Mac OS X for Gnome Ubuntu : How To
This article show you some detail steps on how to convert your Gnome Linux - Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala desktop to looks like Mac OS X using some alternative & equivalent software [ see list ] available for Linux.
Install Applications
- Open Terminal & use these commands to:
Add Gloobus Preview &
Gnome Global Menu by adding PPA [ Karmic Koala ]:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gloobus-dev/gloobus-preview
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:abhidg/ppa
If this fail.
Add PPA manually [ Click URL if not sure how to add ]:
Gnome Globalmenu:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/globalmenu-team/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/globalmenu-team/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
Gloobus-Preview:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/gloobus-dev/gloobus-preview/ubuntu karmic main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/gloobus-dev/gloobus-preview/ubuntu karmic main
Then install both using this command in Terminal:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gloobus-preview gnome-globalmenu
Install other apps & applet:
sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager deskbar-applet gnome-do screenlets
Install dock ( install best dock applications that suite your system ) :
sudo apt-get install cairo-dock
- Avant Window Navigator [AWN]
sudo apt-get install avant-window-navigator
Customise Panel
- Delete desktop bottom panel ( right click panel > Delete this panel )
- Add gnome main menu, deskbar-applet & gnome global-menu applet by right click >Add to panel & select [image:below]
- Delete any applet or launcher on Top Panel so it look like this [image:above] ( Remove from panel )
- We use this settings for gnome global-menu
Install Theme
We use the same old Mac4Lin script which provide pidgin, desktop, awn icons & themes
download here.
- Extract the downloaded .zip.
- Open the folder, right click on Mac4Lin_Install_v1.0.sh Properties>Permission>Allow executing file as program
- Open & run the script in Terminal.
- 2 Wallpaper included in this package, located @ ~/Mac4Lin_v1.0/Wallpapers ( set wallpaper manually if the script fail to change it ).
Install Cairo-Dock Theme, Dashboard Script & Icons
We've made a micro script containing dashboard script, cairo-dock & apple icons folder that will be used in this customising process.
Download Mac4Koala.zip from here [
mirror1 ] [
mirror2 ]
This script will
- Copy Mac4Koala cairo-dock theme to ~/.config/cairo-dock/theme
- Place Desklet.sh script for dashboad launcher at ~/Mac4Lin_KK/script
- Copy some apple icons to ~/Mac4Lin_KK/Icons
Use the same method as Mac4Lin.zip to run the script.
Dock
Cairo-dock
- Run Cairo-dock
- Right click on dock area & select Cairo-dock>Manage themes
- Select Mac4Koala theme ( installed earlier using Mac4Koala script )
- Tick for both option & click Apply.
Avant Window Navigator
If you using AWN theme is given in Mac4Lin script.
- Run AWN, click on AWN manager
- Add & select Mac OS X theme from ~/Mac4Lin_v1.0/AWN folder [image]
- Refresh & Close to see changes
Setting up Dashboard Launcher
Compiz Config Setting Manager
- Open CCSM [ System>Preference>Compiz Config Setting Manager ]
- Find & enable Widget Layer
Screenlets
- Run Screenlets [ Main Menu>Accessories>Screenlets ]
- Go to option and tick on Widget option [image]
- Choose any widget you want ( tick start/stop & auto start on login )
- Press F9 to see the widget
Cairo dock
If you notice, there is Dashboard launcher included in Mac4Koala theme that we made. the launcher already linked to ~/Mac4Lin_KK/script/desklet.sh script . This script has same function as compiz widget layer F9 key that we already set earlier.
To make sure the script running properly;
- Go to /home/user/mac4lin_kk/script
- Right click the desklet.sh script and give the file permission to execute as program [ Properties>Permission>Allow executing file as program. ]
AWN
You need to prepare the launcher manually
- Right click on desktop
- Create New Launcher
- Name the launcher Dashboard
- in Command box, click browse & select desklet.sh file located at /home/user/Mac4Lin_KK/Script folder
- Change the icon, dashboard icon located at ~/Mac4Lin_KK/Icons folder
- Drag drop the launcher to your AWN dock.
Expose - Compiz Scale
- Open CCSM [ System>Preference>Compiz Config Setting Manager ]
- Find & enable Scale, assign key/button as desired.
Apple Menu Panel
to change Gnome Main Menu Icon;
- Alt-F2 & run Config editor by typing gconf-editor
- Go to apps/panel/objects/object_0
- tick on use_custom_icon key
- Enter custom_icon key with folder link location ( in this case Apple icon located at ~/Mac4Lin_KK/Icons/apple_logo_128.png ) [image]
custom_icon /home/user/Mac4Lin_KK/Icons/apple_logo_128.png
- the user is your Ubuntu account user name.
Fonts
Go to System>Preference>Appearance>Fonts
Manually change the desktop fonts following this setting
Terminal
Change Terminal colour profile [see image]
Run Terminal
Go to Edit>Profile Preferences
Go to Colors tab.
Extra Compiz effect
If you like to add some window effect settings are available in CompizConfig Setting Manager by enabling Animation Add-on & Animations [image]. Detail options of every window actions are inside Animations menu.
Firefox
For final touch you might want to use Mac OS X theme for your Firefox theme. Download here
Done!
Uninstall
You can uninstall the theme by running the uninstall script located at Mac4Lin installation folder [ Mac4Lin_Uninstall_v1.0.sh ].
After all these steps, you should get the same desktop appearance & functionality as shown on our
video
Feel free to suggest any other stuff that we missed.
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