This month the theme is “I didn’t know you could do that in Linux,” and this is one I’m sure will be novel to most.

Last time I spoke about the separation in Linux between the underlying operating system and the technologies used to display its graphical user interface.

The reason why you hear talk of popular desktop environments like GNOME and KDE in Linux is because you have a large amount of freedom and a wide variety of choice in how your computer looks.

Sure, there are addons for Windows that let you customise various facets and give it a bit of a facelift. Windows itself lets you change themes, which largely amounts to different fonts, colours and icons. Linux goes deeper than all these.

Your Linux system does not have an intrinsic “look and feel.” Instead, this can be replaced with any of a wide range of window managers that implement menus and title bars and all the appearance and behaviours of the user interface. Last time we saw how to switch from GNOME’s default MetaCity window manager to TWM (“Tom’s Window Manager”) and how it resulted in a different looking system.

Today, let’s do something that depending on your perspective is either cool or glib, but either way it’s no doubt technically interesting. Today and over the next couple of days we’re going to dress Linux up to look and act just like a Mac, and like Windows XP and Windows Vista. Today is the Mac’s turn for the spotlight.

Perhaps you prefer the interface on one of those systems. Or maybe you want to fool someone. Or indeed, coax a friend or family member into Linux gently. Or you just want to see something that looks like Windows Vista actually perform reliably ;)

No matter the reason, let’s do it!

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