JUL 3, 2025 by kalyani

Noob's Experience in Linux Ricing

A beginner-friendly journey into Linux ricing, from confusion to customization, covering terminals, window managers, and the art of making your setup truly yours.

Okay, so you want to start Linux ricing but stumbled upon the unixporn subreddit, and now you’re feeling overwhelmed (because it is overwhelming). There are always geniuses in there casually flexing their elite setups, and as a beginner, it can be tough to even start.

From a very beginner’s perspective, ricing is just customizing your desktop. It can be as simple as making your terminal 80% transparent to going full-throttle and changing the entire look of your distro. It’s crazy how much freedom you have: there are endless YouTube tutorials, dotfiles floating everywhere (though they may or may not work for you, heads up, copying random configs isn’t magic unless you’re on Arch... then it might work if the authors give a direct bash script for you to just run it and do the whole job).

You’ll likely have to dig into config files, run components in verbose mode, and check logs to fix inevitable errors. And that’s okay, this is all part of the Linux journey.

Most beginners start with a classic distro like Mint or Ubuntu (because let’s face it, they’re beginner-friendly). Maybe you stumbled upon Reddit, saw how wild the Linux world can get, and thought, “I want to do something similar.”

Here’s my “I hope this works for you” guide to Linux ricing. Why? Because unless you learn how to fix errors on your own, things rarely go your way on the first try. Let’s dive in.

1. Choose a Distro

This is where the chaos starts. If you’re on Gnome and Ubuntu, it’s kinda hard. Gnome is designed to have everything already set up for you, it's almost too polished.

For example, you can’t easily replace the top bar with something fully custom. The most you can do is hide it and add something like Polybar or Eww Bar. If you really love the default Gnome bars, go for extensions, plugins, and Gnome Tweaks. That’s a solid starting point.

Otherwise, if you want maximum customization, explore distros that use lightweight window managers (WMs) instead of desktop environments (DEs). I’ll explain DEs and WMs later hold on to your terminal for now.

2. Customize the Terminal

If there’s one thing every Linux user loves, it’s a beautiful terminal.

  • If you’re using the Gnome terminal, your customization options are limited. Want a transparent terminal? Go to dconf, find the legacy settings, and tweak the opacity.
  • For the ultimate terminal experience, switch to something like Kitty, Alacritty, or Tilix. These are highly customizable, and you can configure everything from fonts to background colors in the .config files.

Now, let’s talk about Zsh. If you’re not using it, you’re missing out. Zsh is like Bash’s cooler cousin. Pair it with Oh-My-Zsh, and you get powerful plugins and themes out of the box. Bonus: it makes your terminal look super cool.

3. Neofetch: The Flex

How do you let the world know you’re a Linux user? By running neofetch, of course.

Neofetch is the ultimate Linux flex. It shows your system info alongside some snazzy ASCII art.

To customize it:

  1. Go to your ~/.config/neofetch folder.
  2. Play with the config file to add/remove details like uptime, CPU, memory, etc.
  3. Replace the default ASCII art with something unique (anime, anyone?).

4. Wallpapers and Icons

Wallpapers are the simplest part of ricing. Just pick something you love, nature, cityscapes, or anime, whatever inspires you.

For icons, try packs like Papirus, Candy, or something quirky that matches your vibe. Gnome users can use Gnome Tweaks to apply custom themes and icons effortlessly.

5. Desktop Environments (DEs) vs Window Managers (WMs)

Here’s the quirky bit:

  • DEs (Desktop Environments): These are like fully-furnished apartments. Everything’s already set up, walls painted, furniture in place. Examples: Gnome, KDE, XFCE.
  • WMs (Window Managers): These are like empty apartments. You decide where to put the couch, hang the paintings, and place the lights. Examples: i3, Openbox, AwesomeWM.

If you want full control and a minimalist aesthetic, go with a WM like i3 or BSPWM. They’re highly configurable and perfect for ricing. But be prepared to spend time tweaking config files.

6. Tiling Managers and Compositors

Let’s talk about tiling managers. Windows and even Ubuntu have their own tiling features. Do you prefer all your open apps to overlap, or do you like them neatly tiled on your screen? Pick whatever feels right for you.

Now, what are compositors? These are tools that handle how windows are rendered on your screen. Some popular compositors are:

  • Picom: Lightweight, simple, and highly customizable for effects like transparency and shadows.
  • Hyprland: A Wayland compositor that’s all about modern aesthetics and cool features.
  • Compton: The OG compositor that’s lightweight and functional but often replaced by Picom.

If you’re trying things out on Ubuntu, you’ve got options like Gnome, KDE, Picom, i3, BSPWM, and Hyprland. KDE is insanely customizable, i3 and BSPWM are lightweight, and Hyprland is just ridiculously aesthetic (seriously, it’s that cool).

7. The Importance of Docs and Readmes

Here’s the golden rule: Always go through the wiki and docs. They’re lifesavers.

When you install tools like Polybar or Neofetch, their config files might look intimidating (over 1,000 lines!). But trust me, most of it is commented out to help you understand the options. These files let you tweak everything to your liking, don’t skip this step.

8. Beyond Ubuntu

If you’re not on Ubuntu, don’t worry. Fedora, Arch, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, they’re all great options. Most dotfiles on GitHub are tailored for specific distros, especially Arch (seriously, Arch has thousands of rices).

When I was using Ubuntu 24, I couldn’t find many rices specifically for it, most were 5–6 years old. I eventually found one that was 2 years old, but a lot of things were deprecated. It was originally for Arch, so I had to customize it for my setup (no GPU, different fonts, icons, etc.).

If you’re interested, check out my dotfiles here:
👉 https://github.com/Kalyani02072003/Ubuntu-i3-rice

9. Test, Tweak, Repeat

Not everything online will work perfectly for your setup. The best approach is to take inspiration, debug the issues, and get things working for you.

Ricing is all about experimenting, test things, break things, and enjoy the process. It’s about making your desktop yours. Start small: tweak your terminal, change your wallpaper, and slowly dive into config files. Linux is all about experimentation.

It won’t be perfect the first time. You’ll break things. You’ll curse at logs. But when it finally clicks? It’s worth it.

Happy ricing! 🚀

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