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How To Install Mac OS X Lion Theme On Lubuntu / LXDE


Lubuntu 12.04 with Mac OS X Lion Theme, xcompmgr & cairo-dock
[click to enlarge]

Mac OS X is the special one in the Desktop market. So many people admire it because of its beauty, safety (yes, it is an UNIX) and its profesional image as “an OS for profesional modern art designer”. Yeah, Mac OS X has beautiful look and I do like its look-n-feel. And so, there are so many theme patcher to make our Microsoft Windows or Linux OS become Mac OS X in the appearance.

In Linux Desktop, there are some project specialized in designing theme transformation pack to make our Linux desktop to be looked like Mac OS X. The most popular project probably is Mac4Lin. But, all of those projects was designed only for GNOME or sometimes support XFCE and how about LXDE? Our Star in the current lightweight Linux desktop? (Yes, LXDE is the most light-but-complete Linux desktop for now).

Until now, there is no project that officially support LXDE. Basically, LXDE uses gtk (now still stay with gtk2) and any gtk theme can be used in LXDE. The problem is, LXDE uses openbox as its window manager. And as the logical reason for its ligthweight, openbox has limitation. Openbox doesn't support complex theming by using high resolution png images so we couldn't build sophisticated theme for openbox. However, we could still build window theme with color for openbox and we could try to resemble any theme we want, although it will never be pitch-perfect same as a clone. And so, there is an openbox theme tried to resemble Mac OS X theme and we could use it to transform our LXDE desktop to be looked like Mac OS X Lion.

After experimenting with previous Mac4Lin theme, I've successfully transform my Lubuntu 12.04 to be Mac OS X Lion style and so then I pack them into DEBS and we could transform our Lubuntu to be looked like Mac OS X easily. Here are the steps to transform Lubuntu to be looked like Mac OS X Lion :

  1. Download and install Mac OS X Theme For LXDE
    GKT Theme
    Wallpapers (Only For Lubuntu)
  2. Download and install Mac OS X Lion Icon Theme
  3. Install Cairo Dock and XCompmgr
    sudo apt-get install cairo-dock xcompmgr
  4. Move the Panel to the top and remove Window List (Task Bar) Applet, Application Launch Bar Applet, Minimize All Windows Applet and Desktop Pager Applet.
  5. Check the Strecth option of Spacer Applet between Menu Applet and system applet in order to get wide space between Menu and System Tray Applet.
  6. Change the gtk and icon theme into Mac OS X, and change the Lubuntu logo into Apple logo by right clik at the Menu applet and point the image logo to /usr/share/icons/Mac-Lion-Icons/places/24/start-here.png
  7. Add Cairo Dock and xcompmgr as additional autostarted startup applications in LXDE by editing this :
    sudo leafpad /etc/xdg/lxsession/Lubuntu/autostart
    At the end, add these lines :
    @xcompmgr
    @cairo-dock
  8. Save and Exit, and then Reboot the System
  9. Now, we have Lubuntu with Mac OS X like look :*
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Mas kira2 buat linux mint lxde bs gk?
May 29, 2012 at 3:43 PM
Cold Eagle said…
Hi Mas Tux, you can beautify your Lubuntu with this theme: http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Lubuntu+Shadowplay?content=162422

Another alternative for Lubuntu icon theme: http://lubuntublog.blogspot.com/2013/10/box-041-icon-theme.html

I haven't tried yet but I'll do. Matur nuwun..
December 31, 2013 at 10:32 PM
Doctor Jellyface said…
You should use compton instead of xcompmgr. Here's an explanation on how to use it: http://lubuntublog.blogspot.com.es/p/compton.html
April 15, 2014 at 11:32 PM
Alwan Rosyidi said…
Thank you for the advice.. When I wrote this post, compton wasn't included yet in Ubuntu repository..
May 14, 2014 at 10:38 PM
Alwan Rosyidi said…
Thank you brother Cold Eagle..
May 14, 2014 at 10:38 PM
Unknown said…
I downloaded this package but I couldn't get the icons to load, where in menu do I change that? Also how do I fix the rectangle around the deck that cuts off the bottom of the windows?
August 30, 2014 at 1:40 AM
Unknown said…
this is brilliant. thank you so much! looks and feels extremely similar!
November 21, 2014 at 10:04 AM
Unknown said…
Hey all. i have a problem with this. the background is light, and the text of things are also white so it is quite hard to see what is written, for example in the Calculator. how to fix this? i am happy for help!
//paul
February 20, 2015 at 3:14 PM
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