README for desktop-base ======================= 1. What’s provided 1.1. Themes packs 1.2. Debian logos 1.3. Desktop files 1.4. Default configurations overrides 1.5. SDDM meta-theme 1.6. Plymouth boot splashes 2. How to switch themes 2.1. Global theme alternative 2.2. Individual alternatives 3. Theme pack structure 4. Contributing 4.1. Artists 4.2. Desktop environment maintainers 4.3. Notes and references 1. What’s provided 1.1. Theme packs Four theme packs are currently provided: - Soft Waves (default for Stretch) - Lines (default for Jessie) - Joy (default for Wheezy) - Spacefun (default for Squeeze) These themes contain customization for GRUB, Plymouth, login managers like SDDM and LightDM, wallpapers and lock screen for desktop environments like Gnome, KDE’s Plasma 5, XFCE, Mate… See below for how to switch between themes and a detailed description of the theme packs structure. 1.2. Debian logos Several sizes of the Debian logo are shipped as: /usr/share/icons/hicolor/${size}x${size}/emblems/emblem-debian.${ext} /usr/share/icons/hicolor/${size}x${size}/emblems/emblem-debian.icon The sizes currently provided are 36, 64, 128 as PNG, and scalable for the SVG version. Each has a side .icon descriptor file. A Debian security logo is also shipped in: /usr/share/pixmaps/debian-security.png 1.3. Desktop files /usr/share/desktop-base/debian-homepage.desktop /usr/share/desktop-base/debian-reference.desktop /usr/share/desktop-base/debian-security.desktop 1.4. Default configurations overrides desktop-base ships different files to override default theme configurations of various parts of the system and prefer the active Debian theme. See below « How to switch themes » for directions on how to configure these overridden defaults. - GRUB background: /usr/share/desktop-base/grub_background.sh This file is used by /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme provided by grub-common to correctly update the GRUB background with the Debian theme when running update-grub. - Gnome desktop wallpaper and lock screen: /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/10_desktop-base.gschema.override - Plasma 5 desktop wallpaper: /usr/share/plasma/shells/org.kde.plasma.desktop/contents/updates/desktop-base.js Plasma ensures this JavaScript script is run for every user once and only once for each Plasma version. It is run at user login time. See: http://userbase.kde.org/KDE_System_Administration/PlasmaDesktopScripting 1.5. SDDM meta-theme desktop-base provides and SDDM theme called DebianTheme directly derived from the default Plasma 5 theme Breeze. This theme is mostly made of Breeze theme code but adjusts the background to the currently selected desktop-login-background alternative (see below). Currently the package cannot set this theme as the default automatically so to use it you’ll have to edit: /etc/sddm.conf And add the following configuration section/directive: [Theme] Current=debian-theme 1.6. Plymouth boot splashes desktop-base ships several Plymouth themes. To activate the default theme, install the plymouth and plymouth-themes packages and run: plymouth-set-default-theme softwaves and update the initrd by running: update-initramfs -u Then remember to add “splash” to your kernel command line. To do that permamently, edit /etc/default/grub and add splash to the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT variable. For example: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash" 2. How to switch themes 2.1. Global theme alternative The package provides a global alternative to switch themes all relevant elements to a given theme. This alternative is called « desktop-theme » and currently supports GRUB background, login manager background (SDDM, LightDM), Desktops wallpapers (Gnome, Plasma 5, XFCE, Mate…). You can change the theme pack selection with: update-alternatives --config desktop-theme Following a theme switch you’ll also need to run the GRUB menu update command: update-grub Plymouth theme switching is currently not supported. 2.2. Individual alternatives In addition do the global theme alternative, desktop-base provides a series of finer grained alternatives to override specific elements of the theme packs. Each alternative can be switch with: update-alternative --config $alternative-name Selecting 0 will revert to the initial default of an alternative. - desktop-grub, alternative for: /usr/share/images/desktop-base/desktop-grub.png This PNG file is used by the update-grub script to define the background for the GRUB boot menu. It defaults to the active theme selected via the desktop-theme alternative, and on top of that: - To the 16x9 / 1920x1080 version of the background for systems where EFI is in use (grub-efi installed). - To the 4x3 / 640x480 version otherwise. It’s possible to override this default behaviour by selecting the other ratio alternative pointing to /usr/share/desktop-base/active-theme/grub/* while still keeping the GRUB background automatically switching via the global desktop-theme alternative. - desktop-login-background, alternative for: /usr/share/desktop-base/active-theme/login/background.svg This alternatives switches the login background for LightDM (default) and SDDM when the SDDM theme DebianTheme is configured in sddm.conf. It defaults to the login background of the active theme selected via the desktop-theme alternative. - desktop-background, alternative for: /usr/share/images/desktop-base/desktop-background This is a single SVG file used by desktop environments that don’t require a more complex wallpaper setup (XFCE, MATE…). It defaults to the 1920x1080 version of the active theme wallpaper selected via the desktop-theme alternative. - desktop-background.xml, alternative for: /usr/share/images/desktop-base/desktop-background.xml - desktop-lockgreen.xml, alternative for: /usr/share/images/desktop-base/desktop-lockscreen.xml These two XML files are used by Gnome to set the wallpaper and lock screen for all users who didn’t otherwise chose a wallpaper or lock screen themselves. It defaults to the wallpaper and lock screen for the active theme selected via the desktop-theme alternative. - desktop-plasma5-wallpaper, alternative for: /usr/share/wallpapers/DebianTheme This alternative folder is used by Plasma 5 in Debian to select the wallpaper for all users who didn’t otherwise select a wallpaper themselves. It defaults to the wallpaper of the active theme selected via the desktop-theme alternative. 3. Theme pack structure A certain theme pack structure is expected in order to provide drop-in replacements for the default Debian theme that can be selected with the desktop-theme alternative. A theme pack should contain the following elements: ./gnome-wp-list.xml -> To make the wallpaper and lock screen selectable in Gnome preferences. This file describes a list of XML files, one for each image packs provided. Gnome uses these image packs to select the most appropriate version of a wallpaper depending on the user’s screen resolution. ./login/background.svg ./login/sddm-preview.jpg -> To provide the login background alternative for LightDM, SDDM… The SDDM-preview.jpg will make the theme recognizable from the Plasma 5 preferences. ./lockscreen/gnome-background.xml ./lockscreen/contents/images ./lockscreen/contents/images/2560x1440.svg ./lockscreen/contents/images/1280x720.svg ./lockscreen/contents/images/1920x1080.svg … ./lockscreen/metadata.desktop -> Lock screen background image pack. The gnome-background.xml describes the available resolutions for the image, for use by Gnome. The metadata.desktop contains the description and license of the image pack for use by Plasma 5. The various files in the images folder are the provided resolutions and ratio of the image. They can be either PNG or SVG, and should be name according to their width and height as the example above so that Plasma 5 can select the correct version. There is no strict rule on which resolution and ratio should be provided and a single version could suffice as long as it’s appearance is not broken when cropped at different resolutions. ./wallpaper/gnome-background.xml ./wallpaper/contents/images/2560x1440.svg ./wallpaper/contents/images/1280x720.svg ./wallpaper/contents/images/1920x1200.svg ./wallpaper/contents/images/1920x1080.svg ./wallpaper/contents/images/1280x800.svg ./wallpaper/contents/images/2560x1600.svg … ./wallpaper/metadata.desktop -> Wallpaper image pack, similar to the lock screen pack described above. ./grub/Makefile ./grub/grub-4x3.svg ./grub/grub-16x9.svg -> SVG and Makefile used to produce the GRUB background images. The Makefile can be copy-pasted from and existing theme pack and should generate the PNGs corresponding to each SVG in the GRUB folder. 4. Contributing 4.1. Artists We need professional looking Debian artwork in the Desktop. If you want to help improve themes in Debian or provide additional theme proposals, you should monitor the Wiki page for artwork contests we run for each new Debian release: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianArt/Themes The debian-desktop mailing list (see below) is also a low-traffic source of information about what’s going on with desktop themes in Debian. If you’ve suggestions for a better artwork, create or edit the images and open a 'wishlist' bug against desktop-base in our Bug Tracking System (http://bugs.debian.org/). Please attach the source file, preferably in SVG or XCF format, and only propose work for which you’re the author. For us to be able to distribute your work in Debian, it will need to be under a free and open source licenses which permits reuse and modifications as required by the Debian Free Software Guidelines. See a more complete list of requirements here: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianDesktop/Artwork/Requirements 4.2. Desktop environment maintainers desktop-base is used by Gnome, KDE’s Plasma 5, XFCE, Mate… If you’re responsible for a desktop environment in Debian and want to use desktop-base artwork, improve the support for your DE, or add additional theming options use the layout described above and send your patch through the Bug Tracking System, or ping us on debian-desktop@lists.debian.org. We’re glad to help with theme packaging and improving the consistency of Debian themes over the desktop environments available in the archive. 4.3. Notes and references If you’re interested in working on Debian theming, you may be interested in the following references. - Information about the Debian Logo: https://www.debian.org/logos/ https://wiki.debian.org/DebianLogo - Archive and subscriptions to the debian-desktop mailing list: https://lists.debian.org/debian-desktop/