Diff for "UbuntuEyeCandy"

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⇤ ← Revision 46 as of 2007-01-26 08:17:20 →
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← Revision 47 as of 2007-01-26 08:33:15 → ⇥
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Comment: Edited for brevity.
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'''Ubuntu Eye Candy''' is intended as an index for all the things in the wiki that are mostly intended to make Ubuntu look cooler and/or slicker, rather than the more "serious" configuration options documented elsewhere.
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Fairly short items can be added directly to this page; existing or longer items should get their own pages with links from here. There are many ways to customize Ubuntu to look cooler.

If you've got any cool additions, add any fairly short items to this page, and add longer items to their own pages with links from here.
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Right-click on your desktop and choose '''Change Desktop Background''', or choose '''System → Preferences → Desktop Background'''. Pick a wallpaper from the list, or choose the '''Add Wallpaper''' button to add an image from any directory. Right-click on your desktop and choose '''Change Desktop Background'''. Pick a wallpaper from the list, or choose the '''Add Wallpaper''' button to add an image from any directory.
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To change themes, click '''System → Preferences → Theme'''. Ubuntu 7.04 Development version: click '''System → Control Center'''. Then click '''Theme'''.
Ubuntu 6.10 and earlier: click '''System → Preferences → Theme'''.
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=== Installing New Desktop Themes ===
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Download a theme onto your Desktop, open the Theme Manager as above, and drag the file containing the new theme onto the Theme Manager. It should automatically install, and appear in your list of themes. Download new themes from websites onto your Desktop, and drag the new theme file onto the Theme Manager. It will now appear in your list of themes.
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'''Note''' that many theme packages only contain portions of a theme - you can find those by clicking the '''Theme Details''' button and exploring the lists there. The three parts of every theme are '''Controls''', '''Window Borders''' and '''Icons'''. Controls come from '''GTK''' and Window Borders from '''Metacity''' - look for those terms on the websites listed at the bottom of this page if you want more themes for your Ubuntu desktop.
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The three parts of every theme are '''Controls''', '''Window Borders''' and '''Icons'''. Controls come from GTK 2.x and Window Borders from Metacity - look for those terms on the websites listed at the bottom of this page if you want more themes for your Ubuntu desktop.

Gnome's Theme Manager also makes it very easy to create your own themes by mixing and matching elements through this Theme Details window.		 '''Note''' that many theme packages only contain portions of a theme - for example, window borders only - you can find those by clicking the '''Theme Details''' button. This also makes it very easy to mixing and matching elements from different themes.
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=== To Change Login Screen Themes === '''In Ubuntu 7.04 Development Version:'''
 * Click '''System → Control Center → Login Window'''. Click the '''Local''' tab to change themes.
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 * Choose '''System →\ Administration → Login Window'''.  * Click '''System → Administration → Login Window'''.
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 * Choose '''System → Adminstration → Login Screen Setup''', then click the '''Themed Greeter''' tab and choose a GDM theme.  * Click '''System → Adminstration → Login Screen Setup''', then click the '''Themed Greeter''' tab and choose a GDM theme.
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=== Installing New Login Screen Themes ===

As with desktop themes, save the .tar.gz with your theme on it to your Desktop. In the Login Screen Setup's Themed Greeter tab, press the '''Install New Theme''' button, find your new theme's file, and press the Install button.		 To install new login screen themes, save the .tar.gz with your theme on it to your Desktop. In the Login Screen program, press the '''Install New Theme''' button, find your new theme's file, and press the Install button.
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 * Select one of the available themes, or click 'Install theme' and select the compressed file to add it.
 
 * Repeat #3 for all themes you want to install
 		  * Select a theme, or click 'Install theme' and select the compressed file to add it.
  
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 * [:QtGnome:Qt-Gnome]: Make KDE applications more GNOME-like

 
== Possibly Unstable Eye Candy ==
  * [:QtGnome:Qt-Gnome]: Make KDE applications look the same as Gnome apps.
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 * ["WallpaperTray"]: Picks a particular wallpaper when you log in, or regularly.  * ["WallpaperTray"]: Picks a particular wallpaper each time you log in, or regularly.

== Ubuntu Art Pages ==
 * ["ArtTeam"]: Ubuntu Art Team
 * ["Artwork/Official"]: Official Ubuntu artwork, and policy for using it.
 * ["CommunityArtwork"]: Community artwork links
 * ["UbuntuTitle"]: the official Ubuntu Title Typeface
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== Ubuntu Art Pages ==
 * ["ArtTeam"]: Ubuntu Art Team
 * ["Artwork/Official"]: Official Ubuntu artwork, and policy for using it.
 * ["CommunityArtwork"]: Community artwork links
 * ["UbuntuTitle"]: the official Ubuntu Title Typeface

There are many ways to customize Ubuntu to look cooler.

If you've got any cool additions, add any fairly short items to this page, and add longer items to their own pages with links from here.

Changing Desktop Wallpaper

Right-click on your desktop and choose Change Desktop Background. Pick a wallpaper from the list, or choose the Add Wallpaper button to add an image from any directory.

Use the Desktop Colors selector to change the background behind translucent or semi-transparent images - this works very well with SVG graphics.

Changing Desktop Themes

Ubuntu comes with a selection of desktop themes, and many more can be downloaded from websites.

Ubuntu 7.04 Development version: click System → Control Center. Then click Theme. Ubuntu 6.10 and earlier: click System → Preferences → Theme.

attachment:ThemeDialogue.png

Download new themes from websites onto your Desktop, and drag the new theme file onto the Theme Manager. It will now appear in your list of themes.

The three parts of every theme are Controls, Window Borders and Icons. Controls come from GTK and Window Borders from Metacity - look for those terms on the websites listed at the bottom of this page if you want more themes for your Ubuntu desktop.

Note that many theme packages only contain portions of a theme - for example, window borders only - you can find those by clicking the Theme Details button. This also makes it very easy to mixing and matching elements from different themes.

Changing Login Window (GDM) Themes

attachment:LoginWindow.png

Gnome Desktop Manager (GDM) controls the login screen in Ubuntu. There are several themes pre-installed, and many more can be downloaded.

In Ubuntu 7.04 Development Version:

  • Click System → Control Center → Login Window. Click the Local tab to change themes.

In Ubuntu 6.06:

  • Click System → Administration → Login Window.

In Ubuntu 5.10 & Earlier:

  • Click System → Adminstration → Login Screen Setup, then click the Themed Greeter tab and choose a GDM theme.

To install new login screen themes, save the .tar.gz with your theme on it to your Desktop. In the Login Screen program, press the Install New Theme button, find your new theme's file, and press the Install button.

Then simply select the new theme from the list of available themes. You can also set it up to pick a random theme on every boot, rather than picking just one theme.

Changing The Splash Screen

Ubuntu 6.06:

  • Install gnome-splashscreen-manager. Start it by selecting System → Preferences → Splash Screen.

  • Install new splash screens with the 'Install' button, by navigating to the file you want to use for your splash.

Ubuntu 5.10 & earlier:

  • On the Gnome menu select Applications → System Tools → Configuration Editor.

  • Select System → Preferences → Configuration Editor.

  • From the tree menu on the left select apps → gnome-session → options.

  • Right click on splash_image then select edit key.

  • In the value field enter the absolute path to the image file you wish to use for your splash screen.

Changing Mouse Cursor Themes

Ubuntu 6.06:

  • Download the theme to an easily accessible location - ~/Desktop is good.

  • Install the gcursor package via Synaptic or apt-get.

  • Start gcursor with System → Preferences → Cursor Selection.

  • Select a theme, or click 'Install theme' and select the compressed file to add it.
  • Once you're finished, select the theme you want to use and click "Close"

Getting Regular Art Updates

Ubuntu Calendar

The Ubuntu Calendar is a regularly updated package containing this months Ubuntu-themed desktop wallpaper. Just install ubuntu-calendar - see [:InstallingSoftware:Installing Software], then click System → Preferences → Desktop Background. You'll find 'Ubuntu Monthly Calendar' and 'Ubuntu Monthly Calendar Widescreen' added to the list.

Gnome Art Manager

Gnome Art provides an way to fetch backgrounds, themes, login screen art, and more from art.gnome.org. Just install gnome-art. See [:InstallingSoftware:Installing Software], and click System → Preferences → Art Manager.

Use the Art menu to select the category you wish to view.

Ubuntu Eyecandy Pages

  • [:QtGnome:Qt-Gnome]: Make KDE applications look the same as Gnome apps.

  • [:CompositeManager:Compiz] - Provides smooth, 3D animated window movement, desktop switching, 'expose' like application switching, transparent terminals, and more, including simple graphical configuration tools.

  • ["GnomeLaunchBox"]: Mac OSX-style application launcher

  • ["WallpaperTray"]: Picks a particular wallpaper each time you log in, or regularly.

Ubuntu Art Pages

  • ["ArtTeam"]: Ubuntu Art Team

  • ["Artwork/Official"]: Official Ubuntu artwork, and policy for using it.

  • ["CommunityArtwork"]: Community artwork links

  • ["UbuntuTitle"]: the official Ubuntu Title Typeface

Older Eye Candy

The following eye candy has been superceded by more modern / stable equivalents, many of which come with Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake).

  • ["Upower"]: add a boot-up splash screen to Ubuntu (Ubuntu now includes a splash screen by default. Additonally, Upower is no longer in development, having been replaced by Splashy.

  • ["QuickTips"]: Tip #2: Replace the Gnome foot on the Applications menu with the Ubuntu logo (Ubuntu 5.10 and newer do this by default)

  • [:Expocity:Expocity] - Howto Expose-like functionality from Apple’s OSX (Compiz performs this better)

  • [:Skippy:Skippy] - Howto for another Expose-like functionality from Apple’s OSX (Compiz performs this better)

  • ["DropShadows"]: adding Drop Shadows to your desktop windows (Compiz performs this better)

  • ["3ddesktopHowto"]: 3d Desktop installation (Xgl performs this better)

  • ["LuminocityHowTo"]: install Luminocity now in order to try out the new effects (Compiz performs this better. Luminocity is no longer in development.)

  • ["TransparentTerminals"]: Transparent terminal windows on your desktop (Compiz performs this better)

Other Theme & Eyecandy Resources

CategoryDocumentation

UbuntuEyeCandy (last edited 2016-01-04 23:21:19 by knome)