Desktop Effects & Customization for Gnome

trusktr · 2010-03-22 08:42:02

Hey check this out:

So what's going on here? How'd this guy get his Gnome to look all tricked out like that?

On my setup, fresh from the Arch repos via "pacman -S gnome", the transparency is clearly fake and background windows won't show behind "transparent" items such as the menu bar. It is obvious that a new version of the "background" image is rendered inside the object and has an effect similar to "fixed" attachment as in CSS.

In the above photo though it appears that this user actually has real transparency for his windows and his menu bar. How'd he do that!!??

How'd he get that cool calendar widget (or any other widgets)?

And how'd he get that OSX-like menu bar at the bottom!?!...

...Let's start a discussion on how to trick out your Arch Gnome!

Last edited by trusktr (2010-06-02 03:41:47)

Primoz · 2010-03-22 08:44:45

You trick it out as any other Gnome on any other distro

Go to Gnome-Look site and download/install what you like.

trusktr · 2010-03-22 08:54:15

Well it's kinda dificult to know what to install by looking at that screenshot. hehe. Let's try and figure out what to install and if it exists in the repos and make a nice little handy list.... I'll be back... hang on...

ngoonee · 2010-03-22 08:58:35

Transparency is most likely (99%) from compiz, and that at the bottom may be cairo-dock. Calendar would be Rainlendar.

toad · 2010-03-22 09:03:33

Hm, looks like kde

trusktr · 2010-03-22 09:05:39

**hollers back from gnome-look** Oh cool, good info, i'm checking it out!

Meyithi · 2010-03-22 11:52:27

Is it a Windowblinds skin from 2002?

JuseBox · 2010-03-22 12:11:31

Calender is from screenlets.
Awn is the Dock with OSX Icons.
The transparent part while part is compiz (maybe), part being emerald for the window borders.

Seems like this user is using a beta murrine-gtk-engine and therefore is able to get transparent gtk themes. Im looking for the link....

i only think this because if this were done with compiz, the contents of the windows would be transparent as well but they aren't looks like only the gtk and windows are transparent.

Here is the gtk murrine cairo engine.
Link

Last edited by JuseBox (2010-03-22 12:18:51)

tomk · 2010-03-22 12:26:04

Was there no contact info with that screenshot? Easiest was to figure out how something is done is to ask whoever is doing it.

Also, please remove the full-size shot, and replace it with a thumbnail - screenshot posting rules apply, even if we're not in the screenshot thread.

trusktr · 2010-03-22 16:28:58

Ok will do right after my hwk and errands tomk. Thanks for the heads up!

Hmmmm, I think i already have the murrine cairo engine installed. It is the "gtk-engine-murrine" package, right? Question is now how do i enable the transparency?

I also installed all of these:
pacman -S gtk-engines gtk-aurora-engine gtk-candido-engine gtk-rezlooks-engine

Question is how do I use them?

Last edited by trusktr (2010-03-22 16:36:31)

evot · 2010-03-22 19:21:55

gtk-engine-murrine is required by murrine-themes-collection.

says pacman -Qi gtk-engine-murrine

Maybe you could just use theme that uses murrine engine...

trusktr · 2010-03-22 21:32:08

Hey evot, I tried the murrine themes, but it's nothing special. they are very similar to gnome's default theme. There's no transparency or anything and I don't see any options for it anywhere.

hmmmmmm....

paperinik · 2010-03-22 22:47:30

trusktr wrote:

Hey evot, I tried the murrine themes, but it's nothing special. they are very similar to gnome's default theme. There's no transparency or anything and I don't see any options for it anywhere.
hmmmmmm....

You need to install compiz:

pacman -S compiz-fusion-gtk

You also need to add your account to the video group:

gpasswd -a trusktr video

Launch compiz (Alt+F2):

fusion-icon

Alternatively, you can create an autostart for compiz which it automatically starts each time you login to gnome:

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Com … on.22.29_2

When you start compiz, you need to enable window borders, window resizing, window moving and other basic features. You can do that from compiz control center.

Good luck.

fsckd · 2010-03-23 00:19:16

This seems to be the source: http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/ … tent=78633 .

trusktr · 2010-03-23 02:17:49

cool, good info you guys! when i get it working i'll report back!

Zom · 2010-03-23 11:52:01

To get true transparency with metacity, you can open gconf-editor, go to apps->metacity->general and enable compositing_manager.

Or you could try mutter, which apparently is going to replace metacity in newer releases.

trusktr · 2010-03-23 19:31:07

Cool zom, so the question is which app is better to use? So far in this thread we've heard of compiz, metacity, mutter, and there's a few more but I bet you probably wouldn't want to install all of them, probably just one.

Does anyone know of any benefits of one over the other? It'd be nice to know without actually having to try every one! Why does there have to be so many! hehe.

It'd be cool if one of these apps were built into Gnome, or if Gnome would make their own that was part of the appearance editor that allowed these effects.

fsckd · 2010-03-23 19:47:37

Omg, can you use Google even once to answer your questions? We are not your slaves! We are people, with dreams, dignity and inalienable rights!

Since I already took the time to start answering, your highness, Metacity and Mutter are GNOME's own WMs. In ye days of yore, Metacity had no compositing effects, and thus no true transparency. That was added later on. Mutter is the new and improved WM by the GNOME project to replace Metacity at some point in the future. Compiz is a separate project to capitalize on AIGLX when it was all new. It was awesome and since fusion it is more awesome. That is why people keep referring it.

jocheem67 · 2010-03-23 19:59:36

Looks like the TS gets a bit carried away with enthousiasm.....that' s fine isn' t it??

I gonna try the compiz-thingie. Never bothered after my switch from ubuntu, but heck....why not ( and there's nothing on TV.. )

mandog · 2010-03-23 22:10:57

The menus top/bottem panels and popups are all done with Compiz. "Opacity Brightness and Saturation", click on "Windows specific settings" add this
"name=gnome-panel | type=Menu | tooltip | PopupMenu | DropdownMenu" set window values to 81 and you are all but their on that part.
The window borders are done in emerald and very easy to edit.

Last edited by mandog (2010-03-23 22:13:42)

fsckd · 2010-03-23 22:33:38

jocheem67 wrote:

Looks like the TS gets a bit carried away with enthousiasm.....that' s fine isn' t it??

Enthusiasm is fine, but many threads trusktr starts end the same way, with a volley of simple questions a quick {Google,wiki} search could answer. I don't want to put trusktr down or suppress him but he should do his own homework.

trusktr · 2010-03-24 01:51:07

Ok well, I looked up compiz on google, fsckd, and it's not very informative (they don't have a screenshot section, really). Most all the screen shots that I can find of it show off it's 3D cube rendering of multiple desktops, which is cool and all, but that's completely useless for me!

Sp what gives? Turns out you need Emerald installed as well. Thanks for that lead mandog! Word of mouth (or word of keyboard) definitely helps. How was ever supposed to know that that it was emerald by searching for compiz when the compiz site doesn't even explicitly say what it does? As a matter of fact, i betting the people over at compiz are relying or "word of mouth" to spread their amazing engine.

Here's what i found when i searched for "compiz emerald" in Google Images:

alright. there were a couple misunderstands and some tangents in this thread, but i finally got what i wanted (the window buttons to look like the ones in my OP, i.e. the minimize, maximize and exit buttons)
steps:
1) enable compiz fusion effects (system > preferences > appearance > visual effects tab > normal)
2) install emarald theme manager (apt-get install emerald)
3) install the compiz fusion icon (apt-get install fusion-icon)
4) run the fusion icon which lets your quickly change compiz and window manager settings. right click the icon and set emerald as your window decorator.
done-- enjoy!

That's a great tip from a thread on ubuntu forums on how to do exactly what i wanted like in the above screenshot! Now that I have the knowledge, i'm definitely willing to help point someone in the right direction.

When i see something in the forums that i know the answer to, i definitely drop a line. We are creating the content for people to be able to google for. No word of mouth = no google.

JuseBox · 2010-03-24 02:28:10

Here is a screeny with the settings I did after installing compiz:

http://i.imgur.com/Iz4LB.jpg

Last edited by JuseBox (2010-03-24 02:29:51)

mandog · 2010-03-24 07:08:15

The trouble with Google is most of the time its obsolete even 6 months out of date is no help at all. If you go to Youtube you can get some ideas of what you can do with compiz/emerald.
There are some Compiz/emerald themes on Gnome look org, the odd 1 will give you some of the settings.
But remember you need a good graphics card to use some of the Compiz effects My card has 1gb onboard ram so I do not have any problems and Compiz is on permanently even with app you are advised to turn it off.

trusktr · 2010-03-24 20:52:22

Wow, juseBox, that looks good! Cool to see nice examples.

Great advice mandog! My computer processor can't handle compiz yet, but my dad's can, so i'mma pimp his desktop out!

I'll post some screens after!

Arch Linux

#1 2010-03-22 08:42:02

Desktop Effects & Customization for Gnome

#2 2010-03-22 08:44:45

Re: Desktop Effects & Customization for Gnome

#3 2010-03-22 08:54:15

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