alter to take effect. Use the button at the top-right corner of your concealment to log out.

Do you like what you see? This is as ambient to Windows 7 as we're going to baffle with Ubuntu's default on Unity desktop environs. If it doesn't quite kale your itch, keep recitation to learn how to make over a more traditional Windows 7-style look using the Xfce desktop environment.

Installing and customizing Xfce

For this method, we'll personify throwing Ubuntu's default Single desktop out and going our own way. (Okay, we're not actually throwing information technology out, just selecting a different surroundings on the login screen). Xfce is one of the most popular desktops that placid offers a lot of configurability. Set up it with this command:

sudo apt-get set u xubuntu-desktop

Log off of Ubuntu victimization the menu at the top-right corner of the silver screen and click the ikon next to your name along the login screen. Choose Xubuntu session and log in normally. (You can install multiple desktop environments and toggle betwixt them on the login silver screen the like this.)

Xfce also uses a 2-panel layout past default. We'll let to do just about labored customization to get IT looking much similar Windows 7, just it's all graphical—if you're a Windows world power user, you've done this sort of tweaking many times before.

First, get under one's skin rid of the top panel. Right wing-suction stop IT, point to Board, prime Impanel Preferences, and click the red Remove button. Habit the drop-down box in the panel shape window to select the other panel. Uncheck the 'Automatically show and hide the panel'selection and hold back the 'Automatically step-up the length' option. Now we're getting someplace! At this point, you should sustain a single taskbar-wish impanel across that bottom of your screen.

Use the buttons on the Items panel to withdraw the items you don't want, sum up the items you do want, and reorder them as you see fit. For a Windows 7-style taskbar, try using these items in the chase order:

Applications Menu, Centrifuge, Launcher, Window Buttons, Separator, Notification Area, Indicator Plugin, Exhibit Desktop.

The item options for Xfce's panel are nice and simple.

Add as many launchers (read: shortcuts) as you like to the catapult section and think of them as your fresh spry launch measure. Unfortunately, Xfce can't group applications and open windows the similar way Windows 7's taskbar lavatory, so information technology's a bit to a greater extent old school.

To configure an item, select it in the list and click the Gear button. You'll also want to incapacitate the 'Record push button rubric' pick in the Applications Menu item's settings.

Theming Xfce to bet like Windows

Now we just give birth to make Xfce look more like Windows 7. If you didn't run any of the commands in the Oneness section to a higher place, feed the commands below in a terminal. (Right-sink in the desktop and select 'Open terminal here' to open a depot in Xfce.)

sudo add-apt-secretary ppa:upubuntu-com/gtk3

sudo apt-pay off update

sudo appropriate-get install win2-7

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences theme 'Win2-7-theme'

gsettings set org.dwarf.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout 'menu:minimize,maximize,snug'

Open the Settings Manager from the applications computer menu and come home the Appearance icon. Choose Win2-7-theme in the Style list and choice Win2-7 in the Icons list.

Mechanical press EL+F2 and run the following overlook to get Windows 7-expressive style window borders. If you're typing this out sort o than copying and pasting, note that the command includes a double-dash, not a long em dash.

metacity --replace

Go into the Academic term and Startup dialog box in the Settings Manager, prime the Application Autostarttab, and click the Add release. Inscribe Metacityas the covering's name and metacity --replace as its command. Now Windows 7-panach windowpane borders volition automatically commencement with your desktop.

To make your panel seem more like Windows 7's dialog box, right-click it, detail to Panel, and select Panel Preferences. On the Appearance tab, select Background image and browse to the usrsharethemesWin2-7-themegtk-2.0Panel directory along your computer. Select a ground image like Panel_Win2-7Basic800.png. The melodic theme pack we installed includes a variety of panel backgrounds, so feel independent to experiment.

You can also deepen the applications fare's graphic and survive use a Windows 7-style kickoff orb. First, find a Windows 7 go orb image—you can find several on Google Images, but make water sure you get a transparent PNG pictur. Once you've found a good pictur, right-detent the Applications computer menu push button, select Properties, and use the Icon release to quality your set off orb.

Here it is: A Linux Bone in Windows wearable, perfect for those afraid of change.

Phew, that took a lot of tweaking (and a lot of text)—but we now have a Windows 7-flair desktop on Ubuntu. It lacks a Windows 7-style Start bill of fare and taskbar, merely Windows users that prefer the classic Start menu and taskbar doings wish find IT immediately familiar.

Undoing your changes

Want to undo your changes? If you followed the first method acting, just run these commands. Remember to log off and logarithm back in after running the commands to doctor the spheric menu banish.

gsettings reset org.dwarf.desktop.port gtk-theme

gsettings reset org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences theme

gsettings reset org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme

gsettings reset org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout

gsettings reset org.dwarf.desktop.background picture-uri

sudo tending-let set up appmenu-gtk appmenu-gtk3 appmenu-qt index-appmenu

If you followed the second method, log down and select Ubuntu's default background environment from the login screen. You can toggle between the cardinal whenever you like. If you'd like to uninstall Xfce, use this command:

sudo liable-bring autoremove xubuntu-background

These processes are a good presentation of just how configurable Linux is. You buns rip out software from the default background, exercise all sorts of themes, install a completely different desktop environment, or even ramp up your own background environment by cobbling together pieces from different desktop environments—that's what we did in the last section.

Still not oversubscribed on Linux? If you'd just equivalent to exercise the Windows 8 screen background without all of the OS's funky design and interface changes, check extinct our guide happening banishing the Metro UI from Windows 8.