Help needed to design an XP look!

[charlemagne86]

Hey people,
well I used ubuntu and liked it very much...however this post is about a small personal project I have undertaken....you see my Dad uses winXP at home...and I want to sell him to the idea of using ubuntu....so I have started a project to make the ubuntu on the home desktop as much convenient for my dad to use as possible.....


This is the screenshot of what it now looks like::

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/5039/screenshotxq5.th.png (http://img186.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshotxq5.png)

Now I am stuck up a bit and need help on the following issues:

1- I cant find a decent XP icon theme...the one I am using eXpelon...is very limited and the rest icons...like folders n all remain the default....

2- Can anyone guide me as to how can I change the look of the 'start' menu so as to resemble the XP structure(ps...i would like to use gnome)

3-The open window list on th ebottom panel is okay..but can I make them look like XP with a thin borner around each window button...and maybe a small color change?

4-Well I am using splashy and ever since i hav started using it..i seem to have a very peculiar prob---When I start the system....sometimes it boots fine..and sometimes, just sometimes..it doesnt load the wallpaper..or the desktop i believe..because then even though i can use the menu and all, i am unable to right click on the desktop.

5-There is a utility to open the proecss manager using the ctrl-alt-del combo. I used it on gutsy..bt cant seem to remember wherre I found it...can anyone guide me to it?



A million thanks in advance!



PS. Any comments or suggestions on my work so far are also welcome!

[abhiroopb]

I would recommend checking out reactOS: http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html

Basically they are using a linux base and making it JUST like winXP including (bleh!) the registry.

Anyway I suggest you check it out, or perhaps even contact them for themes/ideas.

Good luck!

Keep up the good work.

[Chokkan]

Distrowatch (http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20080526#news) has a piece on Fameix which looks very much like XP.

[medic2000]

Sorry i don't know the way to make Ubuntu look like Xp. But i don't think he will like Ubuntu if it seems like Xp. My suggestion is making a comfortable desktop and telling the philosophy of GNU/Linux will work.
By the way my dad uses Ubuntu too and he have not suffered any problem yet :)

[abhiroopb]

I think the issue here is familiarity. Inherently I never say anything wrong with the XP look. Thats probably because over the years I grew used to it. Just as now I've grown used to ubuntu. But to make the transition I do think making it look like XP is a good idea!

[TomMK]

Familiarity is definitely the key here. I've found it is enough to just make the window borders look like the Luna theme by using Lunacity from gnome-look, leaving the icons and menus as they are.

Try it, just change the window borders but leave everything else, I'd bet your dad would be willing to give ubuntu a go then. It has worked for me.

[golgo13]

:lolflag:
my father struggles with / swears a lot at XP anyway
I don't have the courage or the time to get him ubuntu wise
good luck

[ShodanjoDM]

Look here:

http://ubuntu.online02.com/node/14

or here:

http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/GnomeXP?content=69587

[charlemagne86]

Hey thank you all guys....will try all that asap...

Now I would like to elaborate a bit.....

My dad has been like using win for a decade...and is a bit apprehensive of any transitions....so as i see it, if i make him use linux, he may try is...but on running into rough waters, he'll run straight back to xp....simultaneously creating a negative mental image about linux....

I am at home with him for at best a month, then i have to leave,..what i really wanna do is ensure that whatever he may think of doing....there be nothin that makes him say that it was better/easier in XP!!

[smartboyathome]

You may have a hard time, then, since there are many, MANY bugs in Linux. He will be bound to find at least one. I advise against this, since you are not only tricking him, but not fully explaining the pros and cons and letting him make an informed decision. Forcing him will just make the mental image of linux worse when he comes across a bug.

[charlemagne86]

Oh no its nothing like that....he knows about linux n all...he even mentioned that if this doesnt work out, he'll try the default looks ubuntu n all....even saw me use puppy linux.!!..i think all he needs is a gentle push towards it...

n m not exactly forcing him...hell its dual boot...he can always go to XP!


thanks for the advice though!

[Houstonjdd]

Dual-boot the system if thats the issue and let him use XP if he likes it.

It will take him awhile to get used to how Linux handles, the plain fact that it's a pain in the *** to install window apps is enough to just leave one enough alone.

Not to mention you are defacing Ubuntu by making it "look" like XP :P

[charlemagne86]

Okay ppl, the icon theme issue has been resolved thanks to the gr8 post by ShodanjoDM thnx a lot...!!

Also the splashy issue sems to have died away and not of immediate concern...anyone has any idea about the rest three issues as mentioned in the original post?

[abhiroopb]

I believe this link (posted earlier) seemed to have a simple script that converted EVERYTHING...to XP...seems easy enough!

http://ubuntu.online02.com/node/14

[ShodanjoDM]

2- Can anyone guide me as to how can I change the look of the 'start' menu so as to resemble the XP structure(ps...i would like to use gnome)

The best that I can think of is to use the "Vista Menu" hack:

http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Vista+Start+Menu+for+Gnome+Panel?content=71425

5-There is a utility to open the proecss manager using the ctrl-alt-del combo. I used it on gutsy..bt cant seem to remember wherre I found it...can anyone guide me to it?


Don't know about it, maybe gps process monitor? It's in the repo. Quite useful although it still uses GTK1 for its GUI.

On the other hand you can try installing LXDE Process manager. It looks like this:

71678

[inportb]

I would recommend checking out reactOS: http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html

Basically they are using a linux base and making it JUST like winXP including (bleh!) the registry.

Hm... isn't ReactOS BSD?

[abhiroopb]

To enable ctrl-alt-del to open the gnome process manager do the following:

1. start a terminal.
2. type: gconf-editor
3. scroll to apps>metacity>global_keybindings
4. Pick any free "run_command" right click, select edit key and type the following into "Value": <Control><Alt>Delete
5. Go to keybinding_command, find the corresponding "command" (so if your run_command was run_command_9, then here look for command_9) right click, select edit key, and type the following into "Value": gnome-system-monitor.
6. Exit, and test it

NB: you can use this to set ANY hotkey settings you want!

[abhiroopb]

Sorry didn't know the details I just heard about it!

[smartboyathome]

To enable ctrl-alt-del to open the gnome process manager do the following:

1. start a terminal.
2. type: gconf-editor
3. scroll to apps>metacity>global_keybindings
4. Pick any free "run_command" right click, select edit key and type the following into "Value": <Control><Alt>Delete
5. Go to keybinding_command, find the corresponding "command" (so if your run_command was run_command_9, then here look for command_9) right click, select edit key, and type the following into "Value": gnome-system-monitor.
6. Exit, and test it

NB: you can use this to set ANY hotkey settings you want!

More user friendly way of doing this:
1. Alt-f2
2-5. same as above.

[charlemagne86]

I believe this link (posted earlier) seemed to have a simple script that converted EVERYTHING...to XP...seems easy enough!

http://ubuntu.online02.com/node/14
ya i had gone thru the script.....it uses wither what I had already used like icons, gdm etc....or what i had skipped for better looking options like the emerald theme.....however the isssues mentionede in my first post here...are still unresolved in it!

thnx anyway

[charlemagne86]

The best that I can think of is to use the "Vista Menu" hack:

http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Vista+Start+Menu+for+Gnome+Panel?content=71425



Don't know about it, maybe gps process monitor? It's in the repo. Quite useful although it still uses GTK1 for its GUI.

On the other hand you can try installing LXDE Process manager. It looks like this:

71678
hmm...lemme see if i can do about tha vista menu thing!...

anyways....the ctrl-alt-del tool i am talking about used to display the top info...

bt i guess i'll have to do with the tool u provided...which looks gr8 btw~

[charlemagne86]

thnx abhiroopb.....will test those key bindings...when on linux box!

[stinger30au]

maybe this may help

http://www.linux-xp.com/

[stinger30au]

i just stumbled across this

Equinox is small and very portable desktop environment designed to be very lightweight in memory and resource usage.

With this in mind, you can run it on very old hardware and various devices, but this doesn't mean you can't put it on the latest technology ;-)

http://equinox-project.org/

http://www.linux.com/feature/135684