| The Best Free Desktop Linux . . . and how to make it better |
(Part 7)
SimplyMEPIS Makeover
SimplyMEPIS is a very good looking Linux. Some dedicated SimplyMEPIS users have set up a website to support the MEPIS Beautification Project. As attractive as SimplyMEPIS is, it is easy to change the style. By default, SimplyMEPIS uses KDE. KDE is a great windowing system for modern computers with a fair amount of RAM. Using Synaptic, it is possible to add alternate window managers. MEPIS used to include IceWM. IceWM is a Windows 98 like manager that is lightweight and easy to theme. IceWM should work with MEPIS on older computers with less than 128 MB RAM. Older computers that run sluggish with KDE should run faster with IceWM.
IceWM with XP theme
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Another very good window manager for SimplyMEPIS is FluxBox. FluxBox works great with SimplyMEPIS and it is the smallest and fastest windowing system that I have tested that is still functional. FluxBox feels familiar to anyone who has ever worked with CDE that is still popular on some Unix workstations. Everything seems faster using FluxBox. FluxBox picks up all the applications installed under KDE.
FluxBox is a very high performance, lightweight window manager
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The default window manager for SimplyMEPIS is
KDE. KDE is very easy to retheme. You can change the background, color scheme, sound, window decorations, icons and themes. There is a website,
kde-look that provides everything you need to create a custom 'look and feel' for your KDE based Linux. SimplyMEPIS is based on Debian so the easiest themes and window decorations are the ones based on Debian. Debian files have the extension .deb. The easiest way to install these files is to click on the files. This should bring up the default SimplyMEPIS packaging program. You can then follow the instructions to install the software or theme.
Once you have downloaded the backgrounds, icons, styles, and window decorations that you want, install them by opening the control panel and then selecting the heading 'Appearance and Themes'.
For more advanced options, you can download the program Super Karamba. To download Super Karamba, simply type apt-get install superkaramba. For more information on Super Karamba, check out this site.
Author's SimplyMEPIS Makeover
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It is also possible to change the look of some of the applications that come with SimplyMEPIS. Many of these applications have their own themes or skins. XMMS (the included MP3 player), can be decorated with new skins. There are even tools that allow you to use skins from the popular WinAmp for Microsoft Windows and use them with XMMS.
As much as I like Mozilla, I think that the standard theme is quite drab looking. It is easy to dress up Mozilla. Go to View --> Use Themes --> Get New Themes. I used Cat's mostly Crystal themes to give my Mozilla a more modern (pun intended) look.
Mozilla makeover
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-- Continued --
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