grassmunk/chicago95

★ 5,766HTMLAudience · generalComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · moderate

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Chicago95))
    What It Does
      Full desktop makeover
      Windows 95 look
      Terminal MS-DOS style
    Components
      GTK theme
      Icon set
      Boot splash
      Chicago95 Plus tool
    Compatibility
      XFCE desktop
      KDE partial support
      HiDPI partial
    Audience
      Nostalgic Linux users
      No coding needed
      Xubuntu users

mindmap root((Chicago95)) What It Does Full desktop makeover Windows 95 look Terminal MS-DOS style Components GTK theme Icon set Boot splash Chicago95 Plus tool Compatibility XFCE desktop KDE partial support HiDPI partial Audience Nostalgic Linux users No coding needed Xubuntu users

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Give your Linux desktop a complete Windows 95 visual makeover without any coding knowledge.

USE CASE 2

Relive 90s nostalgia on a modern Xubuntu or XFCE-based Linux system.

USE CASE 3

Install additional retro themes from Windows 95, 98, ME, or XP using the Chicago95 Plus companion tool.

USE CASE 4

Style your Linux terminal prompt to look like the classic MS-DOS command line.

Tech stack

GTKXFCEKDEShell/BashHTMLLibreOffice

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

An automated installer is available for most users. Manual installation is also documented per component. Works best on XFCE-based distros like Xubuntu.

Dual-licensed under GPL-3.0 and MIT. Free to use, modify, and share, but some components require derivative works to stay open source.

In plain English

Chicago95 is a visual theme for Linux desktops that makes the interface look and feel like Windows 95. It is designed for XFCE, a lightweight desktop environment commonly found on Xubuntu and similar Linux distributions. The author created it because existing Windows 95 style themes for Linux felt inconsistent, and wanted one that applied the old look more uniformly across the entire desktop. The theme is a total conversion, meaning it tries to change every visible part of the desktop rather than just some of it. It includes a GTK theme (which controls how buttons, menus, and windows are drawn), an icon set to go with the Windows 95 look, a modified window border style, a boot splash screen that appears when the computer starts up, and even a terminal prompt style that resembles the old MS-DOS command line. There is also a companion tool called Chicago95 Plus that lets users preview and install additional Windows 95, 98, ME, and XP visual themes, similar to the Microsoft Plus packs that shipped with those operating systems. Installation can be done through an automated installer or manually, and the project links out to separate documentation for each component. There is partial support for high-resolution screens and a partial icon theme for LibreOffice. Experimental support exists for KDE, another Linux desktop environment, covering the login screen and splash screen. The project is aimed at Linux users who feel nostalgic for the Windows 95 era or who simply prefer that aesthetic. No coding knowledge is needed to use it. The license is a combination of GPL-3.0 and MIT.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I installed Chicago95 on XFCE and the GTK theme applied but my icons still look modern. How do I switch the icon theme to Chicago95 in XFCE settings?

Prompt 2

Walk me through manually installing the Chicago95 window border theme on Xubuntu step by step.

Prompt 3

How do I set up the Chicago95 MS-DOS style terminal prompt in bash or zsh?

Prompt 4

I have a high-resolution screen and Chicago95 icons look blurry. What are my options for HiDPI support with this theme?

Prompt 5

How do I use the Chicago95 Plus tool to preview and install a Windows 98 visual theme on my Linux desktop?

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