[SOLVED] Replicate Gnome Shell with KDE

I've got a rather bizarre project that I'm trying with my desktop environment. I like GNOME Shell, and its unified, alien feel, but... It is currently too inflexible for me. I would really like to be able to move the battery indicator out of the status dropdown and into the top bar where it is permanently visible, and other such tweaks, but even with Gnome Tweak Tool some of these are impossible. Also, there is a Gnome-killing bug in VirtualBox guest additions where the cursor is invisible under the only settings it is practical to use VBox on. I'm also kind of doing this because I can.

Therefore, I'm looking for (Don't gag) help to sort of replicate the look, feel and workflow of Gnome Shell in another desktop. I feel I should emphasize that this is NOT an attempt to make Gnome Shell act like Gnome 2, but an attempt to replicate the good parts of the Gnome Shell experience with other tools.

So far, KDE looks the most promising (because of the "Present Windows" effect), but I can't figure out several things. I would appreciate knowing how to get a Gnome Shell style app launcher, customize the 'folder structure' of the applications menu, or remove all Oxygen icons. I love the ideology of extreme customization, which is why I'm using a Linux VM in the first place, but I prefer a more alien feel like Gnome Shell attempts to create, and the default aesthetics of KDE are too ostentatious, like cheap costume jewelery. I'd really prefer an icon scheme that is more austere.

As a related side note, does anybody know what the deal is with Microsoft, Apple, and just about every Linux distro and DE's obsession with the color blue? For me it's become cliché to the point of obnoxious. It's one point of Gnome that I do NOT want to copy.

Thanks for any help in advance.

Why not start with Mate and customize?

At one time there were a few options for KDE to make it look different. Not sure if that is still in there. They had maybe 5 choices like apple, xp and a few others. Not sure what they called it. I suspect all that is still available and could be customized.

"At one time there were a few options for KDE to make it look different. Not sure if that is still in there. They had maybe 5 choices like apple, xp and a few others. Not sure what they called it. I suspect all that is still available and could be customized."

Gnome 3 is the one that has lost all the options, because they rebuilt it from the ground up. KDE 4.11 is the most customizable thing I have ever seen. Everything is modular and changing anything requires little more than a download. It's not so much a matter of whether it is possible, or even how, but simply where. I have already gotten a global menu bar like in Unity or OSX, removed the taskbar and replaced it with a Gnome-like Exposé effect (Present Windows), and stripped all glass feel from everywhere in the OS except the icons. I already know how to change an icon theme, and can figure out how to add third-party widgets; I'm looking for recommendations for specific downloads. I have already mostly succeeded in copying Gnome 3; I am just stuck on a few points. It's not even really a problem, just a project because I can.

"Why not start with Mate and customize?"

As far as I was aware, MATE tries to offer an experience similar to Gnome 2. I am trying to copy the extremely controversial Gnome 3, and specifically the features of the "Activities Overview."

When you said gnome shell I immediately assumed gnome fallback or whatever it's called now. I should have leaned long ago what assume means

Originally Posted by jefro At one time there were a few options for KDE to make it look different. Not sure if that is still in there. They had maybe 5 choices like apple, xp and a few others. Not sure what they called it. I suspect all that is still available and could be customized.

If you need some hope for the 21st century, I would recommend systematically going through every everything in the KDE System Settings app. It does take a while, but it is proof that some developers are still writing for real people rather than imaginary generalizations. If that is somehow not enough, check out E17. It's not for me at this point but it has customization, visual and functional, as a core design philosophy. This is why we like *nix in the first place!

Not sure what to say.

I think this is the continuation of the themes there were default.

http://kde-look.org/

Originally Posted by Yaractys Therefore, I'm looking for (Don't gag) help to sort of replicate the look, feel and workflow of Gnome Shell in another desktop. I feel I should emphasize that this is NOT an attempt to make Gnome Shell act like Gnome 2, but an attempt to replicate the good parts of the Gnome Shell experience with other tools. So far, KDE looks the most promising (because of the "Present Windows" effect), but I can't figure out several things. I would appreciate knowing how to get a Gnome Shell style app launcher, customize the 'folder structure' of the applications menu, or remove all Oxygen icons. I love the ideology of extreme customization, which is why I'm using a Linux VM in the first place, but I prefer a more alien feel like Gnome Shell attempts to create, and the default aesthetics of KDE are too ostentatious, like cheap costume jewelery. I'd really prefer an icon scheme that is more austere.

For the launcher
Systemsettings > Window behaviour > KWin Scripts > Get New Scripts
Search "gnome", install Actos Dashboard.

For the icons
Systemsettings > Application Appearance > Icons > Get New Themes
Search for something. I like looking at the most downloaded and highest rated too. I currently use KFaenza.

Originally Posted by Yaractys As a related side note, does anybody know what the deal is with Microsoft, Apple, and just about every Linux distro and DE's obsession with the color blue? For me it's become cliché to the point of obnoxious. It's one point of Gnome that I do NOT want to copy.

Colours have a psychological affect on people. They have the power to influence our emotions. I can't find a source but i remember reading one time that Microsoft uses a blue theme because it apparently encourages creativity or something.

Thanks for the Actos Dashboard recommendation! It reminds me of Homerun and Takeoff, but it includes the window switcher as well. There are only two more things now! If Actos doesn't work for me, It would be nice to have a panel button that activates "Present Windows" instead of an active corner, if anyone knows of such a thing or how to make one. Also, is it possible to exactly center a widget in a panel? I have a system tray at one end of a top panel, but I want my clock in the middle.(Launcher at left, just like Gnome) If I use separators, an item unhiding in the tray will move them, and throw off all my work to center the clock!

That is also very interesting about the Blue thing. For me, it is almost exactly the opposite. Most shades of blue seem sterile and almost undead to me on a screen, just like the massive blocks of white you see all over the web. However, I have weird taste, lying somewhere between the looks of "iOS 7" and "Mordor." It comes out kind of "Romulan."(Star Trek Nemesis) As for colors, I am kind of Romulan there too. Give me a good dark gray and lime any day!

I finally found some good icons! I know how to kill Oxygen now. It's not that much like the Gnome artwork but has a similar feel. I am finally settling on kAwOken White (without styling script) for icons, and no, there are no capitalization errors there, qtcurve with custom config for application theme, Amakage for plasma theme, and a Gnome top bar with the widgets: Appmenu QML, current application control, spacer, adjustable clock, spacer, system tray. It does a pretty passable Gnome imitation, but the differences are all improvements!

Links:
http://kde-look.org/content/show.php...content=143865
http://kde-look.org/content/show.php...content=150285
http://kde-apps.org/content/show.php...content=146098
http://kde-apps.org/content/show.php...?content=92825 (version in Ubuntu repos was broken last time I checked)
qtcurve and the rest of the widgets are probably in the repositories of most major distros.

You and i are going to get along just fine. Our taste in desktop prettiness seems to be the same or similar. You wouldn't happen to know what icon theme is being used in the second link you provided?

The icons shown in the Amakage screenshot? I don't know; they look sort of like Faenza Flattr but that's not what they actually are. Faenza Flattr doesn't have the green in the folders...

I lost the VM I was tweaking (I tweaked it to death; good thing I was using a VM!) but I still have all the configuration files and themes. I'll post some screenshots when I get it reconstructed.