Make desktop look like windows 7

[cleam]

Hello all!

Now I'm using Windows 7 and its window management strategy works perfect for me. But due changes in my work activities I need to switch to Linux, so I'm trying make Ubuntu behave just like windows 7. The main issue is the taskbar:

1) I'm using vertical taskbar on the left side of display
2) I'm using new windows 7 superbar layout. In this layout windows are presented in task bar just by icons without titles.
3) I'm using "combine" feature. It means that multiple widows from one application are presented as a single item in taskbar.

Here there is a screenshot of my taskbar (http://www.flickr.com/photos/klim/3479880336/sizes/o/)

I had a look to gnome applet called TaskDock (http://ubuntu-ky.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=986338) but it doesn't support "combine" feature.

Is it possible to make Ubuntu behave like windows 7?
The desktop environment doesn't matter for me. I'm a quite new to linux desktop experience. So I could choose any DE (Gnome, KDE, Xfce, Enlightenment, etc).

[gui-tar]

Umm.. if you are talking about the theme then here is something i found (Theme (http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Skowst+GTK2+Theme+-+Preview?content=103252)) .

[cleam]

No, I'm talking about behavior of task bar.

[kanikilu]

XFCE is pretty close, with a couple catches:

1) The Icon Box plugin currently is broken in a vertical panel if you have the latest version of GTK. This is apparently fixed in XFCE 4.6.1, but who knows when that will make it into the repositories (there's a PPA, but I generally like to stick to the official repos whenever possible)

2) I don't believe the Icon Box plugin has a "combine" option. I personally find Win 7's grouping visually unintuitive, but that's just my opinion.

You can check out other "dock" solutions like Gnome-Do's Docky, AWN or Cairo-Dock, but I don't think there is one that does exactly the things you want.

For me, XFCE fulfills my needs. At home, I'd prefer to use a vertical dock (widescreen), but for now I'm willing to live with it...

// Edit - Using the standard task list plugin (not the icon box plugin), even though you can't explicitly remove the text labels, if you make the panel narrow enough (~40px in my case), the text doesn't show up. Plus, it does support grouping. In the screenshot I made a test panel and didn't add all the plugins I use, just the xfce menu and task list.

[abn91c]

install the kubuntu desktop,here is a basic screenshot you can add more toolbars if you like

[joey-elijah]

There' a panel applet in developed called 'Dock bar' which essentially does the same thing as Windows 7 just without the glamour!

http://gnome-look.org/CONTENT/content-pre3/97822-3.png


http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/DockBar?content=97822

[fabounet]

Cairo-dock does everything of it by default.

[cleam]

Joey-elijah, thank you!

Dock bar seems to be a almost perfect solution for me. I'm quite surprised that it isn't included to the official repository.

[Dolmio]

The Maximum Effective Range of An Excuse is Zero Meters
That's a good one :D

[kelvin spratt]

Why would anybody want to make Linux look like Win7. Just download Kubuntu its the next best thing to the 7 look or is it 7 looks like kde.
i

[Kilana]

Check this puppy out!!! It's an EXACT replica!!! http://ubuntu.sun.ac.za/index.php?title=W7_Theme