Beautiful Desktop – Gnome 2 of OSX style on Linux

Desktop Customization on Modern Linux

Customizing your desktop environment to match macOS aesthetics remains popular on Linux, though the approach differs significantly from GNOME 2 era configurations. Modern desktop environments like GNOME (40+) and KDE Plasma (5/6) use different theming systems, but achieving an Apple-inspired look is still straightforward.

Current Desktop Environment Options

GNOME 40+ uses CSS-based theming and GTK 4 (with GTK 3 fallback support). The dconf database replaces GConf for settings management.

KDE Plasma 5/6 maintains its traditional theme system with broader customization options through System Settings.

Choose based on your distribution and preferences. Fedora defaults to GNOME, while Arch and openSUSE offer both equally well.

Theming on Modern GNOME

Install the GNOME Tweaks utility first:

sudo dnf install gnome-tweaks  # Fedora
sudo apt install gnome-tweaks  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo pacman -S gnome-tweaks    # Arch

Installing GTK Themes

Popular macOS-inspired GTK themes for modern GNOME:

• Orchis – Clean, minimal design with macOS influences
• Lavanda – Light and dark variants with smooth aesthetics
• McMojave – Direct macOS Mojave inspiration
• BigSur – Based on macOS Big Sur design language

Download themes to ~/.local/share/themes/:

git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/Orchis-theme.git
cd Orchis-theme
./install.sh -t light  # or 'dark'

Then activate via GNOME Tweaks under Appearance → Themes.

Shell Theme and Icons

For the GNOME Shell theme itself (the top bar and overview):

git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/Orchis-theme.git
cd Orchis-theme
./install.sh -t light -c light  # includes shell theme

Icon themes worth exploring:

• MacOS Big Sur Icons – Direct ports, available on GitHub
• Papirus – Modern, highly customizable
• Tela Icon Theme – Excellent macOS styling options

Install icons to ~/.local/share/icons/ and activate in Tweaks.

Mouse Cursor Themes

Modern cursor theme locations: ~/.local/share/icons/ or /usr/share/icons/

macOS-inspired cursor packs:

git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/McMojave-cursors.git
cp -r McMojave-cursors ~/.local/share/icons/

Set via GNOME Tweaks (Appearance → Cursor) or for KDE (System Settings → Cursors).

Wallpapers

Set high-quality wallpapers through Settings → Background or right-click your desktop.

Recommended sources for minimal/macOS-style wallpapers:

• Unsplash – searchable, high resolution
• Pexels – free stock photography
• Wallpaper Engine (Wine) – if you want dynamic backgrounds

KDE Plasma Configuration

KDE offers more granular control. Access customization through System Settings:

1. Appearance → Global Theme (select macOS-inspired options like “MacSierra”)
2. Appearance → Colors (choose Breeze Light or MacOS-style variants)
3. Appearance → Fonts (San Francisco if available, or similar sans-serif)
4. Workspace Behavior → Activities/Edges (adjust to preference)

Install additional themes via System Settings → Get New → Global Themes and search for macOS-inspired options.

Font Configuration

macOS commonly uses San Francisco or system fonts. Equivalent recommendations for Linux:

• Inter – modern, clean sans-serif
• Ubuntu Font Family – well-hinted for screen display
• Roboto – Google’s widely-supported alternative

Change system fonts in GNOME Tweaks (Fonts section) or KDE System Settings.

Dock/Application Menu

Neither GNOME nor KDE provides native docks matching macOS by default.

GNOME options:

• Dash to Dock extension – simulates macOS dock behavior
• Dash to Panel – taskbar-style alternative

# Install via GNOME Extensions or manual download
git clone https://github.com/micheleg/dash-to-dock.git
cd dash-to-dock
make

KDE options:

• Latte Dock – highly customizable, panel/dock hybrid
• Application Menu widget – built-in

Configuration Tips

• Use dconf-editor (GNOME) to fine-tune settings unavailable in GUI tools
• Store dotfiles in version control (~/.config/ contains most settings)
• Test theme changes by logging out and back in for full effect
• Some GTK 3 themes may not fully render GTK 4 applications; preview before committing

Performance Considerations

Heavy custom themes with animations impact system responsiveness. Monitor CPU usage:

top -p $(pgrep -f "gnome-shell|plasmashell")

Disable unnecessary animations if resources are constrained.

Resources

• Arch Wiki GNOME Customization: comprehensive technical reference
• KDE Community Forums: active support for Plasma configuration
• GitHub theme repositories: most current macOS-inspired projects

Modern Linux desktops provide sufficient customization for achieving macOS aesthetics while maintaining native performance and workflow integration. The key difference from older systems is reliance on active communities maintaining themes rather than built-in system tools.