Make Linux Mint Look & Feel Like Windows 2

[1DMF]

Hi,

I thought it would be possible to skin LinuxMint to look and work roughly like windows, but I seem to be stumped.

Having looked into this, it seems 'Plymouth' is just a boot screen, so no help with the actual desktop and user interaction.

I have tried :

http://www.securitronlinux.com/linu...w-to-make-linux-look-like-vista-or-windows-7/

But it seems the Vistar7 theme doesn't actually work properly, a load of icons are missing, the ones that aren't only look similar to Windows 7.

It also only installs for a user 'vistar7', so no good to actually apply to a real user and there is a caveat not to actually use it as it's not supported and it's just a bit of fun.

I also installed the vista icon theme, but it barley alters any icons and kickoff (start menu) , system tray etc all look exactly the same as it does under LinuxMint default theme.

So does a fully working KDE windows skin / theme actually exist?

All input appreciated.
1DMF

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
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[ChrisHirst]

Plus this Cinnamon x86 on 1GB ram and 1 processor,

LXDE would be better there, I have a 3.06G P4-(HT) running happily with 1GiB RAM (80GiB SATA HD)

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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[1DMF]

I'm rather surprised that XFCE runs even slower than cinnamon in my VM.

I didn't know Mint did an LXDE , I thought that was Lubuntu?

I have also found that Mint XFCE is totally unstable, on two completely separate occasions, the first time round when I was building my devel server, after the first ton of updates, the system wouldn't boot, just black screen and was a dead install. This time round, after all the updates installed, every time I booted up the machine, you get the login prompt, enter your credentials, and all that happens is it plays the logon sound, then gives you back the login prompt window, it's an endless loop!

I found a vistar7 theme for KDE via theme manager (which has to be installed first!), but all that does is change the tasks bar, slightly emboss the Kickoff menu (though I added a win 7 start icon image), and Plymouth actually works, well kind of... when you shutdown the machine , you get the win7 animation, but then you get to see some of the final text, and on boot, it just shows the normal Linux Mint loading screen.

Ironically XFCE start menu is more windowesque than any of them albeit Windows 95! - but so far has been the slowest and most unstable version.

I have come to the conclusion that still unfortunately Linux is not a real contender against Windows. Too much stuff that doesn't work, help/walkthrough's that make no sense are wrong or incomplete. Too many haters posting venom to people wanting Linux to look or feel like Windows (they clearly just don't get it!).

It's interesting that Linux seemed to have a spike in usage @ 2011 albeit a small one, but it has dropped off again and is still the least used OS according to W3Schools

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp

Wiki also show a recent decline in Linux :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems

That's all before I even look at getting WINE to work, Office installed and the total headache that I'm sure will come when trying to get our Access applications to run on Linux when they plug into the Windows API such as WinInet.dll

For a standard user, wanting to surf the web, access emails and do a few office things (XLS/Word), Linux will suffice, and skinning it to look like Windows, probably isn't even necessary, but for hard-core corporate usage who have been looked into the Windows & MSO/VBA eco system for a decade, I am struggling to find an easy way to switch!

I'm sure any changes that would be required to run our stuff on Linux, would probably be a headache and if we changed our minds and wanted to go back to Windows, that wouldn't be a picnic either... So I have to question, if its really worth it?




"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[ChrisHirst]

There are two Mint 'flavoured' distros, one is built on Debian and the "mainstream" distro which is built on Ubuntu.

So I have to question, if its really worth it?

I've got to say absolutely YES, even if it's only for the freedom from the ridiculous M$ licencing maze, and even for a small company the cost savings can be quite significant.
On that note,

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...o-cut-windows-price-70-to-counter-rivals.html

M$ estimated retail prices >>

https://mspartner.microsoft.com/en/...open-license-estimated-retail-price-list.aspx

For migration, most people seem to have relatively few problems in adapting to Android on their tablets or or iOS/Android on smartphones and moving to a Linux desktop isn't much more complicated than that, and for the things that ABSOLUTELY have to use Windoze, load up Virtual Box and run XP or Win7 as a 'guest' OS as an interim measure. You can load the M$ Access Runtime library so you do not need M$ Access installed on every machine or VM.


Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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[1DMF]

ABSOLUTELY have to use Windoze, load up Virtual Box and run XP or Win7 as a 'guest' OS as an interim measure.

You are joking right?

You can load the M$ Access Runtime library so you do not need M$ Access installed on every machine or VM.

This is how we currently run MS Access apps , Access 2010 Runtime, but that doesn't give you WinInet.dll does it?

We don't licence through OpenLicence, all our OSes are OEM that usually comes pre-installed.

We won't buy a desktop if it has Windows 8 on it, only laptops that don't need to be connected to the corporate domain as our IT support company said it isn't possible.

Windows 8 has really stuck me between a rock and a hard place for sure!





"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[mikrom]

Windows 8 has really stuck me between a rock and a hard place for sure!

In Linux, there are several desktop environments available: Unity, KDE, GNOME, Xfce, LXDE ... etc, so I really cannot understand why Microsoft could not offer 2 desktop environments for Windows:
One - the current fashion trend like Metro ...
Second - Windows Classic Desktop for corporate and conservative users.
Is Microsoft not interested in customers' opinion ?

 

[1DMF]

I know Mikrom,

You'd think right?

They did it with XP->Vista, there are loads of options to put control panel, start menu etc in 'classic view'.

Was the entire windows design team dropped on their head recently?

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[IPGuru]

Is the file name case sensitivity thing really an issue?

your users will clearly be using a GUI file manager to access the files rather than typing file names anyway

The only time i could see an issues is if they are used to accessing through a text/command line interface already, in which case i would credit them with more than enough intelligence to cope.

as evidence my X (who is a total technophobe) gets on just as easily with Linux as she does with Windoze (actually she gets on BETTER with Linux )

I would think a sensibly configured LXDE desktop is ideal for a simple windoze abuser ;-)


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[1DMF]

your users will clearly be using a GUI file manager to access the files rather than typing file names anyway

How does the GUI change things? The file name is the file name and the case is the case.

I don't know whether them saving a file with caps lock on so the extension is .TXT for example, then when my VBA code looks for somefile.txt it isn't going to find it is it?

[cquote]I would think a sensibly configured LXDE desktop is ideal for a simple windoze abuser[/quote]

I guess I need to look at Lubuntu then... I'll keep you posted!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[1DMF]

Lubuntu is not a viable option....

Lubuntu 12.04 is not an LTS

Please note that Lubuntu 12.04 is not an LTS (5 years support), but a 'standard' release, supported for 18 months. This is simply due the fact there is insufficient 'man-power' to commit to 5 years of support.

Linux Mint has even dropped it from their offering, bah humbug!

"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[ChrisHirst]

Long term support isn't that big an issue with Linux, as it is pretty much immune to the things that need an OS to have regular 'updates' and 'bug fixes' the World has, so if you don't need any new 'features' just run with the one that does all you need.

The Linux line that does need reasonably regular updating is the RedHat <- Centos <- Fedora lineage, Fedora being the "unruly teenager/labrat" of the line, RedHat/Centos the staid parents and RHEL the solid dependable "wage earner".

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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[mikrom]

I removed LUbuntu from the selection for the same reason - because it doesn't have LTS.

 

[ChrisHirst]

You are joking right?

Hmm, c'mon now, ... admit it. You're dying to give that a try.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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[1DMF]

Hmm, c'mon now, ... admit it. You're dying to give that a try.

No, I think you miss understand!

I run VM all the time, I have XP, Vista and a load of Linux.... but seriously you think it is a viable option to firstly pay for MS licencing and then only run it in a VM, why bother if we are paying for Windows, then we might as well run Windows on the hardware... but that's not the biggest problem.

Do you honestly believe that your box standard PC user can manage to run virtual machines and flick between them without a second thought.... no way hose!

I still have trouble getting those who need to use RDP to a terminal services application server to remote desktop one of our proprietary software apps.

Your computer, the remote computer - they struggle with the concept, they still don't log off and just disconnect (yes I have sessions set for timeout!), the point is trying to explain a virtual machine to most of the staff is as likely as me understanding quantum mechanics!

We wouldn't save on licencing and it would cause more support headaches than anything I'm trying to solve. They would not only be grappling with getting their heads around virtual machines, but their main PC would be a new OS they haven't seen, used or possibly even heard of!

I have to assume your user base doesn't include some that have trouble remembering what day of the week it is, or their password, or how they do part of their job, which they have done for 2 years and the process hasn't changed!

Chris, I'm sadly going to quote a line from the Matrix..... You're living in a dream world!


"In complete darkness we are all the same, it is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!"
Free Electronic Dance Music

 

[Bong]

I haven't followed the entire thread but have you considered Bodhi? I use it exclusively but I don't have a real need to be compatible with Windows users. That is, I have LibreOffice and make do with their export (.docx, .pdf,...) when I need to. There are some things you just can't get for Linux (Adobe stuff I think is the biggest concern for some) but again, that doesn't impact me. Anyway, I'm a big fan of Bodhi.

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[ChrisHirst]

I still have trouble getting those who need to use RDP to a terminal services application server to remote desktop one of our proprietary software apps.

You aren't working for the company I escaped from about ten years ago are you?
The idea of looking at a different computer 'screen' on "their" screen was just, well, it had to be magic.

I guess the average level of 'computer savvy' with users hasn't gone up much (if any) in the corporate world since then.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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[EmuDan]

Peppermint Linux is pretty easy to use, lightweight, and the interface resembles classic Windows (9x/2000). I haven't messed around with many KDE distros..there's Porteus, which is another small one, but I think it's meant more for a Live-CD/USB environment.

Dan

What's that? Your paging doesn't work?! Just get yourself a good bullhorn..problem solved!

 

[ChrisHirst]

A week ago I set up a friends laptop with Zorin OS and KDE set as default, now this is a man who is a serious 'techno phobe' and might ring me up twice a day because something has "gone wrong" with Windows or MS Office won't work.
So after four days of not hearing from him I rang him. So far he has set up his Epson MF printer (no phone call needed), his digital camera loaded up and "just worked" (unlike Windows which needed three lots of downloads to find a driver that actually worked) and he's managed to figure out a bit a basic photo editing with GIMP (resize, rotating and cropping).
Now; what AM I going to do with the extra hour or so a day???

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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[EmuDan]

Now; what AM I going to do with the extra hour or so a day???

I wish I had your troubles! LOL!

Dan

What's that? Your paging doesn't work?! Just get yourself a good bullhorn..problem solved!

 

[ChrisHirst]

Here's Mint with xfce disguised as "Classic Windows"

Even the 'die-hard' Windows users should find it simple to get around,

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
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