Category Archives: Dock

How to Make Your Ubuntu Desktop Look Like the One of Mac OS

If you are a fan of the design proposed by Apple for most of its operating systems, particularly Mac OS X, then there are a couple of things that you should take into consideration and some simple steps to follow. Therefore, you are advised to read the following information carefully in order to achieve the expected outcome in the shortest time.

There are two free pieces of software that can transform your Ubuntu desktop into one that looks identical to the one of Mac OS in no time. The Ubuntu version is called Macbuntu. First of all, you will need to install this program onto your local hard drive. Here is what you need to do for this step:

– If you are using Ubuntu 10.4 Lucid Lynx, you will need to open a new terminal and type the following lines into it:

$wget https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/macbuntu/macbuntu-10.04/v2.2/Macbuntu-10.04.tar.gz -O /tmp/Macbuntu-10.04.tar.gz
$tar xzvf /tmp/Macbuntu-10.04.tar.gz -C /tmp
$cd /tmp/Macbuntu-10.04/
$./install.sh

– On the other hand, if Ubuntu 10.10 Maverik Meerkat or a similar version is installed in your system, you will need to use a different version of Macbuntu, which can be accessed by typing the following:

$wget https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/macbuntu/macbuntu-10.10/v2.3/Macbuntu-10.10.tar.gz -O /tmp/Macbuntu-10.10.tar.gz
$tar xzvf /tmp/Macbuntu-10.10.tar.gz -C /tmp
$cd /tmp/Macbuntu-10.10/
$./install.sh

During the install process, you will be provided with the chance of choosing between different options. These are usually dependent on the different ways you wish your desktop to look like. Most of the choices will be based on your visual tastes, so make sure you choose according to them.

Finally, whenever you need to uninstall this special package for some reason you can follow the same procedure described above, with just an exception. Instead ./install.sh you will need to use the ./uninstall.sh command. AddThis

Rocketdock 1.3.0: a light but powerful dock for Windows 7, Vista and XP

This week, in our Freeware Page, we posted a brief review about Rocketdock, a terrific “Apple style” dock for Windows. We decided to test Rocketdock on a Windows XP and the results were positive and we did not find bugs. Rocketdock is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and the brand new Windows 7 using just 10MB of RAM. To add a new icon it is sufficient to drag and drop it into the bar and it will be automatically added. To cut off an icon you have to drag it from the dock to an empty space on the desktop and it is immediately removed. To conclude we suggest this freeware because it is really customizable and easy to add & tune to your existing desktop. Recommended! AddThis Podcast

How to easily add a cool “MAC OS X” dock in your Linux: Cairo-Dock!

cairo-dockToday, in our Linux Page (in Spanish) we have had a complete review about Cairo-Dock: a nice dock for Linux. Cairo-Doc is very easy to install and it has sophisticated graphic effects and it runs without installing compiz. The new Cairo-Dock version (1.5.5.4) has been released few weeks ago and it seems to have more features of the original MAC OS X dock. Personally I recommend the installation of Cairo-Dock to all that people who want to integrate a MAC OS X stylish dock in Linux without spending much time; in fact the .deb package allow you to install it in few minutes. I like this dock but, in my opinion, Cairo-Dock represents the best “second choice” after AWN (for more information about AWN, please, feel free to read our dedicated previous post). AddThis mp3 link

How to add a cool “MAC OS X” dock in your Ubuntu: Avant Window Navigator (AWN)!

AWN LogoLinux is Linux but the MAC OS X dock has always fascinated us. For this reason, in our Linux Page, we posted few notes explaining how to insert a “MAC OS X” dock in the Linux desktops. Last May we posted a previous review about KSmoothDock, KoolDock, Superkaramba (and its nice Tuxbar) but now we think that the best -state of the art- dock is represented by AWN. This program can be installed very quickly ant it is fast to configure. To use AWN is necessary to go to System – Preferences – Appearance and select the Normal or the Extra options. Then, following our simple notes, you can start using AWN with just few lines in the Terminal. For AWN customization you can add some themes from http://www.gnome-look.org/. Beware: before installing AWN, read very carefully the information contained in AWN installation notes because, if something goes wrong, it is not simple to reverse to your original dock configuration! AWN is not for everyone but, we are sure, it is worth the risk for many. AddThis mp3 link

How to add a cool “MAC OS X” dock in your Linux: two different solutions for Kubuntu.

KoolDockLinux is Linux but the MAC OS X dock has always fascinated us. For this reason, in our Linux Page, we posted few notes explaining how to insert a “MAC OS X” dock in the Linux desktops. In the recent past there were some bugs in using these docks but now these two solutions – KSmoothDock and KoolDock – seem to be more stable and fast also in Linux. In particular we tested the three docks and we didn’t find any problem. Last but not least, between the best docks for Linux, we cannot forget to mention an “evergreen” like Superkaramba and its nice Tuxbar. AddThis