The Ubuntu/Gnome Dark Theme mega thread

[Technoviking]

I created this thread to help discuss and solve problems people have using darker themes in Ubuntu/Gnome.

Please comment in this thread if you have other fixes or suggestion you would like to share.

[Technoviking]

[From http://www.mikesplanet.net/2008/06/u...es-in-ubuntu/]

Using dark themes in Gnome has always has some issues. Due to issues in Gnome and GTK apps, some application have problems like dark fonts on dark background, text areas grayed out, and multiple issues with OpenOffice. Here is a quick guide to solve many of the problems I encountered using dark themes in Gnome.

1. Firefox Fixes
Firefox has issues display certain CSS field properly with dark themes. This is a big problem in Firefox 2, but can still happen in Firefox 3. Install this userContent.css to /home/username/.mozilla/firefox/RandomProfile_name/chrome and restart Firefox.

2a. Dark System Themes (Ubuntu Studio)
The easiest solution for a dark theme in Ubuntu is to install the UbuntuStudio-theme package.

sudo apt-get install ubuntustudio-theme

or if you want the full metapackage with icons, GDM theme, etc..

sudo apt-get install ubuntustudio-look

The Ubuntu Studio theme is a beautiful theme created by the Ubuntu Studio team, which fixes many of the problem with dark themes in Gnome.

2b. Other Dark Themes
Since Linux is all about choice, we want to use other dark themes for Gnome and workaround issues these themes have. First, we still want to install the ubuntustudio-theme package.

sudo apt-get install ubuntustudio-theme

Then we will use UbuntuStudio theme on certain applications that have problems with dark themes (OpenOffice, Banshee, Thunderbird,etc…).

To get an application to use another theme you want to add the following to the command the launches a program “env GTK2_RC_FILES=/usr/share/themes/UbuntuStudio/gtk-2.0/gtkrc“. Right click on the gnome menu applet and choose Edit Menus. Goto the application you want using a different theme (in this example OpenOffice Writer), right click the application and select Properties. Change the Command from

ooffice -writer %U

to

env GTK2_RC_FILES=/usr/share/themes/UbuntuStudio/gtk-2.0/gtkrc ooffice -writer %U

OpenOffice Writer should now use UbuntuStudio theme instead of the system theme you have set.


Theme Details:
Theme: Moomex Ultimatum 0.4
Font: UnDotum Bold
Icons: Jungle Black
Wallpaper: Radiant from http://interfacelift.com

[el-mar01]

Heres another screenshot of the problem .. in Hotmail the widget text is barely visible:



I don't understand why this isn't fixed when if there was a problem like this in Windows it would be fixed overnight.

[Anzan]

Here is something someone might find useful.

I'm using a combination of different elements for a dark theme but the one for Controls is SlicknesS-black.

Over the decades, some of my oldest files have gone from some Mac free office program from 1987 to Word for Mac to Word as such and then Open Office Writer. When I opened one this morning that file had whitish text on a white background instead of grey. No idea why. Some old cruft that was not evident until changing the system theme.

If you run into this: Go to Format/Page/ and choose "no fill" for
background.

[Anzan]

Oh, Mike. I wanted to thank you for the information you've posted. It's helped my desktop considerably.

[rainwalker]

Heres another screenshot of the problem .. in Hotmail the widget text is barely visible:



I don't understand why this isn't fixed when if there was a problem like this in Windows it would be fixed overnight.

That's kind of a crazy assumption. Anyway, why don't you file a bug report? Maybe no one else is aware of the problem.

[rage-against-windows]

I love a dark desktop but all the ones for Ubuntu/Gnome are either too dark or the fonts disolve into the background. (I have bad eyes). I finally found a cure by using the Polycarbonate theme located at http://art.gnome.org/download/themes...rbonate.tar.gz, along side of the gnome Gartoon Icon theme located in the repository. It gives a dark feel but all the colors stand out and seperate easy for people with "old" eyes. Heres a sample of the desktop running Polycarbonate http://www.wyked-rage.info/my_images...arkDesktop.png. They also make a Polycarbonate dark version for the younger crowd who still have a good set of peepers.

[rainwalker]

Also, you can install the package "gnome-color-chooser" to customize your colors system-wide

[Spaceman9]

The best looking black theme for Gnome I've ever seen is in PCLOS2008.1 http://linuxgator.org/home/index.html theme http://www.tuxmachines.org/gallery/v/pclosgnome/

The problem I have with most black themes is they usually make everything black except the text. Everything blends into a black hole. PCLOS Gnome has a good balance between black and lighter values which makes things easy on the eyes while still providing a slick, really cool looking black theme.

I'd never give up Ubuntu though.

[benerivo]

The next full release of Ubuntu (Intrepid Ibex), has a darkish theme called new human. I temporarily linked to the Intrepid reps, to upgrade the ubuntu artwork package, so i can have it as my theme in gutsy.

Some screenshots.