Why is there no easy way to install themes? [Archive]

ugm6hr

October 13th, 2009, 07:50 AM

It seems like I should be able to go into themes and hit a button then view all online themes.

There is no "official" online themes repository. Gnome-look is your best bet, but Canonical can't be responsible for the content there (e.g. inappropriate, adult etc); hence no internal link to it. You'll have to fing themes online manually. Once found, installing is easy.

Gorgoth

October 13th, 2009, 03:01 PM

It seems like I should be able to go into themes and hit a button then view all online themes. Hit another and install them with out having to do anything manually.

Ubuntu's drag/drop method of installing themes surely is far easier than "other" OSs requiring either extra software or patching of system files?

Yeah, it'd be nice to have an "official" theme repository with the ability to click to install...

But just look at gnome-look... the quality of themes varies quite widely, so how would an official themes repository be managed? Would it be based on quality, or a free-for-all like gnome-look?

Wiebelhaus

October 13th, 2009, 03:05 PM

aysiu

October 13th, 2009, 05:00 PM

As others have said before, it's actually quite easy to install themes in Ubuntu already.

If you have an idea for how the process can be improved even more, perhaps you should post it on the Ubuntu Brainstorm site:
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com

Xbehave

October 13th, 2009, 05:05 PM

There is no "official" online themes repository. Gnome-look is your best bet, but Canonical can't be responsible for the content there (e.g. inappropriate, adult etc); hence no internal link to it. You'll have to fing themes online manually. Once found, installing is easy.
Ubuntu's drag/drop method of installing themes surely is far easier than "other" OSs requiring either extra software or patching of system files?

Yeah, it'd be nice to have an "official" theme repository with the ability to click to install...

But just look at gnome-look... the quality of themes varies quite widely, so how would an official themes repository be managed? Would it be based on quality, or a free-for-all like gnome-look?
KDE downloads themes from kde-look (i assume this hasn't be disabled in kubuntu since i last used it). As for quality/content control, all that needs to be made clear is that you are downloading 3rd party content.

CJ Master

October 13th, 2009, 05:06 PM

So drag&dropping a theme into the Theme window to install it is too hard?

Did you read the first post or did you just read the title?

Ubuntu's drag/drop method of installing themes surely is far easier than "other" OSs requiring either extra software or patching of system files?

But why are we talking about "other OSs?" Should we not care about them and improve GNOME regardless of what Windows does?

Yeah, it'd be nice to have an "official" theme repository with the ability to click to install...

This is what KDE does, I'm not sure why GNOME devs have decided against putting it in at this time (I'm almost certain it's not because of time issues, it's really a pretty simple app.)

But just look at gnome-look... the quality of themes varies quite widely, so how would an official themes repository be managed? Would it be based on quality, or a free-for-all like gnome-look?

You bring a good point. There should be an option in the app to see "featured" or "all" themes, and give a warning for "all" that it may include inappropriate content.

SomeGuyDude

October 13th, 2009, 05:07 PM

Yes, I realize it can take upwards of 15 seconds to download a theme and drop the file into the theme manager, but maybe, juUUuUUuUUuuust maybe, you have to consider the prospect that there are disadvantages to big bloated messes like Opera's theme browser.

CJ Master

October 13th, 2009, 05:12 PM

Yes, I realize it can take upwards of 15 seconds to download a theme and drop the file into the theme manager,

Apparently intergration and ease-of-use mean nothing?

but maybe, juUUuUUuUUuuust maybe, you have to consider the prospect that there are disadvantages to big bloated messes like Opera's theme browser.

I agree. Who said it'd be bloated? Like I said, it'd be a simple app to program.

Algus

October 13th, 2009, 05:15 PM

I actually would enjoy seeing some sort of official Ubuntu theme browser. In my vision of how it would work, specific artists could be invited to submit content. It might be slim on content, but what it would lack in diversity it would make up for in quality.

Although, I generally use my own wallpapers as there's a specific artist (digital blasphemy!) that I really like and I usually only use wallpapers from there. I was also pretty happy with some of the basic choices available out of the box. What I'd really dig would be some more advanced screensavers. I'm a sucker for eye candy.

V for Vincent

October 13th, 2009, 05:23 PM

Do a search for epidermis. Last time I tried (which was quite a while back, I have to admit), it didn't have too many themes, but it sounds like what you're looking for.

SomeGuyDude

October 13th, 2009, 05:26 PM

Apparently intergration and ease-of-use mean nothing?

Opera's theme browser is horrendous. Browsing gnome-look, finding what you want, and popping it into the theme manager is FAR easier. You can search more accurately, browse, filter, rater, comment, the works.

The ONLY way to improve it would be if GTK themes were built with their own file extension a la Emerald so when you downloaded them from the website they automatically opened in the theme manager. But even that would be a pain in the @ss.

By the way, you did realize Emerald themes work like that, right? You download a *.emerald theme and it'll open right with the Emerald theme manager?

CJ Master

October 13th, 2009, 05:33 PM

Opera's theme browser is horrendous. Browsing gnome-look, finding what you want, and popping it into the theme manager is FAR easier. You can search more accurately, browse, filter, rater, comment, the works.

We aren't talking about Opera's theme browser. I've never even used it. I'm talking about a simple app that you could use to install and preview themes... Why would it have to be bloated?

The ONLY way to improve it would be if GTK themes were built with their own file extension a la Emerald so when you downloaded them from the website they automatically opened in the theme manager. But even that would be a pain in the @ss.

I thought that *.theme was unique to GTK themes? Edit: Ah, I haven't installed themes for a while. I was thinking the extension was .theme instead of a tarball.

By the way, you did realize Emerald themes work like that, right? You download a *.emerald theme and it'll open right with the Emerald theme manager?

No, I do not use emerald.

Flimm

October 13th, 2009, 05:33 PM

V for Vincent beat me to it! Epidermis (http://epidermis.tuxfamily.org) is exactly what you're looking for. Epidermis aims to make "changing the look of your GNOME desktop complete, rapid, simple, automatic, customizable and shareable". It uses pigments instead of themes, and is quite easy to use. Download a theme and double-click on it to preview and install it. Or look in an online repository and tick the ones you want to download and install automatically, inspired by Synaptic. As Vincent said, its current weakness is a lack of pigments (themes), but a new feature makes converting .tar.gz themes into Epidermis supported pigments easy.

Always looking for contributors (http://epidermis.tuxfamily.org/contribute), experienced and inexperienced, I'm offering mentoring. Here's a sneak peak: right now I'm working on Xsplash themes for Ubuntu Karmic, which I hope will be done by the time Karmic comes out.

forrestcupp

October 13th, 2009, 05:38 PM

It seems like I should be able to go into themes and hit a button then view all online themes. Hit another and install them with out having to do anything manually.

Why can't Ubuntu read our brainwaves and determine all of the software we would like to have installed, and install it for us?

But all joking aside, Beryl used to be kind of like that with its window decorator. You could install all the default themes and choose the one you want from a list. But what happens if you want one that isn't in the default list? You're stuck finding a 3rd party one and doing it manually.

Things are already like that. You have a few themes available that you can choose with a click, and if you want one that isn't in the list, you have to find a 3rd party one you like, and do it manually (which is quite easy, as others have pointed out).

The trick is trying to get the Ubuntu team to include some better themes to choose from.

Regenweald

October 13th, 2009, 05:41 PM

Karmic Appearances:

selection is somewhat limited currently, but should expand over time. So settled ?

Xbehave

October 13th, 2009, 06:20 PM

Opera's theme browser is horrendous. Browsing gnome-look, finding what you want, and popping it into the theme manager is FAR easier. You can search more accurately, browse, filter, rater, comment, the works.

The ONLY way to improve it would be if GTK themes were built with their own file extension a la Emerald so when you downloaded them from the website they automatically opened in the theme manager. But even that would be a pain in the @ss.

By the way, you did realize Emerald themes work like that, right? You download a *.emerald theme and it'll open right with the Emerald theme manager?
Why keep throwing up strawmen like operas theme browser and file extensions
1) kde theme added is not bloated and looks file (See attached screenshot), it does not stop you going to kde-look.org it just offers an easier way to add themes
2) file extensions are trivial just call it .gtktheme even if its a .tgz/.tar.gz and that way programs that want to deal with it can know what it is, a file rename is hardly a PITA.

"get hot new stuff" is:

light
callable from many applications to get addons/scripts
simple
gives basic info (rating,downloads,description) and a preview

I can't see why anybody would object to such a thing being implemented for gnome.

mcduck

October 13th, 2009, 06:23 PM

Did you read the first post or did you just read the title?

Yes, I did read the whole post, and I think installing themes in Gnome is extremely easy, and I don't really think trying to make it even easier would be worth the trouble required (at least if you want to do it well, instead of creating some half-working app like KDE's theme browser or the gnome-art browser).

Besides, browsing the themes with Internet browser is actually far easier than any theme browsing app I've seen, and allows acquiring themes from many locations instead of a single pre-defined site. In addition the current method is more flexible, and allows installing themes that are not packaged correctly, r that are compressed together with many other themes, which both are fairly common situations on every theme site. Any application that would automatically browse gnome-look.org (or some other site) would be just plain annoying since it would fail to install many of the available themes.

If you manage to solve all the problems in integrated theme browsing you might be able to shave couple of seconds from the time it takes now to find, download and install a theme. :D

Tristam Green

October 13th, 2009, 06:25 PM

Like I said, it'd be a simple app to program.

Do it.

(this is why we can't have nice things)

CJ Master

October 13th, 2009, 06:36 PM

Do it.

No U

SunnyRabbiera

October 13th, 2009, 06:53 PM

It seems like I should be able to go into themes and hit a button then view all online themes. Hit another and install them with out having to do anything manually.

What are you blabbering on about, it is easy to install themes on Ubuntu.
The trick is knowing what you want, also avoid theme engines most of them are in source code.
It depends on the theme in the end though.
Hey its easier to theme linux then it is windows you know, no hacks, no untrustworthy 3rd party software, theming linux is right there in front of you if you know how to look

blur xc

October 13th, 2009, 07:45 PM

Gnome Look is fantastic , This (http://www.bisigi-project.org/?Itemid=26&lang=en) is my personal favorite! The Bisigi Project should be made official in my opinion , The work is uber professional.

Cheers.

+1 for the Bisigi Project

Gnome Look bites. I hate browsing that cumbersome slow website. And it's not my internet connection- I downloaded a file, the new VBox, the other night at 2.4mb/sec...

customize.org is a bit better, but I haven't spent a lot of time there.

BM