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Going Retro With GNU/Linux
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HowTo Geek ☛ These Are the 7 Oldest Linux Distros Still Being Developed
So you've used Linux for years, but have you used it since the 90s? For the few that have, the rest of us must take a bow—you were right; Linux truly is the greatest, and you knew it from the start. But how much do you actually know about its origins? I've recorded the oldest distros still in use.
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HowTo Geek ☛ These Linux Distros Look Like Your Favorite Retro Windows OS
If you are someone like me who grew up with early Windows versions, the visual aesthetic of Windows 95, XP, and even 7 holds a powerful appeal. Their classic desktop experience isn't just nostalgic but also comforting, reminding you of simpler computing days.
While we've moved past those days, it's not that hard to revisit that visual era without actually sacrificing the benefits of modern computing. The world of Linux has several modern distros that either look like retro Windows versions by default or can be tweaked to resemble Windows of yesteryears with little effort.
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XDA ☛ Transform Linux into a time machine with these retro PC themes for Cinnamon and XFCE
I'll never forget how it felt logging into good old Windows XP in my elementary school's computer lab. Maybe some would say XP was "ugly" by today's standards, but I'll always have nostalgia for it, with its iconic rolling fields wallpaper and vibrant blue and green UI. Modern Windows is dull by comparison.
Naturally, one of the first things I did after installing Linux on my PC was play around with retro-inspired themes for my desktop environment. It can take a bit of digging to find good themes that still work on current versions of popular desktop environments, not to mention tracking down good icon packs to go with them.
So, I've gathered the themes that have worked best for me so you, too, can relive your retro PC nostalgia (or get a taste of old operating system UIs you missed out on). For these demos, I stuck to Cinnamon and XFCE since they strike a good balance between functionality and ease of customization, although some of the themes I found will also work on KDE Plasma, MATE, and even Gnome.