Linux - Newbie This Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place! |
Notices |
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
Are you new to LinuxQuestions.org? Visit the following links:
Site Howto |
Site FAQ |
Sitemap |
Register Now
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
|
 |
|
11-14-2004, 02:24 PM
|
#1
|
LQ Newbie
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Middle of Nowhere, VT
Distribution: Windows Vista b2/Win XP dual boot, Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Posts: 10
Rep:
|
Mac OSX Look-Alike Linux?
Hello.
Up until recently, I have always been a hardcore Windows user. (Don't hate me!)
However, I have recently been looking for a Linux Distro that closely resembles the Macintosh OSX interface. After Weeks of Googleing on the subject, I have come up empty-handed. I and hoping that somebody could point me in the direction of a (REALLY) good theme or a complete distro (perferred) that would accomplish this.
I currently have a Dell Dimension 8300 Desktop with:
120 GB SATA Drive <---Has been a problem with previous distros
1 GB of RAM
2.8 GHz Intel P4 HT Processor
External BACKPACK 40GB HD <---EXTREMELY important to have work with linux
NVidia GeForce FX 5200 <---Using split desktop (2 monitors=double the desktop space)
DVD-ROM and DVD+RW 4x Drives
Creative! Sound Blaster Live! w/5.1 Surround Speakers
PixelView PlayTV ProUltra TV Tuner Card <--- Also Important
============
Windows XP SP2
---AND---
Mandrake 10 <--- Currently not working, failed attempt
Dual boot
============
Let me know if you need any other info.
-THANK YOU 
Last edited by Launchpad_72; 11-14-2004 at 02:45 PM.
|
|
|
Click here to see the post LQ members have rated as the most helpful post in this thread.
|
11-14-2004, 02:29 PM
|
#2
|
Gentoo Developer
Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Fort Lauderdale FL.
Distribution: Gentoo
Posts: 3,291
Rep:
|
|
|
|
11-14-2004, 02:42 PM
|
#3
|
LQ Newbie
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Middle of Nowhere, VT
Distribution: Windows Vista b2/Win XP dual boot, Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Posts: 10
Original Poster
Rep:
|
Not quite. Close though.
I'm going for a look where if you sat down at the computer, you would think it's a true Mac OSX system.
Also, I should mention that even if I do find a theme I like, I haven't the slightest clue how to implement it.
|
|
|
11-14-2004, 03:02 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Bristol UK
Distribution: Arch Slackware Ubuntu
Posts: 1,082
Rep:
|
Can I be brutal here? I think that you need to be honest with yourself about what you want. If you are a committed Windows user -- stick with Windows and good luck. If you want to use a linux distro, install one and start using it. Once you've got to grips with it, start thinking about how you'd like it to look. It can probably look like anything you want --- even 0SX  Why do you want it to look like 0SX? I don't want to know the answer to that question -- I want you to think about it. Perhaps you need to buy a Mac with 0SX installed???? I'm not trying to put you off here --- certainly not --- but I'm not sure you are making yourself clear or life easy for yourself!!
Good luck!
|
|
|
11-14-2004, 03:12 PM
|
#5
|
LQ Newbie
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Middle of Nowhere, VT
Distribution: Windows Vista b2/Win XP dual boot, Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Posts: 10
Original Poster
Rep:
|
Good Points.
Basically, I am definitely a windows user and always will be.
However, I have used Macs before and all the Pre-OSX interfaces were-in my opinion-ugly. However, when I came across OSX for the first time, I fell in love with it. I felt like I was cheating on Microsoft (hehe). Since then, I have wanted to be able to have the Mac OSX interface available to me, but I don't have the space or the money to buy a second machine. So, I figure that there HAS to be some kind of Linux Distro that emulates Mac OSX.
Simply Put, I want to have both on one machine, but since Apple hasn't issued a Intel-based OS, I turned to Linux.
-Thanks again.
|
|
|
11-14-2004, 05:08 PM
|
#6
|
Member
Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Can
Distribution: Slackware, ubuntu
Posts: 391
Rep:
|
I don't think your switching to linux for the right reasons here at all, again I don't want to discourage you but linux isn't really about the gui, it's the exact opposite. Why not just skin windows to look like osx? There's plenty of stuff out there to do it like stylexp, windowsblinds... etc..
|
|
|
11-14-2004, 06:45 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Registered: May 2004
Location: Australia
Distribution: Gentoo
Posts: 3,545
Rep:
|
Quote:
Simply Put, I want to have both on one machine, but since Apple hasn't issued a Intel-based OS, I turned to Linux.
|
Uhhhh, not 100% true there. Apple have released the source for Darwin and in turn an Intel port.
|
|
|
11-14-2004, 09:10 PM
|
#8
|
Member
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Delaware
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 351
Rep:
|
Hey...nobody mentioned Pear PC.
http://apple.weblogsinc.com/entry/2645411320818498/
You can run mac programs on windows......
Very slowly....Program is getting better I hear. This option might take some time to pan out.
Hey you could alway sell your what sounds to me to be a really nice computer (Jealous),  and buy a g4 power pc or the new g5 all in one thing.
Or just stay with win and get window shades and skin the hell out of it to look like OSX.
Or try linux and find a distro that will fit you needs. Most windows managers can be made to be quite pleasing to the eye.
Whatever.... just my input.
|
|
|
11-14-2004, 09:14 PM
|
#9
|
Member
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Delaware
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 351
Rep:
|
opps I forgot...
If you go with the sell your computer and buy a mac option. You could run virtual pc to run your windows apps.
|
|
|
05-19-2006, 04:00 PM
|
#10
|
LQ Newbie
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Middle of Nowhere, VT
Distribution: Windows Vista b2/Win XP dual boot, Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Posts: 10
Original Poster
Rep:
|
Status Update
Well, more than a year later, and a lot smarter, I'd figure I should fill you in on my solution.
In a breadth of amazing luck, I won (who knows how, I never entered) a brand-new eMac running OSX 10.4, solving my problems of wanting an OS X interface and a linux distro to work with.
I now spend more time in the UNIX terminal of my eMac than I do with the interface.
I have gone from Microsoft whore to a Windows/Mac/Linux lover. (Yeah, I know, I should see a therapist ASAP.)
Oh, and Windows Vista is actually a really nice OS, and no, Microsoft is not paying me to say that. The only big problem is that it's just a resource whore.
Being a Microsoft Offical Beta Tester has it's advantages.
-Donut
=========
Dell Dimension 8300
Windows Vista b2/Win XP dual boot
2.8GHz Pentium 4 HT
120GB SATA Primary Drive
200GB SATA Secondary Drive (for all my animé, of course)
40GB External Backpack HD (currently empty)
1GB PC3200 RAM
Dual DVD-ROM & DVD+RW Drives
nVIDIA GeForce FX 5200
Creative Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 w/ THX Certified Surround System
PixelView PlayTV Ultra TV Tuner Card
TI FireWire PCI card
=========
eMac G4 1.25GHz
OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
40GB ATA HD
CD-ROM Drive
256MB RAM
(Hey, for a free computer, it's not bad)
=========
768D/256UKbps Deticated ADSL Line (BitTorrent Halleauhah chorus)
Last edited by Launchpad_72; 05-19-2006 at 04:16 PM.
|
|
|
05-20-2006, 04:37 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Somerset, England
Distribution: Slackware 10.2, Slackware 10.0, Ubuntu 9.10
Posts: 1,938
Rep:
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Launchpad_72
Being a Microsoft Offical Beta Tester has it's advantages.
|
Do you get the latest virus first? 
|
|
|
05-21-2006, 12:48 PM
|
#12
|
LQ Newbie
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Middle of Nowhere, VT
Distribution: Windows Vista b2/Win XP dual boot, Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Posts: 10
Original Poster
Rep:
|
Actually, no.
I don't want to sound like a MS spokesperson, but Microsoft really did their homework on this one.
Windows Vista is actually a really good OS, and Windows OneCare (their firewall/antivirus/backup program) in my opinion, outstrips McAfee antivirus and is on par with Norton Internet Sercurity. The only problem is that microsoft wants to overcharge people for it. (3-computer subscription for $50)
Oh, on that note, you have heard about how Macs really should start getting protection themselves, right? The more devious programmers are starting to target OS X, strange as it sounds, and the intel core is completely irrelevant to vunerability.
Symantec has already started developing a nice AV for the Mac, but the problem is the headstrong-ed-ness of most Mac owners, blissfully ignorant of the new threats.
I wouldn't be suprised (well, I would be a little bit) if MS tried to turn out "Macintosh OneCare". I'm sure that will be a big hit.
.
|
|
|
05-24-2006, 01:39 PM
|
#13
|
Member
Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Delaware
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 351
Rep:
|
I love follow ups. Thanks.
It should all come down to what OS does the job best for you. I like Linux for most thing, but I still run most games on my xp64 box.
I saw some screenshots off digg yesterday of Vista. It looks allright. We'll see someday.
I will look forward to it the way I am looking forward to the PS3. I am sure both will dissapoint me on some level.
Regards,
Blair
|
|
|
05-24-2006, 01:47 PM
|
#14
|
Member
Registered: Apr 2006
Distribution: Suse 10.2, Ubuntu Feisty Fawn
Posts: 74
Rep:
|
Any distro can look like a mac.. although the enlightenment desktop looks really really close... you could always just download that..
|
|
|
05-30-2006, 10:39 PM
|
#15
|
Member
Registered: Aug 2005
Distribution: Ubuntu
Posts: 62
Rep:
|
I don't know if I should be
a) sorry for digging this thread up or if I will be
b) sorry for not opening a new one just for this link:
Go here: SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 (acronym intended?  ) and then view the Desktop Demo either in your browser as flash or download the .mpg (just the first 220GB include the actual demo).
It's basically a presentation of how far Linux has come in the terms of 'user-friendliness' and eye-candy by employing Xgl. It also seems as if they (SUSE developers?) have successfully cloned (ripped off?) Exposé, Spotlight and other tidbits that add to that flashy Mac OS X experience.
Personally, I'm all for usability for everybody, not just for people with bleeding-edge hardware. I wish they had been a bit more specific* about the hardware specifications of the maschine that's being used.
* One of the guys mentions that any computer that is a couple of years old would do.
Of course you could try to replicate some of the OS X stuff step by step by finding an equivalent for every OS X application, but it's simply put probably not worth it anyway. The only reason I can see is to impress your family and friends, which they won't be, since you're never going to duplicate the 'snappiness' and homogenous look entirely.
If you're just out for the eye-candy, you could try http://flyakiteosx.com on Windows XP and see if it's really that meaningful to you.
|
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:05 PM.
|
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.
|
Latest Threads
LQ News
|
|