If you’re looking for a Mac theme for Linux, look no further.
GNOME-OSX II is (as you might have already guessed) a Mac GTK theme for Linux desktops — and it’s a pretty pretty adaptation.
‘This theme is a ‘gnome-desktop-interpretation of Mac OS X”
Yup, this is not an out-and-out copy of the standard UI in macOS. The theme describes itself as “a gnome-desktop-interpretation of Mac OS X”, with the theme designer saying they’ve “tried to implement the feel of OS X on the gnome-applications.”
WhiteSur Gtk theme It is a macOS Big Sur theme for Gnome-based desktops and supports Gnome Shell, Cinnamon, Xfce, Pantheon, Budgie and Mate desktops. The theme pack is available in light and dark versions, both in regular versions (in some applications, the. Fakeosx - Another Mac OS X Theme For Gnome Shell And Unity - Ubuntu 11.10/12.04 0 Themes Sunday, February 26, 2012 fakeosx is a GTK 2/3 theme inspired by the popular Mac OS X system that can be used with both Gnome Shell and Unity under Ubuntu 11.10/12.04. Download Linux software in the GNOME Shell Themes category. A Mac OS X like theme for GNOME Shell. Feb 19th 2013, 12:46 GMT. Mac OS X launchpad; 257 downloads; OS 1.0. An Apple Mac OS X like theme for GNOME Shell. Feb 18th 2013, 04:18 GMT. Glassy theme; 267 downloads; Frosted Glass. The Mac OS interface can be replicated on Ubuntu, the terminal style, the icons and a whole lot more.So a little rundown of what this article covers: Getting the GNOME shell. Getting a Mac theme for GNOME shell. Getting a Mac OS desktop dock. Getting a Mac OS icon set. Choosing a Mac OS style system font.
So here we are ready with Mac OS X Lion Theme for Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal and Hopefully Mac Theme will work with new coming Linux Mint 14. This time NoobsLab also included mac theme for Gnome-Shell, So now you can also use this theme under Gnome Shell 3.6. This ipad theme shared by Hani Ahmed on facebook with NoobsLab.
This means the theme it’s not trying to be a pixel-perfect clone of the macOS theme — and there are plenty of GTK themes that try to do that out there — but instead adapts the core design of Cupertino’s desktop OS in a way that makes sense (and looks best) on the GNOME desktop.
The GNOME-OSX II theme works with most modern GNOME-based desktops, including GNOME Shell, GNOME Flashback, and Budgie. But the theme does not work with the Unity desktop.
Aside from evoking the form and function of macOS there are some novel touches too, such as the use of a blurred sidebar in the Nautilus file manager, and consistent theming across GTK2 and GTK3 apps.
A compataible GNOME Shell theme is also available to download for those wanting even more mac-inspired bling for their desktops.
Why do this?
Debate about the merits (or otherwise) of theming a Linux desktop to look like another operating system arises every time a theme like this is presented.
The terse answer is, if you can’t understand the appeal, sense or logic in doing it: don’t.
Whether you have Apple envy or simply admire and appreciate the design aesthetic of a macOS, there’s no shame if you decide to make Ubuntu look like Mac. The whole point of using Linux is (after all) that you can do things like this — you certainly can’t make Mac OS X look like Ubuntu!
Download GNOME-OSX Mac theme for Linux
The GNOME OS X II theme requires GNOME 3.20 or later. To use it on Ubuntu you need to be running Ubuntu 16.10 or above.
Once the download is complete you need to extract the tarball to your ~/.themes directory.
Finally, to switch theme on you need to use the GNOME Tweak Tool, which is available to install from Ubuntu Software.
For a more faithful mac-ification try the La Capitaine Mac icon theme for Linux, also available as a free download from GNOME-Look.
The native dark theme on Ubuntu 20.04 looks really good. But, ever since I have moved back from PopOS, I have been experimenting a lot with icon packs, GNOME extensions, and desktop themes. To put it, here are the best Ubuntu themes for Ubuntu 20.04.
Best Ubuntu Themes
How to install themes
Before we begin with the list, it’s important to understand how themes work on Ubuntu. For instance, changing the theme in Ubuntu changes 3 things.
- Icons – File Explorer icons, Launcher icons, etc
- GTK – Looks of an app window
- Shell – Top bar, desktop notifications, activity overview, etc.
There are 3 basic ways to install a theme. You can either install it via the terminal or as a deb package. Additionally, few themes are available as archive files. You can download the archive files and transfer the icons and themes to “~/.icons” and “~/.themes” directory respectively.
In order to change themes, you would need to install the “gnome-tweaks” package and User Themes extension.
To completely apply a theme on your desktop, you have to change the 3 following options in GNOME tweaks.
Read: How to Share Screen And Media on Ubuntu
1. Arc Theme
Arc Theme is the most popular theme for Ubuntu. It provides 3 different looks – Arc, Arc-Darker, Arc-Dark. I really liked the Arc-Darker theme which is a mix and match of the dark and light theme. Arc-Dark isn’t exactly black but a darker shade of Navy Blue. It doesn’t work well on the GNOME shell and leaves the calendar in a white patch. Additionally, you don’t get an icon pack with it, so you would have to rely on third-party icon packs.
If you are someone who prefers the light theme instead of dark, Arc Theme is a good option.
Installation Command:
2. Pop
I recently moved back to Ubuntu from PopOS and I carried back the theme with me. The icons, shell, wallpapers are too good to leave. You can download the wallpapers from this link. I prefer the PopOS dark mode over Yaru and the shell is much refined. For instance, the notifications stacked up have much more padding between them.
Unlike Arc, the Pop theme is continuously updated due to the PopOS.
Installation Command:
3. McMojave
McMojave is the exact theme if you crave for that macOS look. In order to install McMojave, you would have to download the archive from the link below, extract it and then move it to the “~/.themes” directory. Once done, restart GNOME by giving an Alt+F2, type r, and hit Enter.
To complement McMojave, you would need the “La Capitaine” icon theme. Similar to McMojave, you would need to download, extract the archive, and move it to the “~/.icons” directory. Once done, choose the icon theme and you would have Mojave-style icon packs. Additionally, you can download the Mojave OS wallpapers for the final touch.
If you want to replicate the Mojave wallpaper dynamic theme, we have a detailed article on how to do it.
Download McMojave & La Capitaine Icon
4. Materia
Materia is another popular theme for Ubuntu. I liked the Materia-dark-compact theme which makes the Windows Titlebars pretty concise. Another small nuance is the ripple effect. In Materia, if you click on a button or an option, it gives a subtle ripple effect on the selected area.
Installation Command:
5. Vimix
Vimix Theme is based on the popular Materia theme. You would have to download both the archive files for the Vimix theme and the Vimix icon pack. Next, you just have to extract and run the “install.sh” script file in the terminal.
Vimix, unlike other themes, provides a huge number of options. You have approximately 15+ themes ranging from teal to ruby, beryl, etc. I liked the nuances in the Vimix theme. For instance, when you hover past the dropdown menus, there’s a shadow trail giving you the feel of motion blur. I did like that!
Download Vimix Theme & Vimix Icon Pack
6. Ant
Ant is a plain flat theme for Ubuntu 20.04. In case you are more into the light theme, Ant is a fantastic theme to go by. Ant only supports GTK and GNOME shell. Hence, you might have to go with a third-party icon pack. I loved the blood accent on the white theme.
Download Ant
7. Sweet
Sweet is the fanciest theme in this list. Rock with it with an icon pack like Candy or Luv and you would have a colorful desktop to look at. I loved the neon-pink accent to the Sweet dark theme. Apart from that, you get a Sweet (light) and Sweet Mars theme. Similar to McMojave, you would have to download and move the extracted archive to the “~/.themes” directory.
Download Sweet
8. Cloudy
Cloudy is a good GTK theme sitting right in between the light and dark themes. It has 8 different variants that provide a combination of dark, light theme with blue and brown accents. I like that it draws a line between the icons and file-labels to make it look like a 3-pane window.
Although Cloudy does have a shell theme, it’s showing its age. It doesn’t look good with the DND and calendar on the notification shade. You’d be better of using the default Yaru shell.
Installation Command:
9. Nordic
Nordic is a minimal dark theme based on the Nord color palette. You can complement it with a blue color icon theme and a white flashy background for a minimal look.
Download Nordic Theme
10. Layan
Layan is an interesting take to Ubuntu themes. It turns every sharp corner on the desktop to rounded corners. Although Layan has options for both dark and light themes, I particularly liked the light theme more. Similar to Materia, you get a ripple effect when you click on an option.
Installation command:
11. Flat Remix GNOME
Flat Remix GNOME is a gorgeous looking theme with its own icon pack, GTK, GNOME shell theme, and wallpapers. You have a lot to choose from. I really liked the Flat-Remix-Miami theme. It brings a lot of subtle yet poppy colors to the shell. Another subtle change is that the theme makes the Topbar transparent. This really makes your desktop look slightly bigger. The theme also adds extra drop-shadow to the windows and dropdowns.
Installation command:
12. Adapta
Adapta is another popular theme for GNOME desktops. You can directly install it from the Ubuntu store or apt repository. The theme is being regularly updated but the GNOME shell theme’s a bit wonky. Similar to Arc, it left a white patch on the calendar in the notification shade. However, you can still combine it with the default Ubuntu GNOME shell theme and it’s good to go.
Installation Command:
13. Lumiere
Similar to Ant, Lumiere is a fantastic light theme. I could find a GitHub repo with a whole bunch of different themes. It also has a dark edition called Fantome. You can clone the repo and see what suits your need. The themes don’t have a shell and icon theme. So, you would be better of going with Yaru as shell and Yaru icon pack.
Installation Command:
Closing Words
Install Gnome Themes
I mostly switch between the Vimix dark and the Pop Dark theme. Let me know what you use.
Mac Theme For Gnome Shells
Also Read: 7 Best Download Managers For Ubuntu