How to Make Fedora Look Like Ubuntu

Ubuntu is known for its theming and Unity-esque appearance.

To make Fedora look like Ubuntu, you can follow these steps:

Open a terminal and run:
sudo dnf install gnome-shell-yaru

Enable the Yaru theme in GnomeTweaks. Install Tweaks first if needed.
sudo dnf install gnome-tweaks

Go to the “Appearance” tab and select the Yaru theme for the Shell, Icons, and Cursor.

Install Gogh for Terminal Theme

Install Gogh from GitHub:
sh git clone https://github.com/Gogh-Co/Gogh.git cd Gogh ./install.sh

Select the “Clone of Ubuntu” profile for your terminal:
gogh clone ubuntu

Apply the theme:
gogh apply ubuntu

Install Ubuntu Fonts:

Download the Ubuntu font family from Google Fonts.

Copy the font files to the fonts directory:
sudo cp -r ~/Downloads/ubuntu-font-family-*.ttf /usr/share/fonts/ sudo fc-cache -f -v

Use Gnome Tweaks to change the default fonts. Go to the “Fonts” tab and set the Interface, Document, and Titlebar fonts to Ubuntu.

Optional: Install Extensions:

You can install extensions like “Dash to Panel” and “Arc Menu” to further customize the look and feel of your desktop.

Making Fedora’s default GNOME desktop look and feel like Ubuntu’s GNOME is primarily about applying the Yaru theme and installing a few key GNOME Extensions.

Here is a step-by-step guide to achieve the classic Ubuntu look:

1. Install Necessary Tools and Themes

First, you’ll need the Yaru theme, the Ubuntu font, and the GNOME Tweaks tool.¹

Open your terminal and run the following commands:

Step	Command	Description
1. Install Yaru Theme	sudo dnf install yaru-theme	Installs the GTK, Shell, Icons, and Cursor themes.
2. Install Ubuntu Fonts	sudo dnf install ubuntu-font-family	Installs Ubuntu’s official font.
3. Install GNOME Tweaks	sudo dnf install gnome-tweak-tool	Allows you to change the themes and fonts.
4. Install Extensions App	sudo dnf install gnome-shell-extension-common	Installs the common package for extensions.

2. Configure the Appearance

Now, use the GNOME Tweaks application to apply the new themes.²

1. Open Tweaks (search for it in the Activities overview).
2. Go to the Appearance section in the sidebar.
3. Set the following options to a Yaru variant (e.g., Yaru, Yaru-dark, etc.):
   • Applications (GTK): Choose Yaru-dark (or Yaru for the light theme).
   • Icons: Choose Yaru.
   • Cursor: Choose Yaru.
   • Shell: Choose Yaru (or Yaru-dark). (This option requires the User Themes extension, see Step 3).
4. Go to the Fonts section and change your preferred fonts to a font from the Ubuntu family.³

3. Change the Layout with Extensions

The main visual difference is the Dock on the left and the way windows are managed. You’ll need extensions for this.

A. Install Key Extensions

You can install extensions using the Extensions app (if installed) or a web browser with the GNOME Extensions Connector.⁴

Extension	Purpose	Configuration
Dash to Dock	Replaces the GNOME Dash with a permanent dock on the side.	Enable and Configure: Open the Dash to Dock settings and set the Position to Left. You may also want to disable “Intelligently hide the dock” and “Move the dock to the center of the screen.”
AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Support	Brings back tray icons for legacy applications to the top panel.	Enable it for a complete look.
User Themes	Crucial for allowing GNOME Shell theming (the top bar, overview, etc.).	Enable this, then go back to GNOME Tweaks (Step 2) to set the Shell theme to Yaru.

B. Enable Maximize/Minimize Buttons

By default, GNOME only shows the close button. Ubuntu enables all three.

1. Open Tweaks.
2. Go to Window Titlebars.
3. Toggle Maximize and Minimize to ON.⁵

After completing these steps, log out and log back in to ensure all the changes and extensions are fully applied. Your Fedora desktop should now have a distinct Ubuntu look and feel.