I would like to learn how to make themes.

[puppyiso]

I have read almost all posts here over the years.

Yet, I have not seen any tutorials on how to make one's own theme.

I know about icon editor but don't know about switching icons such as filled and emptied waste bin icons.

I would like to play making experimental themes.

Can anyone show me at least a link to do it? I am not interested in GNOME or KDE etc.

Just switching themes and all the icons with what I would make.

Those who ever made themes. enlighten me.

Thanks.

[steve_s]

I have read almost all posts here over the years.

Yet, I have not seen any tutorials on how to make one's own theme.

I know about icon editor but don't know about switching icons such as filled and emptied waste bin icons.

I would like to play making experimental themes.

Can anyone show me at least a link to do it? I am not interested in GNOME or KDE etc.

Just switching themes and all the icons with what I would make.

Those who ever made themes. enlighten me.

Thanks.

You talking JWM? If so, check Menu--> Desktop--> Desktop Settings--> JWM Theme Maker...ready...go!

Also, Desktop--> Desktop Settings--> Desktop Icon Switcher

And yes, there are many different posts about making themes, icons and various other things. Start with these two: Screenshots and JWM Themes. But like I said, there are many more. Google search for Puppy Linux forum [insert desktop item here, e.g. JWM Theme Maker].

[puppyiso]

Thank you, Steve.


But what I mean is that I would like to design each component of a certain theme all by myself. Like pixel by pixel...

The theme maker is not powerful enough to do all aspects of theme.
I don't want to use others and I don't want to just change icons or colors.

Bear in mind that I have been using Puppy since 2003.

[stu90]

Have a look at some of the icon packs in /usr/local/lib/X11/themes
the new icon theme you create will have to use the same names for the icons - probibly best to use GIMP for the image/icon creation, make the new canvas 48x48 pixels in size with a transparent background, when your are done save as .png format.

[puppyiso]

Thank you, Stu90.

I will look into it.

[puppyluvr]

Hello,
Jwm themes are a text file, using color codes...
Look at /root/.jwm/themes..
Tip.. Copy an existing theme you like with a new name, then edit it....
Then look at Icons, GTK themes, and Rox....
All are editable..

Actually, huge parts of Puppy are simple text scripts used as custom launchers of a "vanilla" binary...
Look at sbin and bin directories...
Remember the "which" command in bash.. ie "which mtpaint" etc...
Boot pfix=ram and go nuts....
Its what I love about Puppy.. Fully "Adaptable"...

Puppy Linux..
Putting the "open" in open source...

[puppyiso]

Hmm.. One is in user directory and another is in root...

puppyluvr, I might [ ALSO] want to change the half cooked Korean menu into full and complete Korean menu.

Where should I begin?

[Lobster]

Be aware that Barry is implementing png overlay code that will mean some graphic components will have to be designed in a completely new way (to look good). This will be available to future woof builds, Wary, Puppy 5.3 Spot, Quircky, Drake etc . . .
http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=02360

This may mean (for example) that with two or three clever images with degrees of transparency and rotation, an infinite number of background/wallpaper/desktop images can be created . . .

Puppy
To Infinity and Beyond

[rjbrewer]

Be aware that Barry is implementing png overlay code that will mean some graphic components will have to be designed in a completely new way (to look good). This will be available to future woof builds, Wary, Puppy 5.3 Spot, Quircky, Drake etc . . .
http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=02360

This may mean (for example) that with two or three clever images with degrees of transparency and rotation, an infinite number of background/wallpaper/desktop images can be created . . .

Puppy
To Infinity and Beyond

Shirley you jest;
the only thing beyond Infinity is Outfinity.

[stu90]

Thank you, Stu90.

I will look into it.

Other aspects of theme making is GTK themes - these are located in /usr/share/themes
For the simpler GTK themes these are just text files (normally named gtkrc), while more complex GTK themes are a mixture of text file and image files.

I attach here a simple example of a GTK theme (this is the same theme template i use in the SimpleGTK gui theme maker)

Each hash - number (example #000000000000) represent a colour - you can see what these colours are and or generate new colour codes with 'Gcolor2 color chooser' in the Menu or with mtpaint or even geany has a colour chooser - then just replace the old colours with your new colours to make a new custom GTK theme.

Code: Select all

style "default"
{

fg[NORMAL] = "#000000000000"
fg[ACTIVE] = "#000000000000"
fg[PRELIGHT] = "#000000000000"
fg[SELECTED] = "#ffffffffffff"
fg[INSENSITIVE] = "#000000000000" 

bg[NORMAL] = "#b18cb18cb18c"
bg[ACTIVE] = "#ea60ea60ea60"
bg[PRELIGHT] = "#ea60ea60ea60"
bg[INSENSITIVE] = "#b18cb18cb18c"
bg[SELECTED] = "#000000009c40"

text[NORMAL] = "#000000000000"
text[ACTIVE] = "#000000000000"
text[PRELIGHT] = "#000000000000"
text[SELECTED] = "#ffffffffffff"
text[INSENSITIVE] = "#ffffffffffff"

base[NORMAL] = "#b18cb18cb18c"
base[ACTIVE] = "#b18cb18cb18c"
base[PRELIGHT] = "#ea60ea60ea60"
base[SELECTED] = "#000000009c40"

 
} class "*" style "default"

[BarryK]

And of course the starting place when you want to learn about themes in Puppy is my web page:

http://puppylinux.com/technical/themes.htm

[puppyiso]

Wow, the page has a load of information I was looking for.

I am going to read this right now. That is the overview I needed.

By the way, it is very nice hearing and getting a help from the very creator of puppylinux which I have been using since 2003.

It's like bumping right into Elvis on a street.

Thank you, Mr. Kauler.

And Lobster, that's for the future. I ain't gonna worry 'bout that at the moment.



John

[puppyiso]

I like cool, settled, dark color theme but Slimpup is too dark and too simple.

I happened to see a chinese theme(I guess) and I liked it. So I want to apply that atmosphere onto Puppy. All the icons are lt. to dk. gray.

This is the one I would like to try.

[puppyiso]

Code:

style "default"
{

fg[NORMAL] = "#000000000000"
fg[ACTIVE] = "#000000000000"
fg[PRELIGHT] = "#000000000000"
fg[SELECTED] = "#ffffffffffff"
fg[INSENSITIVE] = "#000000000000"

bg[NORMAL] = "#b18cb18cb18c"
bg[ACTIVE] = "#ea60ea60ea60"
bg[PRELIGHT] = "#ea60ea60ea60"
bg[INSENSITIVE] = "#b18cb18cb18c"
bg[SELECTED] = "#000000009c40"

text[NORMAL] = "#000000000000"
text[ACTIVE] = "#000000000000"
text[PRELIGHT] = "#000000000000"
text[SELECTED] = "#ffffffffffff"
text[INSENSITIVE] = "#ffffffffffff"

base[NORMAL] = "#b18cb18cb18c"
base[ACTIVE] = "#b18cb18cb18c"
base[PRELIGHT] = "#ea60ea60ea60"
base[SELECTED] = "#000000009c40"


} class "*" style "default"

Similar to HTML color code except it's 12 digits not 6 digits. Let's see 8bits=256colors... Then 16bit color?

#ffffff=white #ffffffffffff= also white?

Photoshop and other graphics programs show some digits but not 16 of them.
How should I choose colors?

[stu90]

Similar to HTML color code except it's 12 digits not 6 digits. Let's see 8bits=256colors... Then 16bit color?

#ffffff=white #ffffffffffff= also white?

Photoshop and other graphics programs show some digits but not 16 of them.
How should I choose colors?

Hi puppiso,
Should be ok to use just 6 digit ( #ffffff ) colour codes .

[bigpup]

You should turn this topic into a how to make themes.

[`f00]

Add in others like qt, fltk, and tcl/tk. Not to mention most window managers have their own way of doing theme/styles (from simple ones like jwm and blackbox on to how afterstep rearranges gtk by colorscheme and enlightenment theming).

Could be a long-ish topic of some depth

Yep, the 12-character codes confused me a bit as well ('straight' 6-character codes do indeed work just fine for simple gtk if you edit manually). Also of note is the subtle difference between fg, bg, text and base if you play about with the basics.

[puppyiso]

I have been so frustrated by the fact that I cannot download some new puppies such as Enlightened Dpup 0.1.0 Alpha 1 , ISpup, Puppy Lupen- K 2.6.38.4.....Compiz-Fusion/Emerald/Cairo-dock and so on and on..


I heard they are nice and worth trying but what good it is if I cannot get them.

I have always wanted a beautiful Puppylinux at least for myself.
Not a collection of individual pieces but a harmonious consistant theme as a whole. I am sick of getting a better wallpapers from the internet or changing icons either switching icons or manually assigning PNG files to them.

Sometimes I downloaded puppies just because they looked nice not because they are technically advanced. I guess I am more interested in beauty than function.

So I decided to learn how to make theme of my own including all the icons and expand customization into the areas of menu, and overlaying drive / directory names so instead of sda, I want drive 1 or storage A something.

There are many things I would like to do. On the "Look" not on "technical improvement" Since there are so many gurus making so many technically advanced Puppies, I leave that part to the experts.

I wish I can tackle the "Feel"section but I don't think I have that much time.
The other day, I saw a vendor selling a transparent cover that makes any monitor touch sensitive, enabling a huge TV screen size puppy.But that will be a interest to some gurus who are still young.

bigpup, I have just started my long journey to the land of theme making and more. I don't know how it is gong to be. Let's leave it as it is for a few months.

`f00, like I said, I am not a technically adaptable person. qt, fltk, and tcl/tk... it's not my cup of tea.

My knowledge on Puppylinux is so little that I am the most ignorant person in this forum.

I am so old that I shiver on my not too far away future when I will be put into a 1000 Celcius degree burning furnace and my bones will be crushed by a unknown man and the ash will be blown away.

I should try the least complex one so that I can finish in time.
Do not push this old man too hard.

Now, I am diving into reading the GTK file.

[`f00]

As BK mentioned, it can go up and up with gtk's complexity .. but you can fiddle about changing this'n'that and see what relates to what (the basic elements and states) without getting too deep (believe me I know how you feel even after a mod of Barry's 'simple' and looking at Zigbert's work). Here's a simple one I was happy with for a light example..

[puppyiso]

Hi, `f00 I am just back from reading the GTK. Headache. In a word.
Nevertheless, I wouldn't give up.

And thank you for the tip. I will try that way.

I tried changing icons. The first problem I encountered was root's hidden directories. pfind gave me a path but couldn't see it in the root directory.

So I clicked on the pfind finding and saw other path.

Found the theme folder and tried modifying one of the icon for test.

Then I encountered the second problem. I opened it in GIMP and exported after giving some change but the icon never changed even after reboot.

image 1 is the hidden directories in the root.(I had trouble with the hidden wine directory before)

image 7. 8 is the unchanging usb icon.

Uh-oh, my wife is calling. I have to go and do husband duty-doing the dishes.

I may have to make a whole new theme directory with icons which have the same 46 names but how do I register it in jwm theme chooser?

Just put the new directory into the theme directory and it would be recognized automatically?

Also, there got to be other than just changing an icon pack. What else is there? Anyone?