So I've been using Windows for a while as well as a few other Linux distros and even OSX. One thing I've noticed about the different OS' is that Windows and OSX are the best looking OS's of all. I prefer the look of OSX over anything because it's dead sexy. Windows is at least clean looking. Now I constantly hear and read stories about all the different Linux distros that are "going to give Microsoft a run for it's money" or "this OS will be the next OSX", but I can't for the life of me figure out why. I personally am so disappointed by the look of most Linux distros. I think they look like they are based off of the Windows 95 era. One thing most people want OSX for is it's GUI. It's gorgeous! And people like Windows because of ease of use. I personally have a hard time believing that Linux will ever take over the desktop if development continues the way it has. Sure it's getting better as far as hardware support and such, but somebody please work on the appearance! I hate to rant because Linux is so much fun to "play" with. And I know that money isn't the issue. There are so many different millionaires and companies that are supporting different Linux projects that something should be possible. For example, has anybody seen the screenshots of the new Goobuntu? It's hideous in my opinion. It looks like it would be an OS for kids. And I am a huge fan of Google and Ubunutu but damn it, it just doesn't look very good.

I'm sorry I know this is being very close-minded but I really do like Linux and would love to see it succeed to it's fullest, but I just think it needs some serious improvements in the appearance department before it could take over any desktop market. I think all distro groups should put their resources together to create one SERIOUS OS that WOULD take over the desktop market.


Thanks for reading and listening to me bitch. Again, please don't hate me. These are just my views.

I haven't try Linux yet but I have been over a gnome_look and there are some pretty pretty osxlike themes over there.

Yeah, OSX has the nicest GUI and someone should make a clone as windowmanager for Linux
If you don't like the few thousands themes for KDE and Gnome and if you prefer your Linux in 3D, install lg3d (I like it):

BTW, there won't be any hating on this board. Everyone's opinions are welcome, so never worry about someone shooting you down!

yeah... entirely what made me explore mac os x is the fact its almost linux, but the gui is beautiful.

Dippyskoodlez:<--great name by the way, That's exactly what I think. It's like a "polished" version of Linux.

And I must say that being a member of sooooo many boards, expressing your opinions without getting flamed to death is almost impossible sometimes, except on this board. I really thought after I posted this a couple days ago that I would have 1,000 replies of people wagering to see who could casterate me first. This is a great community and everybody here has been awesome and the most surprising part is how great the veterans are with the newbies.

Keep up the great work on this site. Everything's great.

Thanks Escape311! That is one of the highest compliments we can be paid.

Can't blame you for having an opinion about the looks. I too think that linux looks quite ugly with the default themes that most distros ship with.

However, on the technical side of things, Linux has a way more advanced gui than windows XP, and it's quite on par with Windows Vista and getting closer to OSX

That means that if you want transluctanct windows, 3-dimensional desktops, shadows on your windows or a combination of such things. Then it's definatly possible under linux -provided you have an OpenGL capable card (I think Geforce2 and above will suffice!).

What you might be forgetting though is that as with so many other things Linux-related. There's a huge list of choices so I'd suggest looking in freshmeat.net for themes or at sites such as gnome-look.org and kde-look.org.

If you take your time, you'll be able to make Linux really simplistic and nice to look at, or brimming with desktop candy

Don't forget to spice up that desktop with widgets (you can use the OSX widgets somehow!) offered by programs such as Karamba and gDesklets

Some examples:
Vista-like look (transparent windows and shadows displayed)
A green desk with an OSX top menu bar and a docker

Many more can be found by going to either kde-look.org or gnome-look.org unchecking the box "Don't show screenshots" in the filter box in the righthand pane, clicking apply and entering the screenshots section

Granted, it requires some effort, but you can totally smoke the windows-boxes --best of all, there's so many many styles to choose from. So if it's a black matrix-like hackers theme you're going after, that'll be there too

DarkCarnival<---also like the name(if it's related to what I'm thinking)Jugalo?

Anyways, thanks for posting those desktops, I gotta say that I have never seen Gnome look so good. I am actually impressed. The Vista theme actually looks better on Ubuntu than it does in Windows! That's pretty cool. And yeah KDE-look.org I have been to a bunch. I was using Xandros Desktop 3 for a long time and tried some different themes there. Ofcourse I was going for the Aqua themes! I may actually need to put my Linux box back together now.

Thanks for the refreshing desktop pictures.

Xgl is another alternative, it's a new OpenGL based Xserver from Novell and it looks nice:
http://www.novell.com/linux/xglrelease/
Maybe it will be part of Suse 10.1 (or other distros) witch will be released in few months.

Well it all depends on the distro and the *nix knowledge one has, i believe the default look of both fedora and ubuntu to be very clean and simple. And thats for a reason, most new comers to the linux world are windows users, they find a similar look and feel easier to provide a painless and hassle free windowz->linux transition, a completely new UI could be too overwelming to new users, just like what happens to someone who switch to mac os from windows, at least i did.

Thats why most default distros use a windows-type kinda of look and feel.
The goal is to convert new users not to scare them away, a good, simple and clean ui is the best choice to a newcomer.

One can then change the desktop to his/her likes when he/her has the knowledge to do it, and the options that are available can be very powerfull ! U hv many choices, perhaps too many tbh, sometimes can be confusing.

That's how I feal aswell.

I understand that linux can be made to look well, and has the advanced features that Vista will have. But It just takes so much time to customize everything to make it look good.

I think the distros should strive to make the OS look great out of the box, not just promise, oh well if you spend hours upon days like these guys did, you can make yours look like the screenshots on our website. Well I don't have that kind of time unfortunitly.

This is sad

Linux is really good in coping things form windows/OSX. Every innovation in Linux is only clone or some variation form other os. Linux will never fill more desktop because he try to by as good as win and OSX and this make him worse.
This is no way for Linux revolution. ONLY making something entirely new, fresh and innovation to this what we have now can make him best. This mustn’t be more 3D


Remember "Think different"

"Him" ??

Thnk different?? This was scaled down from 1600x1200x24@75Hz

domino, what are those pictures of? The new composition effects?

SHow nuff and it's great!

Linux is looking more and more like a mix of Mac OS X and Windows Vista. The best of both worlds.

From what I hear, Mac will have the fatures soon as well. Anyway, I went back to windows after not having so in almost 2 days and it felt really weird. I was expecting windows to wobble and application to open in a flash. Gentoo with xgl and compiz is a bread of it's own. It's lightning quick!

XGL is nice, I tested the live-CD. Yesterday the first RC1 of Suse 10.1 (it's a beta) was released including XGL and compiz. I will try it, maybe I don't need lg3d anymore after that

I love SUSE's interface. It looks so professional. If Xgl and Compiz is installed as default that would be sweet. For now, you have to download the package from the servers and manually install them. I ultimately chose Dapper because of the support and all the neat how-to guides on the site . Ubuntu spoiled me to the point where I got too lazy to look for and install all the close codecs by myself . Here' a place where you can all all the plug-ins and complete package for Xgl/Compiz.

http://compiz.ed3n.com/viewtopic.php?id=119

Windows doesn't have a nice GUI ...unless you think the teletubbies are "dead sexy".

I've a project to improve the interface of FOSS Unix-like OSs. There's plenty of code to reutilize.

The first time I saw the XGL pictures, I almost drooled. I've spent almost 4 or 5 days trying to install XGL with compiz on my gentoo system but to no avail. I should be able to get it back up and running after my finals.

To the original poster of this thead, yes, there a LOT of ugly themes out there for linux. You've said you've tried many different distros. They all look different I bet. What makes linux different is its creativity. You don't have to use what somebody else made. (In this case, goobuntu) Make your own. Choose your X server, choose your window manager, and finally choose your desktop environment. Design your own pretty one that suits your needs.

What you have to understand is that there's so many different possibllities as to how to make your desktop look a certain way in any Linux distro. Personally it's up to you and how much time and effort you put. There are endless posiblities with different window managers to set up the way your desktop environment looks.

Your retarted if you cant make KDE or XFCE look good...

I will post some screenshots of mine when I get home