I recently found myself without my MacBook for a few days (which will be the subject of a future post) and I took it upon myself to check out Ubuntu. I previously mentioned how easy it was to get running, how there were plenty of applications already installed and how easy it is to install new applications. I talked about how simple it is for novice users to get up and running, but I also talked about when it comes to customizing Ubuntu (or any Linux distro for that matter) to your specific needs, things can get a bit more, well, Linux-y. However, if you have ever used DOS or the Unix/Linux command line, or if you can simply follow directions and hope nothing screws up, you can get some cool stuff going with little trouble.

One of the reasons why I got a MacBook is because of OS X's visual appeal...

I'm a visual person. I like to look at pretty things (shiny things too). One of the reasons why I got a MacBook is because of OS X's visual appeal (among other things). Window's XP just doesn't cut it for me. When I first ran Ubuntu, I saw what I've seen so many times before (on other computers or screenshots of various Linux distros): and that is Crap with a capital 'C.'

There are a couple different desktop environments with Linux: Gnome and KDE (along with a few others such as Xfce, Mezzo and Enlightenment) that handle how the user interacts with the computer. Ubuntu uses Gnome, and on its own, it looks like Windows 95 with a little too much makeup. I'm just talking visuals here, not usability or features.

One of my first priorities after getting Ubuntu up and running was to make it sexy. Damn sexy. OS X has spoiled me, and I need my eye candy. Unlike the limited skinning options with Windows (Windows Blinds or hacking the uxtheme.dll), you can actually replace the desktop environment, the window manager, file manager and a number of other applications with Linux. Say I don't like the Gnome desktop environment... I can just install another. If you have one, you can install the other and decide which you want to use when you login. Mezzo, for example, disposes of the idea that the desktop is just another folder as well as nested menus, attempting to simplify the experience. I am sticking with Gnome at the moment but am curious to see what the others have to offer. Then there is the window manager...

Beryl Cube Desktop
Ubuntu uses the Metacity window manager, which handles the windows and their appearance. You can relate the window manager to Windows Blinds. Ubuntu came with somewhere around 15 themes but they just didn't do any better than Windows 98 or XP could do. Thankfully I can just go online and find a theme I like, or I could install a different window manager with more features. I decided on the a Metacity theme to skin the windows and buttons, and then I found Beryl.

I now have a desktop environment that rivals anything Apple or Microsoft could throw at me...

Beryl is a graphics accelerated window manager, providing many of the same features seen in OS X and Vista's window environments. Getting Beryl to run was a little tricky, but once I got it installed and tuned the various effects, I now have a desktop environment that rivals anything Apple or Microsoft could throw at me. In addition to the transparent windows (that blur whatever is behind them, wobble when I move them and stick like Jello to the sides of the screen), multiple desktops and the various ways of switching between windows and workspaces, I can look forward to new features and effects as soon as some guy out there with a compiler and an open-source paint program dreams something up.

With everything I've said about how much I like a good looking operating system, there is one thing that most Linux applications lack, and that is the polish a high-paid team of developers and designers can offer. While OS X and Vista may not be able to provide as many features or as much customization, their interfaces ooze that quality shine only a meticulous wash and wax can offer. While my Linux setup has tons of features and frills, I would still rather work in OS X, simply because it is clean, polished and everything works perfectly. However, when it comes time to play in the sandbox, it's Linux all the way!

Here are some pictures of my current Ubuntu desktop (click for larger versions):