The Endeavour Linux Desktop

Space-based desktops have a special place in my heart, and this shot of space shuttle Endeavour shadowed by Earth below it is a great one. Flickr user Michael Farquhar used this photo as the bedrock for his customised Ubuntu desktop.

It’s gorgeous without being distracting, and data widgets are placed efficiently on the sides of the screen. Want the same look for your Ubuntu system? Here’s what you’ll need:

• The wallpaper of Space Shuttle Endeavour from NASA
• The Faience Gnome shell theme from DeviantArt
• The Docky application launcher for the left sidebar (and the HUD built-in theme)
• Conky, a lightweight system monitor for Linux systems, for the analogue and digital clocks, the system information and the to-do list
• The Cornet Conky theme for the two system monitoring widgets on the upper and lower right side of the screen (and the clock removed).

Michael’s running Ubuntu with Gnome Shell 3.4. He’s customised some elements to fit in a particular way, so if you’re having trouble figuring out what he’s done, drop by his Flickr page to ask him questions — and don’t forget to let him know how much you liked the end result!

Mac users can get a similar look and feel with GeekTool and our guide on how to use it. Windows users can recreate these elements with Rainmeter and our guide, along with dock-like launchers like RocketDock or ObjectDock.

Endeavour [Flickr]