10 Slick Linux Desktops, and How To Make Them

So you thought Vista’s desktop looked slick? Or the latest Leopard desktop is coolest thing after sliced bread? Well you probably haven’t been properly exposed to Linux’s customizability. Linux is so flexiblity is one of it’s strongest selling points. With Linux you can easily even mimic Vista or Leopard totally free! Now I will take you through some of the kewlest, freshest, phatest desktops I have come across.

*All Mac OSX taskbars in the following desktops can be created with different apps. kooldock, Avant Window Navigator, or Engage to name a few.

**You need to enable transparency in some desktops.

1-Planetary Eye Candy

Having one wallpaper usually gets a bit dull, the solution? You get xplanet! xplanet generates graphics of our small blue planet in set intervals (say every 10 minutes), also cloud cover is updated every three hours. Your desktop will serve as your own weather map! Numerodix explains how xplanet is installed.

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/planetary.jpeg

2-Marshmallow Hunting

This one is one of my favorites because it’s very easy on the eye. The wallpaper is slightly adjusted from the original one by David Lanham. David has got a lot of other breathtaking artwork, make sure you check them out also!! The icons were provided bye pokemonjojo2.

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/marchmellowhunt_screenshot.jpeg

3-Futuristic Gentoo

This one is a StarWarish-Pokemonish-Haloish desktop. The original wallpaper is taken from Deviantart, while the upper and lower panel seem to be the regular GNOME panels with transparency. The icons are also Gentoo.

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/pokemon_screenshot.jpeg

4-Even More Gentooish

This one is a jaw dropper, it just screams Gentoo! The icon theme is called Lila and can be found on Gnome-Look. The gauges on the right are obviously gDesklets , while the wallpaper was created by nx57 from Deviantart.

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/evenmoregentooish_screenshot.jpeg

5-Bart Goes Nude

Who doesn’t love Bart? A kid that never seems to age or mature over the years. I included this desktop just because of the beauty of the picture. Just a simple wallpaper and the Gartoon icon set.

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/bart1.png

6-Agent Smith Meet KDE

No Linux desktop list is complete without a Matrix desktop! This cool wallpaper is by *timshinn73 from Deviantart. Icons are the the default KDE icon set and the widgets are obviously SuperKaramba.

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/screensmith.jpeg

7-Hmmm…Portal?

This wallpaper is taken from Jamiroquai’s video Virtual Insanity. But it just reminds me of the game Portal woot!!

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/hmmportal.jpeg

8-CamelSnowMan

This one was done by CamelSnowMan from Deviantart, I just love the icon set! So simplistic! The Snowman artwork is done by dim.po.

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/gentoo_by_camelsnowman.jpeg

9-Fedora Sky

Ok ok ya this one is mine, but it sure is slick, right? I already have featured it before when I first installed Fedora 8. I used the default Fedora Core 8 wallpaper and a modified Fayal Emerald theme.

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/fedora_sky.jpeg

10-Shrooms

This one is one of my favorite, dark and manageable! The wallpaper is originally from digitalblasphemy

*hehe2.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/4715-1.png

Source

awesome, that angel wallpaper is kewl

gr8
ill try to make one.
maybe the 2nd one

H

Cool ones, I would prefer Agent Smith wallie, but again I would want to make my own and it will one heck of a punch.

Superb!

Great!! Also Great for the Bandwidth Consumption!!

I like the 9th one...
Btw, which instant messenger is that which is seen on the desktop in the 9th pic?

nvidia said:
Btw, which instant messenger is that which is seen on the desktop in the 9th pic?

Kopete, it supports webcam also.

Awesome !

Hey nice job dude, 3 of them are really good.

Cyrus_the_virus said:
Kopete, it supports webcam also.

Is it possible to install the same in Ubuntu?

Yeah, You can.
But its a kde app and you'd end up installing quite a few kde dependencies.
And it wont have the same look and feel as the rest of the system.
But IMO its the best chat client for Linux.
Just mark it for install in Synaptic or type:

sudo apt-get install kopete

Regards,
ray

^^Oh... Thanks... Will try it out..
Btw, how do i install the kde dependencies?

You don't, Synaptic/Apt-get do it for you instead.
Just try installing it in either way i suggested and the dependencies will be installed for you.

Regards,
ray

^^Thanks

Btw, this will be downloaded from the internet right? How big is it?

Kopete itself isnt very big,
But AFAIK it depends on quite a few kde-libs.
Could be big, Cant say how much though.
My Guess : arnd 50 Megs maybe?

^^Dont have that much b/w left right now

Ill do it tmrw, or ill install Fedora...

If you have the Ubuntu dvd that came with November(was it?) Digit, you can find in there AFAIK. Ubuntu DVD has the Complete KDE, and Kopete is a part of KDE.

@Cyrus:
Dude, post thumbnails please, the big images are making this page look really crappy.

Thanx,
ray

^^The december DVD came with Ubuntu. I have that and November dvd also(In november, Suse 10.3 is given)
So how do i install it?

If you are using the same version of ubuntu on your system as on the dvd it possible.
Insert the DVD and launch synaptic.
There in Settings > Repositories , Select Add Cd/Dvd Rom as repository.
Once added you can install kopete.

Regards,
ray

T

Awesome!

R these transparent effects possible with an Intel 810 chipset??

i liked the hmm portal wala desk

most of these look uglier than what I had expected when I heard the word "Slick Linux Desktops". I can get you better things. This is hardly anything.