10 Slick Linux Desktops, and How To Make Them

Published on February 27, 2008 in Eye Candy by Rami Taibah

So you thought Vista’s desktop looked slick? Or the latest Leopard desktop is coolest thing after sliced bread? Well you probably haven’t been properly exposed to Linux’s customizability. Linux is so flexiblity is one of it’s strongest selling points. With Linux you can easily even mimic Vista or Leopard totally free! Now I will take you through some of the kewlest, freshest, phatest desktops I have come across.

*All Mac OSX taskbars in the following desktops can be created with different apps. kooldock, Avant Window Navigator, or Engage to name a few.

**You need to enable transparency in some desktops.

1-Planetary Eye Candy

Having one wallpaper usually gets a bit dull, the solution? You get xplanet! xplanet generates graphics of our small blue planet in set intervals (say every 10 minutes), also cloud cover is updated every three hours. Your desktop will serve as your own weather map! Numerodix explains how xplanet is installed.

Desktop: KDE

Taskbars: top and bottom (no expansion)

Transparency: terminal only

2-Marshmallow Hunting

This one is one of my favorites because it’s very easy on the eye. The wallpaper is slightly adjusted from the original one by David Lanham. David has got a lot of other breathtaking artwork, make sure you check them out also!! The icons were provided bye pokemonjojo2.

Desktop: Gnome

Taskbars: top (no expansion) and Mac OSX style

Transparency: none

3-Futuristic Gentoo

This one is a StarWarish-Pokemonish-Haloish desktop. The original wallpaper is taken from Deviantart, while the upper and lower panel seem to be the regular GNOME panels with transparency. The icons are also Gentoo.

Desktop: Gnome

Taskbars: top and bottom (no expansion)

Transparency: yes


4-Even More Gentooish

This one is a jaw dropper, it just screams Gentoo! The icon theme is called Lila and can be found on Gnome-Look. The gauges on the right are obviously gDesklets , while the wallpaper was created by nx57 from Deviantart.

Desktop: Gnome

Taskbars: top, bottom, and Mac OSX style

Transparency: yes

5-Bart Goes Nude

Who doesn’t love Bart? A kid that never seems to age or mature over the years. I included this desktop just because of the beauty of the picture. Just a simple wallpaper and the Gartoon icon set.

Desktop: Gnome

Taskbars: bottom (no expansion)

Transparency: none

6-Agent Smith Meet KDE

No Linux desktop list is complete without a Matrix desktop! This cool wallpaper is by *timshinn73 from Deviantart. Icons are the the default KDE icon set and the widgets are obviously SuperKaramba. While the gauges are gkrellm (thanks to “me” for pointing this out)

Desktop: KDE

Taskbars: top and bottom (no expansion)

Transparency: none

7-Hmmm…Portal?

This wallpaper is taken from Jamiroquai‘s video Virtual Insanity. But it just reminds me of the game Portal woot!!

Desktop: Gnome

Taskbars: top and bottom (no expansion)

Transparency: yes

8-CamelSnowMan

This one was done by CamelSnowMan from Deviantart, I just love the icon set! So simplistic! The Snowman artwork is done by dim.po. (I have scoured the net for the icons, I just can’t find them! Does anybody know how to get them?)

Desktop: KDE

Taskbars: bottom (no expansion)

Transparency: none

9-Fedora Sky

Ok ok ya this one is mine, but it sure is slick, right? I already have featured it before when I first installed Fedora 8. I used the default Fedora Core 8 wallpaper and a modified Fayal Emerald theme.

Desktop: KDE

Taskbars: Bottom (no expansion)

Transparency: Yes

10-Shrooms

This one is one of my favorite, dark and manageable! The wallpaper is originally from digitalblasphemy. The sidebar on the right also seems to SuperKaramba. While the gauges are gkrellm (thanks to “me” for pointing this out)

Desktop: KDE

Tasbars: top (expansion) and bottom (no expansion)

Transparency: yes


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About

Rami Taibah the founder of The Linuxologist and a self proclaimed geek and Linux aficionado. This fall, he will be pursuing an MIMS degree at UC Berkeley, California. You can follow him on Twitter @rtaibah.

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  • http://honestape.net honestape

    David Lanham rocks. I have so many of his icons and wallpapers. Really awesome art.

  • bes

    i see jack made the top level ;)

  • Then AGain DUde

    Then again, if you want to actually /work/ on those desktops… well, best think again.

  • Jack

    Too much items for my likings :)

  • http://hehe2.net atropos

    @ Bes: huh? What do you mean??

    @Then Again Dude:Since when Linux is only good at looking good? Trust me mate, these desktops are as productive as they come…

    @Jack: Too much what? Elements?

  • no

    #5 is a parody of nirvana’s album cover for nevermind… awesome album

  • http://www.shipshaq.com mehmet

    i see jack made the top level

  • http://weblog.verwilst.be Bart Verwilst

    Hehe, i used the background from 10-Shrooms for a looong time myself. And all the gauges on the right makes my mind wander back to my WindowMaker days many years ago.. aaah, the good old days!

  • Rich

    they’re all fugly. I’ve been looking for a sexy desktop for ages but still haven’t found one. suxx

  • http://www.jjmacey.net/blog JJMacey

    Hi,

    I’ve been running Linux for about 5 years now, and love it!

    My question – why not post some compiz-Fusion 3D Desktop shots? Those take a Desktop to amazing levels!

    Regards,

    JJMacey
    Phoenix, Arizona

  • http://hehe2.net atropos

    @JJMacey: Ya I will probably do that in a seperate post.

    @ Rich: Sorry you didn’t find these desktops, sexy. Whats your idea of sexy? Maybe I could whip up something for you ;)

  • Spanky

    This all seems dated to me and a bit juvenile. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great and points out that one can make their desktop look ANY way they want. I just expected to see the newer stuff that I had not had time to hunt. Also, I expected to see a Vista like and a Mac like screen-shot too. I have made both on Kubuntu with great success. I have even used a version of Puppy Linux (2.15CE) that had Vista style. Although, one could just show a screen of Vista or OS-X because that’s what you can make it look like.

    Of course some jerk would suggest I might rather have Vista or OS-X just because I like some of the graphics. Not! The best thing about having the desktop look any custom way you want (such as a combo of OS-X and Vista), is the underlying foundation that the GUI controls. For this reason, I keep the KDE task bar but many OPTIONS abound(I agree).

    Remember. Any reasonable person will understand, choice is universally good.

    Newbies please remember, you may start with both. No risk; no obligation. Keep your closed system intact; with something like Kubuntu as a simple “dual boot” system. It’s automatic. All you need is a Kubuntu CD (with about =>384MB RAM). Run it live from CD as a demo (but slower) or then click install. It will walk you through a dual boot setup if that’s what you want. It’s fast and not like installing Windows(yuk). Drivers are included. With broadband (for auto upgrades during install), it takes about 30 minutes. Why not try it? Most people never miss the (unused) space. Just use half and half on your hard drive. Keep it simple. No MS Windows is even more simple but you do not have to use the entire disk. Dual boot.

    Try Baghira for an OS-X look. Welcome to the fun!

  • http://hehe2.net atropos

    @Spanky: I appreciate your honesty. But this just reflects my personal taste in desktops. I scoured the net looking for screenshots and chose the top 10 appealing to me ( I really didn’t want to put my desktops as I didn’t want to this to be construed as promoting my stuff).

    I also initially wanted to put OSX and Vista styles, but then voted against that solely for the reason that I believe that Linux has a soul of it’s own, but I already hinted to that possibility in my intro. Also I really don’t find Vista or Mac OSX appealing in the first place.

    Anyways thanks for your input, I will definitely keep it in mind in my upcoming Desktop and/or Compiz posts :)

  • me

    FYI 6 and 10 it isn’t superkaramba it is gkrellm on the right side of the screen doing system monitor

  • http://garoth.com Garoth

    Actually, as it happens, I just blogged about my own desktop, which focuses on beauty, cleanness, keyboard bindings, and devil’s pie.

    http://garoth.com/?p=20

    One thing that the author of this page has skipped explaining (unless I missed it) is the use of Avant Window Navigator to get the mac-like dock.

  • http://www.jjmacey.net/blog JJMacey

    Atropos – I look forward to seeing your 3D Desktop collection. I’ve posted about 30 YouTube Linux 3D Desktops.

    Garoth – The author did mention the Avant Window Navigator.

    Regards,

    JJMacey
    Phoenix, Arizona

  • http://garoth.com Garoth

    Oh, he did, I’m sorry.

  • Paulo Cesar

    Hey! The #2 is mine! LOL!!

  • http://hehe2.net atropos

    @ Paulo Cesar: Well it’s F’ing cool man! I have a question though what are those tabs on the bottom left?

  • Paulo Cesar

    @ atropos: thanks man!

    That things on the corners are windows of apps. I used the “show desktop”, it’s a compiz effect, that send all windows to the corners with a little transparency.

  • http://www.jjmacey.net/blog JJMacey

    atropos,

    I think I’ll post a bunch of my own Linux 3D Desktops to my Blog.

    I’ll gladly add one or two to your Blog. Or, we can share with others.

    Meanwhile, I’ve got about 30 YouTube videos going with 3D Linux Desktops.

    Regards,
    JJMacey
    Phoenix, Arizona

  • pooper

    8-CamelSnowMan didn’t do those icons, check out http://www.rad-e8.com/

    Looks like SnowE2 set.

    This guy has been rocking my world with icons for years, been on hold for a while though…

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  • http://fabianopereiradesigner.blogspot.com/ Fabiano Pereira
  • http://www.jjmacey.net/blog JJMacey

    Fabiano Pereira,

    What are you using for your “Tag Cloud”?

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  • http://www.myspace.com/wherewillwhy wherewillwhy

    i feel for all of the windows users out there !! hey there is something better!
    and its not too hard

  • []p[p][

    4. Sync Complete; You’re Online!
    it will probably be a little while

  • spud

    i chose a mac not for the cool desktop… how many things can do u’r linux machine when it just come out from the box? well that’s it! linux is something different symply it’s totally free but it’s only geekfriendly. I’m a basic computer user i just want do things… with a mac i’ll never need drivers, and i’ll do nothing but power on the mac for connect it to the closest wireless it’s NOT FREE but it WORK! Cool screenshoots man! ;) peace

  • Rich

    yeah fair enough, but i do think linux is getting better for non-geeks. either that or i’m getting geekier…

  • http://hehe2.net Rami Taibah

    @Spud: Actually Linux does a lot out of the box, just take a look at Ubuntu, in many cases it has amazed me how it detected my hardware, I am pretty sure I am not alone. I admit that Linux still has a long way to go, but in the 3 years I have been using it, it improved bounds and leaps!

    Anyways IMHO the strongest selling point of Linux is not that it’s free. But rather that it’s open, and flexible to a degree no other OS could claim. Got an itch? Just hack the source code…And if your not techy enough to do that, then probably your itch has been scratched by another geek programmer.

    @Rich: Welcome to our jolly bunch…ya you are a geek…you should feel proud ;)

  • Drezta

    my current sabayon linux laptop works everything out of the box except a fingerprint scanner and my speakers both because i’m to lazy to fix them ^^

    and linux is way easier to use than any windows setup i’v tried, granted i do make a lot of silly mistakes still but its just adjustment issues really (single click interaction anyone?)

    great post

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  • Yair Tendler

    Nice I like the last one

  • petee

    They are quite ugly actually..
    Linux could really be lookin alot better to be fair

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