[Linux Desktop] How to Make Ubuntu Look Like a Mac: Windows and Zoom Dock Guide

Many people want their Ubuntu to look like a Mac. But sometimes, some windows and icons do not change their colors, and the bottom bar (Dock) cannot zoom in. In this guide, I will show you how to fix these problems step by step!

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Step 1: Change the Theme for Old Apps

Ubuntu has two types of windows: old ones (GTK3) and new ones (GTK4). First, let us change the old ones.

1. Go to the website GNOME-Look.org and download the WhiteSur GTK Theme.
2. Unzip the file. Put the folder into a hidden folder named ~/.themes/ in your Home folder. (If you do not see it, create a new folder and name it .themes).
3. Open the GNOME Tweaks app and click Appearance.
4. Find Legacy Applications and change it to WhiteSur-Dark.

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🔥 Step 2: Download and Change Mac Icons (Don't Forget!)

To make your apps (like Files, Browser, and Settings) look exactly like a Mac, we need to change the system icons!

1. Go to GNOME-Look.org again and search for WhiteSur Icon Theme. Download the zip file.
2. Unzip the file. This time, create a new hidden folder named .icons in your Home folder (the path is ~/.icons/).
3. Put the unzipped icon folders inside ~/.icons/.
4. Open the GNOME Tweaks app, go to Appearance, find the Icons option, and change it to WhiteSur (or WhiteSur-dark). Now all your app pictures will change to Mac style!

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Step 3: Fix the New Windows (GTK4)

Now, you will see that some apps (like the Terminal) look like a Mac with red, yellow, and green buttons. But the File Manager does not change. Let us force it to change:

1. Open your Terminal and type these commands:

   mkdir -p ~/.config/gtk-4.0
   cp -r ~/.themes/WhiteSur-Dark/gtk-4.0/* ~/.config/gtk-4.0/

2. To make sure the system uses this theme, type this command in the Terminal:

   echo 'export GTK_THEME=WhiteSur-Dark' >> ~/.profile

3. [Important] Now, log out of Ubuntu and log in again. Now, all windows will look like a Mac!

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Step 4: Change to X11 for a Zooming Dock

On a real Mac, when your mouse moves over the bottom bar (Dock), the icons get bigger. The default Ubuntu dock cannot do this now. We need to use a great app called Plank. But Plank only works in an X11 environment.

1. Open the Extension Manager app and turn off Dash to Dock.
2. Log out of Ubuntu.
3. On the login screen, click your name.
4. Do not type your password yet! Look at the bottom-right corner. Click the small gear icon (⚙️).
5. Change it from Ubuntu to Ubuntu on Xorg (this is X11). Then, type your password and log in.

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Step 5: Install Plank and Turn on Zoom

Now we are in X11, so we can use Plank!

1. Open the Terminal and install Plank:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt install plank -y

2. Type this command to open Plank settings:

   plank --preferences

3. Click the Appearance tab and turn Icon Zoom to ON.
4. Now, move your mouse to the bottom of the screen. The icons will zoom in smoothly!

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Step 6: Make Plank Start Automatically

Let us make Plank start by itself every time you turn on your computer:

1. Open the GNOME Tweaks app again.
2. Click Startup Applications on the left.
3. Click the "+" button, find Plank, and add it.

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⚠️ A Big Problem: You Cannot Use Waydroid in X11!

If you use Waydroid to play Android games or use Android apps on Linux, please be careful!

Why is X11 bad for Waydroid?

Waydroid only works with the new Wayland system. It does not like the old X11 system.

• Waydroid will not open. It will show a big error message.
• If you force it to open, it will be very slow, laggy, and bad.

📊 The Hard Choice: Looks or Functions?

You have to choose what is more important to you:

What do you want?	Your System	Good Things	Bad Things
Beautiful Mac Looks	X11 + Plank	Beautiful windows, Mac icons, and cool icon zoom animation.	Waydroid will not work. You cannot use Android apps.
Android Apps	Wayland + Dash to Dock	Waydroid works very smoothly.	The Dock cannot zoom in. It looks less like a Mac.

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Conclusion

Now we fixed the window colors, changed the icons, and got a beautiful Mac dock! Even though we have to choose between "Dock Zoom" and "Android Apps," learning how Linux works is a lot of fun. Enjoy your new beautiful desktop!

How to Move Your Python Project to a New Computer

Moving a Python project is not just about copying folders. If you copy the virtual environment folder directly, it will break because of different paths and Python versions. Here is the right way to do it.

Step 1: Save your current environment

On your old computer, go to your project folder and activate your virtual environment. Then, save all your installed packages into a file:

pip freeze > requirements.txt

Step 2: Copy your files

Move your requirements.txt and your Python code files to the new computer. Do not copy the virtual environment folder (e.g., twstockenv).

Step 3: Create a clean environment on the new computer

On your new computer, make sure you have the venv tool installed:

sudo apt install python3-venv

Then, create a new environment. Pro tip: Use an absolute path to avoid mistakes:

/usr/bin/python3.12 -m venv /home/yourname/twstockenv

Common Problem: Version Compatibility

Warning: You might see an "Error" if the Python version is too new or too old for your packages.

I recently faced this issue! Some packages (like crewai) only work with specific Python versions (e.g., 3.10 to 3.13). If your new computer has Python 3.14, it might block the installation.

The solution: Install the specific Python version you need (like 3.12) and use it to build your environment, as shown in Step 3.

Step 4: Install your packages

Finally, activate your new environment and install everything at once:

source /home/yourname/twstockenv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

Now, your project is ready to run on your new machine!

Trust the Algorithm: Engineering a Data-Driven Risk Framework to Escape the Crash

“

"Trust the algorithm, eliminate emotion: Yesterday's market close data already flashed a strict [WAIT] signal, successfully protecting my capital before this historic -3,006 point overnight crash."

（相信演算法，拋棄情緒：昨天的收盤數據就已經提前顯示了嚴格的 [WAIT] 警戒訊號，在這次歷史性的夜盤 -3,006 點大崩盤前，成功保護了我的資金。）