Make Ubuntu Look and Feel like Mac OS X

"I'm deeply suspicious of Mac users who claim to be perfectly happy with Mac OS X," John Gruber wrote, in his Daring Fireball blog. "Real Mac users, to me, are people with much higher standards, impossibly high standards;" people who use Macs not because they are perfect, but because they're less imperfect than anything else. These people look at Windows apps and see a horrible kludge, of ugly UIs and unstreamlined processes. And they look at Microsoft Windows itself and see an insecure operating system, full of holes to let spyware in.

They know that Linux-based Free / Open-Source operating systems, like Ubuntu, don't have Windows' security problems. And they know that Ubuntu costs nothing to use; that you can download a free CD from Ubuntu.com, or even request a free CD via ShipIt. But this doesn't seem very important to them. They don't mind paying extra for good software; they're Mac users. And they don't see it as a "feature" that an OS isn't full of holes like Windows is; if anything, that's a default to them.

People do still switch from Mac OS X to Ubuntu, though, or even put Ubuntu onto their Macs. There's a whole forum for this, on http://www.ubuntuforums.org. Why do they do this? Maybe because they see something in Ubuntu that other Mac users don't. Maybe because -- as John Gruber suggested -- just as Mac users are sensitive to good UI design, Ubuntu users are sensitive to openness. They're concerned with whether software is open because it belongs to everyone, like Ubuntu is, or whether it's just open enough for PR purposes ... like Mac OS X. And they don't like the idea of being stuck buying hardware and software from only one vendor, and having to keep paying Apple for upgrades ... even if those upgrades break their old files and programs.

But just because a Mac user switches to Ubuntu doesn't mean that she stops being a Mac user. She does not want to settle for "second best," or wade through a Windows-style UI, or give up her essential Mac apps. So how does she make Ubuntu Mac-like? Is it even possible?

The look of a Mac

Out of the box, Ubuntu has a distinctive, orange-and-brown UI. Some parts of it seem inspired by OS X, like the Applications menu on the top of the screen. But others seem more inspired by Windows, like the taskbar at the bottom and the optional graphical shinies. And the colors strike some as hideous, and being completely un-Maclike.

Fortunately, there are a number of tutorials online about how to make your Ubuntu PC (or Mac) look like Mac OS X. Perhaps the most popular is here: http://www.taimila.com/?q=node/11 It covers everything from OS X's window borders and decorations to getting an object dock, putting the menu bar at the top of the screen, and putting the button to close a window on the "right" side. It's a little out of date, covering Mac OS X Tiger instead of Leopard or Snow Leopard, but the basic principles are the same.

If the idea of being able to customize your Ubuntu desktop intrigues you, and you'd like to experiment further, no need to buy Shapeshifter; just go to Add/Remove and look for "Art Manager." This free app will let you browse and install new themes, wallpaper and even login screens! I made my Ubuntu desktop look very Maclike using it, but then changed my mind later on and went with a blue theme that complimented the default orange icons nicely. Try it, and find out how easy it is to experiment!

The feel of a Mac

Macs have a number of graphical shinies -- and useful features -- that help to define what it feels like to use OS X. The "Magic Lamp" effect, Spaces, and Exposé all make using a Mac easier. And you can use them all, and more, in Ubuntu. Just open Add/Remove and search for "CompizConfig." After that, go to System -> Preferences -> CompizConfig Settings Manager.

CompizConfig is sort of a toolbox, for people like Mac users for whom the default, Vista-esque effects are not good enough. It's a little complex, because it has a ton of options. But if you know what you're doing (or are willing to experiment) you can make it do almost anything, from providing useful Mac-like features to showing some truly gratuitous effects.

A complete tutorial is beyond the scope of this article, but suffice to say that it is possible -- you just have to do some digging. Of course, if you can't figure something out, there's always the Ubuntu Forums for help: Just go to http://www.ubuntuforums.org! They'll explain what you need to do, in easy to understand terms that don't assume arcane technical knowledge. The Ubuntu Forums are one of Ubuntu's true "killer features," and setting up an account with them is a must.

The software of a Mac

There are ways to get Windows software to work on a Mac or Ubuntu PC. But as somebody pointed out, why would you want to? Aside from games, there's really nothing that Windows has over clean, elegant, and useful Mac software.

Ubuntu hasn't yet been graced with some of the best Mac programs, like the amazing Scrivener writing software. But many other Mac apps have Ubuntu equivalents ... like Gnome-Do, which works just like Quicksilver. Gedit works much like BBedit. Thunderbird and Firefox are arguably better than Mail and Safari, and both have a whole slew of plugins available. And Rhythmbox works much like iTunes, even including two online stores and podcasting support.

Perhaps the best thing about Ubuntu software is that you can pick and choose and experiment, until you find what works best for you. And you don't have to pay for any of it; just open up Add/Remove and check as many boxes as you like, then remove the ones you don't like later on. I was able to find a number of simple, elegant, and useful Maclike programs this way, with a consistent UI look and feel. And there are probably other Mac users who've had even more success; why not visit the Ubuntu Forums and ask them?

Something to watch out for

One minor caveat is that Ubuntu has two "desktop environments," Gnome and KDE. KDE comes on KUbuntu, and Gnome comes on normal Ubuntu. And Gnome and KDE look and feel very different from each other. KDE works more like Windows, with a comprehensive "start menu" and with tons of complex dialog boxes and options. And Gnome works more like OS X, with fewer options but "sane defaults," and a lot of care and attention to making sure that things are intuitive.

KDE apps will run just fine in normal, Gnome-based Ubuntu. But they take longer to load, and they break the UI consistency ... sort of like using Parallels to run Windows apps in OS X. You can see from the icons in the descriptions on Add/Remove whether an app "integrates well with" the Gnome or KDE desktop.

Some KDE apps are arguably better than their Gnome counterparts. BasKet Notepads is more feature-complete than the simplistic Tomboy Notes, and comes close to being a drop-in replacement for Evernote (or Microsoft OneNote). And I think that the Amarok music player works better with iPods than Rhythmbox does. If you prefer a consistent UI, however, you may want to just stay with one or the other as much as possible.

The Upshot

Can Ubuntu out-Mac a Mac? Doubtful. Mac users use Macs not because they've been brainwashed by Steve Jobs, but because they know that Macs are the best computers. And Mac developers, from Apple's engineers to the people who wrote Scrivener, work hard to make them that way.

Free / Open-Source Software on the other hand, is designed around different criteria -- freedom and openness. The freedom to share, to enjoy, and to know what goes into your programs. And while Ubuntu is unique among Linux-based operating systems in emphasizing the user experience, it still doesn't do it as well as a Mac. Or in quite the same way as a Mac, either.

If you just want "the best," you might be well-advised to stay with a Mac. But if Apple's closed ecosystem concerns you -- if you're worried about the long-term ramifications of making your entire computing experience dependent on one company -- then maybe you should give Ubuntu a closer look. It's free to download and free to use, it installs just fine on an Intel Mac (there are PowerPC versions available too), and they'll mail you a CD if you can't be bothered to burn one. And once you've given it a try, you may find that it's not so very different ... that it can, in fact, be just Maclike enough to satisfy even a Mac user.

Feel free to leave a comment, if there's anything you'd like to share. Whatever OS you decide to put on your Mac, good luck with it, and have fun!