I thought I'd write a post about desktop customization in Linux (GNOME). I am assuming in this post that you already have Linux installed.

FILE MANAGERS

In Linux, you can replace the default file manager. I have replaced Nautilus, the default file manager in GNOME, with Thunar [link] Thunar is very fast and lean on memory usage (erm, well at least, that's the impression I get). I use PCFileMan [link] as well, which is a tabbed file manager.

DOCKS

Avant Window Navigator [link]
This is the first dock I used in Linux. It features the reflection of icons (similar to Leopard's dock), and various applets (stacks!). I recommend using this one.

Cairo Dock [link]
I recommend this one also as it features a nice parabolic zoom engine (if you like that). It's also very customizable, perhaps much more than AWN above.

THEMEING

Emerald [link]
It's a window decorator that has smoother borders than the Metacity windeco. Many of the window decorations I feature in my ss are Emerald themes.

Some gen. info: There are themeing engines for GTK which have a set of aesthetic elements (ie buttons, menus, scrollbars) that remain consistent when utilized; they may be customized for colour or look. One such engine is Clearlooks (found in GNOME as a default); its aesthetic elements are "gummy." Murrine [link] is another engine, and where Clearlooks is "gummy" it is more glassy.

THAT MAC MENU THING

Global Menu [link]
This feature is not found in a default GNOME. But I would recommend it IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY ON THE WIKI AND READ OTHER USERS' EXPERIENCES WITH GLOBAL MENU ON THE FORUM THREAD.

I meant to do this a long time ago, but didn't really take the time to join until today.



And my avatar is screwed up; I uploaded the guistyles avvie by mistake xO...and DA as usual is laggy and won't update it.

I just made the switch to a better OS. For free...to Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Linux. (My finances aren't currently allowing me to switch to the Apple of my eye, unfortunately. So I had to get creative).

I LOVE it so far, despite the fact that it took three tries to install it successfully (mainly because of my own stupidity). I also mistakenly wiped the partition on my HD that restores the PC to factory settings (which really just means it allows you to reinstall Windows XP), so I've no choice but to stick to Linux.

There was a minor problem after installation; the screen resolution wouldn't go beyond 1024x768. I did, however, find a good solution to this problem that seems to ail Intel-based graphics cards with Linux.

I've tried to "make the switch" many times before with Linux, but to no avail. I tried Knoppix, Fedora Core, Ubuntu Dapper (an earlier version)...it wasn't until I tried Ubuntu Feisty Fawn that *almost* everything went smoothly. It really does work out of the box (at least for my system).

I didn't even really need to configure my wireless card much! The only configuration necessary was to input the WEP password to my router and voila.

What prompted this seemingly sudden foray into a different operating system has a simple explanation. I've been planning to this for 2 years. It was either shell out $600 for a Mac Mini or install Ubuntu for free. The latter was a more realistic goal.

I chose today in particular to switch because an unfortunate event befell my Windows XP installation, an event that pushed me over the edge...well okay, I'm just being dramatic, but I have been having some problems with Windows that aren't immediately visible in my screenshots.

Now for those of you familiar with my desktop customization work on Windows XP, you may ask, does this mean I will no longer be posting screenshots on Windows? Being as I chose to make this PC entirely Windows-free, the answer for now is No.

Linux has some really flexible customization options, which I plan to explore at a later date.

Not for another few months (5, to be exact). But still. Definitely getting one as soon as I deal with school and fix my funds a bit . This current computer (my Windoze machine) is good for some things but it's a bit old now under computer standards.

I'm already preparing myself for the migration *back* to Mac.

Some links related to all this:

opensourcemac
Nifty OS X Apps
Native OS X Apps

The Macintosh operating system has definitely changed a lot since the classic OS 9. And I'm looking forward to switching *back*.

The first computer I ever owned as my own machine (as in, not shared by my parents, my brother, or any outside entity), was an iMac. With its blueberry-colored case, its attractive accessories, and its equally attractive "Platinum" interface, it was something I treasured (and something I didn't hesitate to show off to friends). From playing old school Jump Start games, to book reports and science presentations, I managed to do alot on that 233 mHz "original" iMac loaded with 4 GB of hard drive space and 64 mb of RAM.

Since that time, technical specs have increased in capacity, newer iMac models have come out, and sadly, I've had to retire that old iMac for a Windows PC loaded with XP Home. Why the switch to a Windows computer? A simple answer is that I could not afford to upgrade to a newer model. A more complicated answer would require a much longer post (which I have little time for). My financial situation hasn't been the greatest since that time, and the only computers available to my budget range were cheap, $400-$500 low end PC models.

I've stuck with the XP model all this time, and to be frank, it's not the best, but it's not as bad as some make it to be. Sure there are those viruses, spyware, adware, rootkits, and other minor nuisances. Simply minor, especially when I lost all of my project files to a virus despite Norton Anti-Virus. Minor indeed. Need I mention the popup ads that popped up everytime I opened my browser, or some other arbitrary application? Is a diatribe on the beautiful Fischer-Price interface of Windows XP even necessary? I didn't think so.

I do miss my old iMac. If the work I did didn't require more advanced technical specs, it would definitely be my primary computer. I thought of upgrading its processor to a G4, but what is $300 or more spent on upgrading an old iMac to buying a completely new Mac Mini? I don't currently have the financial resources to shell out money for a new Mac, nor can I easily sell this also aging PC.

Only time will tell what I'll end up with. Maybe, just maybe, I'll finally get my hands on an OS X machine.