You might’ve heard that Linux can look like practically anything you want, but how customizable is it really? Can you easily tweak your Linux distro’s look and feel as you desire, or does it require extensive terminal tinkering? Well, here are the five Linux distros to show you just what’s possible!
Linux offers customization possibilities that mainstream OSes like macOS and Windows just can’t match. However,not all distros are created equaland some are more customizable than others. Some are more straightforward and allow you to change layouts with a click of a button. Others offer you a canvas and let you paint your masterpiece. Now, whether you prefer more control or added accessibility, I’m sure one of these distros will appeal to the creative in you.
5Zorin OS
Zorin OSis a beginner-friendly,Windows-like Linux distrothat lets you tweak how the desktop looks and feels using a dedicated graphical app—Zorin Appearance. By default, the distro carries a Windows 7-ish layout. But, with a few clicks, you can make it look like Windows XP or get a touch-focused Windows 8-ish layout with a full-screen app launcher—albeit with app icons instead of Live Tiles. There’s also a paid version of the distro called Zorin OS Pro which includes even more custom-designed layouts that look like macOS, Windows 11, and ChromeOS.
Now, under the hood, Zorin OS is rocking a heavily customized version of theGNOME desktop environment. Yes, it’s the same GNOME that powers Ubuntu and Fedora. But, as you can see, Zorin OS looks nothing like those other GNOME-based distros. With clever use ofGNOME extensionsand custom theming, Zorin OS allows you to effortlessly switch between the default desktop layouts of some of the most popular operating systems.
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4Ubuntu
If you’re new to Linux and just started out usingUbuntu, you might have the impression that it’s more of a minimalist distro that only lets you tweak the wallpaper and accent color. However, as you just saw with the Ubuntu-based and GNOME-powered Zorin OS, there’s immense customization potential. In fact, I have personally tweaked Ubuntu to make it look likeWindows 11andmacOSwith uncanny accuracy. All of this is possible using GNOME Extensions and Custom Themes.
Now, customizing Ubuntu isn’t as seamless as clicking on a few buttons like you do with the Zorin Appearance app. You’d need to install a few apps, namely GNOME Tweaks and GNOME Extension Manager, and then start installing extensions which will help you tweak and augment the desktop layout. After that, you’ll need toinstall themesthat will help you tweak the design and aesthetics of your desktop. It’s a bit more technically demanding, but you have granular control over how you want to build your desktop.
Download Ubuntu Desktop
3Archcraft
Archcraftis a relatively new distro on my radar and one that looks absolutely gorgeous! The layout, color scheme, and overall interface make for a modern and polished aesthetic that’s uniquely Linux! Furthermore, the distro ships with 15 themes (or styles) out of the box which you can easily apply using the right-click menu.
What’s more impressive is that each of these styles completely changes the wallpaper, color scheme, icon pack, and desktop layout to deliver 15 unique ambiences with a distinct user experience. You can also mix and match these elements from each theme, giving you potentially hundreds of different variations.
If that’s not impressive enough, Archcraft is also one of the mostlightweight distrosI have encountered. After a fresh install, it takes up less than 10GB of disk space and uses less than 500MB RAM while idle! This is possible because Archcraft avoids heavy desktop environments, and instead uses a window manager,Openbox, which is extremely lightweight. The only issue with using Openbox is that you’d basically need to write scripts (like coding) to configure its design and layout. Thankfully, Archcraft ships with 15 unique variations, so you don’t need to worry about building one yourself—unless you want to!
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2Fedora KDE Plasma Spin
Coming back to the world of desktop environments, KDE Plasma is possibly themost customizable DE. Now, there are tons of distros out there that ship with KDE Plasma—some heavily customized, others mildly—but in my opinion,Fedora KDE Plasma Spinis the best way to experience vanilla Plasma.
Out-of-the-box, the distro offers a traditional Windows-like desktop experience with a taskbar on the bottom, application launcher to the left, and quick settings on the right. However, you can change all of that. You can reposition the taskbar anywhere you like. You can even have multiple taskbars!
You can also switch the placements of the Application launcher and the Quick Settings area, delete them, or have them in the center. There’s also support for desktop widgets, which you can also add to your taskbar.
That’s just what you’re able to do with the overall layout. There are also tons of scripts and desktop effects to tweak how the desktop behaves and how you interact with it. The best part is that you have graphical tools to help you with these customizations.
Download Fedora KDE Plasma
1Garuda Linux
If you want to see what’s really possible with KDE Plasma, you need not look further thanGaruda Linux. There are two flavors of Garuda Linux using a customized version of KDE Plasma as its default desktop—the Dragonized edition and the Mokka edition—and both of them are stunning. Remember how KDE Plasma, by default, looks like Windows? Well, Garuda completely changes that in favor of a macOS-style desktop with a dock at the bottom and a panel up top boasting the application launcher, quick settings, and even a menu bar!
While both editions keep the same layout, they change the overall aesthetics. The Dragonized edition goes for a bold, in-your-face, gamer-y, neon-infused, cyberpunk design style, whereas Mokka feels much more professional, polished, and sophisticated—great for a work PC. Now, no matter which option you pick, you’ll have a desktop that’ll turn heads at the coffee shop—coming from personal experience.
Download Garuda Linux
Which Distro Should You Choose?
If you are someone new to Linux and just want a distro to try out different desktop layouts and see what best fits your workflow, then go with Zorin OS. However, if you know what you want and wish to make it yourself, you can pick either Ubuntu or Fedora KDE Plasma depending on whether you preferGNOME over KDE Plasma.
Garuda Linux shines as an option for people who don’t want to toil away hours configuring their system and already like the ambience and aesthetics of the Mokka or Dragonized edition. It’s far simpler to go in and deactivate a particular feature that you don’t like, than to download, install, and activate all of them yourself. Archcraft also taps into a similar pain point by offering 15 pre-configured Openbox themes that look absolutely stunning. That said, I’d only recommend the distro ifyou’re an experienced Linuxuser who feels comfortable tweaking config files and working in the terminal.
How to Get Started
If you like one of them, I’d strongly recommend that youtry the distro outand see all the customization options before installing it on your system.A VirtualBox VMcan be a great tool here, allowing you to create virtual systems running each of these distros. Once you find a distro that strikes the perfect balance of customizability and ease of use for you, go ahead andinstall it on your system!
