How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

l33tunderground · 2009-02-04 18:01:33

I'm sure that there is an obvious answer to this somewhere and that I am simply failing to locate it, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to install new themes in KDE 4.2. I know how to change the Plasma theme -- that is easy -- but as far as system-wide themes go I am lost. Oxygen is nice, but I'd like to change it at some point.

Can someone please point me in the right direction? If I get an answer I'll be sure to add it to the KDE wiki.

arch_nemesis · 2009-02-04 18:12:16

I was trying to figure the same thing out. I'm new to KDE, and given the number of comments like "GNOME doesn't let you as much as KDE does" that I feel like I'm always hearing (going back to 3.5.x days even), I'm surprised that there doesn't seem to be an equivalent to easily changing the GTK/Metacity theme as in GNOME.

I *think* what we're both looking for is called dekorator. It's in AUR, but AFAICT is not available prepacked for X86_64. (Which may not matter to you.) So I haven't been able to play with it, but I think that's the ticket.

http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?O … _Search=Go

http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.ph … tent=87921

l33tunderground · 2009-02-04 18:24:25

That just seems like such a rarity to not have theme management be integrated... that, and the deKorator version is for 4.0.4, which hardly seems up to date with 4.2. If nothing else comes up I'll give that a try, thank you, but I'm hoping for something even as simple as a ~/.themes directory like you can use with GNOME.

EDIT: Shame on me, I was wrong about the deKorator version! It's up to date, I just saw -kde4 0.4 and thought it was kde4.0.4 I'll give that a shot.

Last edited by l33tunderground (2009-02-04 18:27:00)

Mikko777 · 2009-02-04 20:13:47

Well you kind of have a point about kde theming... could be easier.

This is what ive learned so far:

plasma -> easy to theme, uses svgs and/or bitmaps
icons, cursors, fonts -> same as in gnome.

window decoration = kwin -> you need to select an "engine" kde supports quite a few tho
deKorator is easiest since it allows you to do bitmap themes.

Insides of windows -> same as in gnome, select or code an engine.
prolly the hardest to do and theme, qtcurve can imitate murrine and has ALOT of options in systemsettings.

Edit: Oh and as an opposite to gnome where theres 10 000 murrines with just a bit different colorscheme posted as "new" themes,
you can just change the colorprofiles in kde with pretty much every engine.

Last edited by Mikko777 (2009-02-04 20:17:11)

l33tunderground · 2009-02-04 21:47:23

Mikko777:

I appreciate what you have told us so far, but could you provide a little bit more detail on how one goes about adding new themes... especially for kwin and insides of windows.

Thank you!

Mikko777 · 2009-02-04 22:05:20

l33tunderground wrote:

Mikko777:
I appreciate what you have told us so far, but could you provide a little bit more detail on how one goes about adding new themes... especially for kwin and insides of windows.
Thank you!

Styles:
http://www.kde-look.org/index.php?xcontentmode=9

Start with qtcurve, its in arch repos. theres bespin etc in kdemod repos.

Window decos:
http://www.kde-look.org/index.php?xcont … 75x102x103

I'd start with dekorator altho you prolly need to build it yourself, kdemod repos have other options tho.

Edit: to simplify -> get an theme engine -> see if it can be themed -> theme/ download themes for it
http://www.kde-look.org/index.php?xcontentmode=75

Last edited by Mikko777 (2009-02-04 22:07:22)

l33tunderground · 2009-02-04 22:46:22

So any KDE themes need to be built from source unless they are dekorator based?

Rasi · 2009-02-04 23:06:35

yes

l33tunderground · 2009-02-05 01:15:22

:: sigh :: That's aggrivating, but KDE 4.2 is winning me over.

I believe that DeKorator is broken, or rather that whatever themes are currently out will not work with the KDE4 version of DeKorator. I've installed both the package from AUR and built it from source and it refuses to register any installed themes.

My current evaluation of KDE 4.2 : Tremendous promise, and I can't wait to see what they do next, but theming is EXTREMELY weak.

Also, nice combination of themes if you don't want to use gtk-qt is MurrineAqualsh. It matches nicely.

EDIT: Also QTCurve; thanks for the suggestion I just figured it out. That's wonderful!

Last edited by l33tunderground (2009-02-05 01:22:33)

l33tunderground · 2009-02-05 01:34:41

KDE wiki updated: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/KDE#Theming_KDE_4

Arch Linux

#1 2009-02-04 18:01:33

How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#2 2009-02-04 18:12:16

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#3 2009-02-04 18:24:25

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#4 2009-02-04 20:13:47

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#5 2009-02-04 21:47:23

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#6 2009-02-04 22:05:20

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#7 2009-02-04 22:46:22

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#8 2009-02-04 23:06:35

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#9 2009-02-05 01:15:22

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

#10 2009-02-05 01:34:41

Re: How to add KDE 4.2 styles?

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