A Guide to Transforming Your Ubuntu Desktop into a Sleek Windows Experience

Ubuntu is perhaps the most popular open-source operating system that many people have praised for its flexibility, security, and cost-effective nature. But still, new users are coming from Windows who may not be used to the interface of Ubuntu and years for better Windows experience. Fortunately, Windows 11 is not the only system that you can have on your PC if you are a fan of Microsoft, and with it comes the Ubuntu version which looks like Windows. This article shows you the steps to make your Ubuntu desktop display similar to Windows 11 if you need better recognition or just like its look.

Why Customize Ubuntu to Look Like Windows 11?

But there are a slew of reasons as to why someone would want their Ubuntu appearance like Windows 11. For example, users coming from Windows may discover that the default Ubuntu interface (GNOME) is too distinct from what they know. If you customize the looks you will only make this transition easier for the users and yet keep all of the good stuff that comes with it in Ubuntu. Beyond that, the center-aligned taskbar icons and transparent elements have a modern look many users find nice (regardless of their feelings about the operating system itself).

Prerequisites for Customization

Confidence To start before the transformation itself you will need:

• A stable Ubuntu installation (version 20.04 or later).
• Internet access for downloading themes, extensions, and additional software.
• Some familiarity with Linux terminal commands.

In this guide, I will be showing you how to install needed programs, change some settings, and apply themes to make it look like Windows 11.

Step 1: Install GNOME Tweaks and Shell Extensions

By default, Ubuntu ships with the GNOME desktop. To do so, you have to install GNOME Tweaks, as well as turn on the GNOME Shell Extensions.

1. Install GNOME Tweaks
   Open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

GNOME TweaksGNOME supports complete system-wide theming, using the GNOME tweaks tool you can change the look and feel of almost every element of your desktop.

2. Install GNOME Shell Extensions
   GNOME Shell Extensions – which, as these workshop attendees found out, allow for some fairly extensive shenanigans. To install them, run:

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extensions

They can be accessed via the GNOME Extensions web page as easily installed extensions or in the browser.

Step 2: Download and Apply Windows 11 Themes

Next, you need to install Windows 11-like themes. It requires themes, icons, and cursor packs.

1. Install the Windows 11 Theme (WhiteSur Theme)
   WhiteSur GTK theme is also a great option to get the appearance and feel of Windows 11 on Linux. That design closely resembles the modern aesthetic of Windows 11. Here’s how you install it:
2. a) Download the theme from the following repository:

bash

git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/WhiteSur-gtk-theme.git

cd WhiteSur-gtk-theme

./install.sh

1. b) Once you get it installed, open GNOME Tweaks and go to the Appearance tab. Once installed, you can now use the GTK theme “WhiteSur” or a little bit darker but still like WhiteSur looks with “WhiteSur-dark”.
2. Install the Windows 11 Icon Pack (WhiteSur Icon Pack)
   A key role in desktop transformation How to Install WhiteSur Icon Pack:
3. a) Download and install the icon pack:

bash

git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/WhiteSur-icon-theme.git

cd WhiteSur-icon-theme

./install.sh

1. b) Go back to GNOME Tweaks and under the “Icons” option, select “WhiteSur” to apply the icon theme.
2. Install Windows 11 Cursors
   The last visual change is to add a Windows-like cursor theme. Windows 11 Cursors pack is available on some Linux theme repos and directly from GitHub: Install it using these steps:
3. a) Download the cursor theme:

bash

git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/WhiteSur-cursors.git

cd WhiteSur-cursors

./install.sh

1. b) Select the new cursor theme from GNOME Tweaks under the “Cursors” tab.

Step 3: Customize the Dock and Taskbar

Centering taskbar icons is one of the key elements of Windows 11. Customizing GNOME Desktop Dock (Ubuntu) to configure the layout like this.

1. Install Dash to Dock Extension
   Dash to Dock expands the default dock with a wide range of custom options Install it by running:

CSS

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-dash-to-dock

You can configure the appearance of the dock after you have installed it by clicking the right mouse on it and selecting the setting.

2. Center Taskbar Icons
   To mimic the centered taskbar icons of Windows 11:
3. a) Open the Dash to Dock settings and look for the “Position” section.
4. b) Enable the option to center the dock and adjust the size and position to your preference. This will closely resemble Windows 11’s centered taskbar icons.
5. Move the Dock to the Bottom
   The Windows 11 taskbar is now at the bottom of the screen. To achieve this, you need to access the GNOME Tweaks application and set the position of Dock to Bottom.

Step 4: Add Transparency Effects

Windows 11 takes this to a new level, with transparency effects woven all through its Start Menu and taskbar. In Ubuntu, you can (to an extent) do this with the Dynamic Panel Transparency extension.

1. Install Dynamic Panel Transparency
   The top panel transparency is adjusted by the activity of Windows (gnome-shell extension) You can install this extension from the GNOME Extensions website or use:

scss

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-transparent-panel

2. Enable Transparency
   Once the extension is installed, activate it and configure the transparency to the left side of Windows 11.

Step 5: Customize Window Buttons and Animations

So Windows 11 has rounded corners and when windows are minimized or in full screen, a certain type of animation is applied. Linux is not Windows, nor are the animations a 1:1 copy; however, you can at least tweak in which manner Windows should behave and where buttons for closing, etc. shall be placed.

1. Change Window Button Layout
   Window buttons (minimize, maximize, close) are on the left of the windows in GNOME. Move them rightwards (Windows-like):
2. a) Open GNOME Tweaks.
3. b) Under “Appearance,” find “Titlebar Buttons” and set them to the right.
4. Rounded Corners
   GNOME itself isn’t equipped to provide you with round window corners by default, though some themes (such as WhiteSur) will automatically give windows a gentle curve on their edges in a similar fashion to Windows 11.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, your Ubuntu installation now looks sleek and modern like Windows 11. Besides familiarity for those switching from Windows, all this customization shows off just how powerful and versatile the Linux desktop is. However, with the right tools and themes, you can have the best of both worlds high performance/security Ubuntu but still run Windows 11 in an attractive/modern way. If you come from Windows or someone who likes patterns of it, this transformation will look familiar and beautiful to the eyes of Ubuntu users.