7 ms·

I'm a big fan of this aesthetic. If you appreciate the usability of W95 without needing a pixel perfect copy, it's very easy to theme KDE to strike a really goo

by troad 3y ago

I'm a big fan of this aesthetic. If you appreciate the usability of W95 without needing a pixel perfect copy, it's very easy to theme KDE to strike a really good balance. As your global theme, use 'Reactionary'. Set your application style to 'MS Windows 9x'. For your icons, use 'Memphis98'. For cursors, 'Hackneyed (scaleable)'. Your Plasma style, colours, and window decorations should all follow your global theme (Reactionary). I keep the default Noto fonts because I find them quite easy on the eyes, but this is easy to change if you yearn for classic fonts. My task bar (bottom bar) is set to use full names and not combine apps; I also use the application menu that looks like W95, and I've got it set to use a little W95 Start icon for that touch of nostalgia. Otherwise it's all very minimalist. I've used this set-up for years and it works really well for me. I find it very conducive to being productive - it's stable, unchanging, and respectful of my attention and focus. I also don't need to hack away at anything or worry about updates - KDE officially supports theming and handles all of this really seamlessly.

tommica 3y ago
This is a hail mary, but would there be something similar for getting the Win XP look? I'd love that
- Aeolun 3y ago
  Absolutely. I’ve been doing this with the XP theme after this was posted on HN last time and I thought the same thing. It exists, but need to check where. Edit: No idea where I got it from. I know I installed the 98 theme first from this thing, and then downloaded a WinXP theme that I selected in all of the places it mattered.
- troad 3y ago
  There is a KDE theme called 'Expose', by the same person who made Reactionary, which looks like it might be what you're after. (For icons, there's a set called just called 'Windows XP').
  - tommica 3y ago
    Neat, thanks!
- bacchusracine 3y ago
  > getting the Win XP look? I used to follow the XPDE project avidly back in the day but it seems to have just withered on the vine and never went anywhere. https://web.archive.org/web/20200502011912/http://xpde.holobit.net/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200502011912/http://xpde.holob...
qwerty456127 3y ago
> If you appreciate the usability of W95 without needing a pixel perfect copy My experience suggests "not pixel perfect" usually means severely imperfect to the point of very ugly when Linux WMs try to imitate Windows 95. "Redmond" themes have been around for decades, always ugly as hell, only reminding of Windows 95 very loosely.
- robertlagrant 3y ago
  I don't think experience is relevant here, unless it's the same person doing that who made the previous ones. Maybe asking for a screenshot would help you discover if this one is good or not?
  - qwerty456127 3y ago
    I've already wrote about this - this specific one (Chicago65) is actually amazing although still far from perfect. You can spot foreign quirks (including a really ugly one) even on the main screenshot if you look carefully and you will feel disilusioned once you actually try to use this at home. Nevertheless it is actually good, usable and by far better than any other attempt. I use it on everyday basis but I gave up hoping it to resemble Windows 95 and customized it instead. I am very grateful to the author who crafted this.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
sombragris 3y ago
I completely agree, but in my personal preference I would use the KDE1 window deco rather than the Windows 95/Redmond one. The Win95 style is good, but KDE1 is even better IMHO.
anthk 3y ago
You can use Chicago 95's icons perfectly under KDE.
ilyt 3y ago
I don't like how it looks (prefer a bit flatter buttons, but that are still buttons), but windows didn't really get any more usable after that...
- mcny 3y ago
  > windows didn't really get any more usable after that... The old UI is good but I am not a fan of the everything is folders and files idea of the start menu. Maybe I'm misremembering but iirc as a child I used to forget which sub menu inside the thing I needed was except for the ones I used frequently. I like being able to just type obs and press enter in the new windows. I preferred the old theme better than windows XP Luna theme. I had a copy of tune up software and it said the old theme is somehow easier on my ram? iirc I only had 128MB on my pentium 4 computer.
  - ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
    I don't understand this objection. The Start menu (which was a step backward from Program Manager) really went downhill when it obscured or removed the ability to group your programs into folders. Why do I want my audio & music programs jumbled together with my development tools? Or my graphics programs mixed in with general office apps? People who argue that you should just type into a search bar 100% of the time to find and launch apps are naíve. First of all, unless you have a trivial number of applications, it's absurd to expect everyone to remember the name of every program on his computer. Oh gee, what was that SD-card-formatting utility again? I don't know, but hey in two clicks I'm in my Utils folder and there it is. I'm not scouring a disorganized, flat list of 100 applications to find it.
    - zilti 3y ago
      That's why in KDE, you can also search for the program "description". E.g. if I type "Editor", I get back Emacs, Kate, etc.
    - lelanthran 3y ago
      > People who argue that you should just type into a search bar 100% of the time to find and launch apps are naíve. First of all, unless you have a trivial number of applications, it's absurd to expect everyone to remember the name of every program on his computer. Oh gee, what was that SD-card-formatting utility again? I don't know, but hey in two clicks I'm in my Utils folder and there it is. Maybe you should relook at this again; they don't work like that anymore - you don't need to remember "Brasero" when searching for a CD burning tool, the menu items all have a description field which is also searched. So for your specific example, all you'd need to do is search for "SD Card", even if the name does not have the text "SD" or "Card" in it.
UncleSlacky 3y ago
You could also just use the "Redmond" theme with the Trinity DE: https://baloo.neocities.org/TheGuide/TheGuide-Part1 https://baloo.neocities.org/TheGuide/TheGuide-Part1 (bottom of page)

by troad 3y ago

tommica 3y ago

This is a hail mary, but would there be something similar for getting the Win XP look? I'd love that

Aeolun 3y ago
Absolutely. I’ve been doing this with the XP theme after this was posted on HN last time and I thought the same thing. It exists, but need to check where. Edit: No idea where I got it from. I know I installed the 98 theme first from this thing, and then downloaded a WinXP theme that I selected in all of the places it mattered.
troad 3y ago
There is a KDE theme called 'Expose', by the same person who made Reactionary, which looks like it might be what you're after. (For icons, there's a set called just called 'Windows XP').
- tommica 3y ago
  Neat, thanks!
bacchusracine 3y ago
> getting the Win XP look? I used to follow the XPDE project avidly back in the day but it seems to have just withered on the vine and never went anywhere. https://web.archive.org/web/20200502011912/http://xpde.holobit.net/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200502011912/http://xpde.holob...

qwerty456127 3y ago

> If you appreciate the usability of W95 without needing a pixel perfect copy My experience suggests "not pixel perfect" usually means severely imperfect to the point of very ugly when Linux WMs try to imitate Windows 95. "Redmond" themes have been around for decades, always ugly as hell, only reminding of Windows 95 very loosely.

robertlagrant 3y ago
I don't think experience is relevant here, unless it's the same person doing that who made the previous ones. Maybe asking for a screenshot would help you discover if this one is good or not?
- qwerty456127 3y ago
  I've already wrote about this - this specific one (Chicago65) is actually amazing although still far from perfect. You can spot foreign quirks (including a really ugly one) even on the main screenshot if you look carefully and you will feel disilusioned once you actually try to use this at home. Nevertheless it is actually good, usable and by far better than any other attempt. I use it on everyday basis but I gave up hoping it to resemble Windows 95 and customized it instead. I am very grateful to the author who crafted this.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

sombragris 3y ago

I completely agree, but in my personal preference I would use the KDE1 window deco rather than the Windows 95/Redmond one. The Win95 style is good, but KDE1 is even better IMHO.

anthk 3y ago

You can use Chicago 95's icons perfectly under KDE.

ilyt 3y ago

I don't like how it looks (prefer a bit flatter buttons, but that are still buttons), but windows didn't really get any more usable after that...

mcny 3y ago
> windows didn't really get any more usable after that... The old UI is good but I am not a fan of the everything is folders and files idea of the start menu. Maybe I'm misremembering but iirc as a child I used to forget which sub menu inside the thing I needed was except for the ones I used frequently. I like being able to just type obs and press enter in the new windows. I preferred the old theme better than windows XP Luna theme. I had a copy of tune up software and it said the old theme is somehow easier on my ram? iirc I only had 128MB on my pentium 4 computer.
- ShadowBanThis01 3y ago
  I don't understand this objection. The Start menu (which was a step backward from Program Manager) really went downhill when it obscured or removed the ability to group your programs into folders. Why do I want my audio & music programs jumbled together with my development tools? Or my graphics programs mixed in with general office apps? People who argue that you should just type into a search bar 100% of the time to find and launch apps are naíve. First of all, unless you have a trivial number of applications, it's absurd to expect everyone to remember the name of every program on his computer. Oh gee, what was that SD-card-formatting utility again? I don't know, but hey in two clicks I'm in my Utils folder and there it is. I'm not scouring a disorganized, flat list of 100 applications to find it.
  - zilti 3y ago
    That's why in KDE, you can also search for the program "description". E.g. if I type "Editor", I get back Emacs, Kate, etc.
  - lelanthran 3y ago
    > People who argue that you should just type into a search bar 100% of the time to find and launch apps are naíve. First of all, unless you have a trivial number of applications, it's absurd to expect everyone to remember the name of every program on his computer. Oh gee, what was that SD-card-formatting utility again? I don't know, but hey in two clicks I'm in my Utils folder and there it is. Maybe you should relook at this again; they don't work like that anymore - you don't need to remember "Brasero" when searching for a CD burning tool, the menu items all have a description field which is also searched. So for your specific example, all you'd need to do is search for "SD Card", even if the name does not have the text "SD" or "Card" in it.

UncleSlacky 3y ago

You could also just use the "Redmond" theme with the Trinity DE: https://baloo.neocities.org/TheGuide/TheGuide-Part1 https://baloo.neocities.org/TheGuide/TheGuide-Part1 (bottom of page)