A GRUB2 Theme For Ubuntu 13.04

[GrubThemeArtist]

I'm going to help you out a bit. I've attached an installer script, the only thing you have to edit is the theme name. This was written by Towheed Mohammad here about a year ago. I know he has an updated version, but this one works just fine. I assume that you're going for a resolution independent theme, so the tweak I did to Towheed's installer should make it easier for your users to modify the resolution.

I'm also reading through your todo.
-Avoid scrollbars, they're more trouble than they're worth, and don't really add much to the theme. So set scrollbars to false.
-Make your terminal background larger (which is why it's not working). Grub doesn't like images smaller than 2x2.
-For the navigation label, I recommend creating it in Gimp and adding it like an image. You get the benefit of antialiasing.
-Also make your font larger.
-Your progress bar looks messed up because on the center piece you have a one pixel transparent border on the top and bottom.
-My personal preference is for text to not be on the progress bar, to do this you just set text = ""
-I'm not sure what your issue is with the 1024x768 resoluton is or with your selection images (doesn't stretch all the way?).
-If you want to add a drop shadow to the terminal and the menu, just reconstruct the full images in Gimp, combine them all, do a drop shad (Filters -> Light and Shadow -> Drop shadow),then cut them back up (you'll have to change some parameters in your theme.txt).
-When testing it the selection center part is completely missing. I don't know why that is.

[funicorn]

To be clear, are the font and background settings still effective when a grub theme is applied ?

[dniMretsaM]

I'm going to help you out a bit. I've attached an installer script, the only thing you have to edit is the theme name. This was written by Towheed Mohammad here about a year ago. I know he has an updated version, but this one works just fine. I assume that you're going for a resolution independent theme, so the tweak I did to Towheed's installer should make it easier for your users to modify the resolution.

I looked at the script from his GRUB theme guide, but it didn't work. The one you have attached, however, does. The thing is, the theme doesn't need anything specific for the different resolutions. Also, the script installs to /boot/grub/themes/, but Ubuntu, I believe, uses /usr/share/grub/themes/.

I'm also reading through your todo.
-Avoid scrollbars, they're more trouble than they're worth, and don't really add much to the theme. So set scrollbars to false.
-Make your terminal background larger (which is why it's not working). Grub doesn't like images smaller than 2x2.
-For the navigation label, I recommend creating it in Gimp and adding it like an image. You get the benefit of antialiasing.
-Also make your font larger.
-Your progress bar looks messed up because on the center piece you have a one pixel transparent border on the top and bottom.
-My personal preference is for text to not be on the progress bar, to do this you just set text = ""
-I'm not sure what your issue is with the 1024x768 resoluton is or with your selection images (doesn't stretch all the way?).
-If you want to add a drop shadow to the terminal and the menu, just reconstruct the full images in Gimp, combine them all, do a drop shad (Filters -> Light and Shadow -> Drop shadow),then cut them back up (you'll have to change some parameters in your theme.txt).
-When testing it the selection center part is completely missing. I don't know why that is.

It appears to me that you're not using the latest commit. The only item in the todo in the current commit is the drop shadow, which I'm probably going to work on tomorrow.

To be clear, are the font and background settings still effective when a grub theme is applied ?

The font is set by the theme. The background image is preempted by the theme, but the color is still used, but only in the terminal window (this theme is made to use Ubuntu's default GRUB color.

[elliotn]

After installing openSUSE a while back and seeing the default GRUB2 theme, I thought that my favorite distribution, Ubuntu, needed it's own. So this is my attempt at theme that lives up to the high standard of the artwork for Ubuntu. It's not finished, but it's getting there. You can find the theme here on GitHub. I hope to get this theme into the final release of 13.04.

Todo List:

• Add a drop shodow to the menu and the terminal window.

How To Use:
1) Clone the GitHub repository:

git clone git://github.com/dniMretsaM/Ubuntu-GRUB2-Theme.git

2) Move the theme file:

cd Ubuntu-GRUB2-Theme/
sudo mkdir /usr/share/grub/themes
sudo cp --recursive ubuntu/ /usr/share/grub/themes/

3) Add this line to /etc/default/grub:

GRUB_THEME=/usr/share/grub/themes/ubuntu/theme.txt

4) Update GRUB's configuration:

sudo update-grub

Notes:

• Although I'm making this theme for 13.04, it will work on other versions. I have included a .xcf of the logo (13.04.xcf), so you can easily change it to be 12.10, or what ever other version you want.
• The background image (background.png) is currently the default wallpaper from 12.10. The theme will use Raring's default when it's available later in the development cycle.
• The resolution in the screen shot is 1024x768 (I can't get my VinrtualBox install to use 1366x768), but the theme is not resolution dependant. Also, ignore the grey line at the bottom, as that's from VB.

So yeah, feel free to try it out. Make suggestions, contribute graphics, whatever.


Enjoy,
dniMretsaM

thanks m8

[GrubThemeArtist]

I looked at the script from his GRUB theme guide, but it didn't work. The one you have attached, however, does. The thing is, the theme doesn't need anything specific for the different resolutions. Also, the script installs to /boot/grub/themes/, but Ubuntu, I believe, uses /usr/share/grub/themes/.

Ubuntu reads from /boot/grub/themes.
My tweak just lets the user adjust his resolution or else it would just keep the resolution grub already had. Also, Towheed updated the script last night to reflect some changes for Grub 2.00. We have a grub theme thread and you can find it at the end.

It appears to me that you're not using the latest commit. The only item in the todo in the current commit is the drop shadow, which I'm probably going to work on tomorrow.

I was tired last night and was reading your Completed list like it was part of the todo.

I was still having some odd behavior though.

[dniMretsaM]

Ok, so in the unity-greeter-style branch, there is the beginning of a theme that will hopefully look like the Unity Greeter for LightDM (screen shot attached). A few things to note. Due to the limitations on GRUB theming, I don't think it's possible to do have the boot menu stay in place while the options scroll though it like the login window does in the greeter. I'm also not sure if I can do the dots on the wallpaper. I could put it on the wallpaper directly, but then it would be resolution dependent, which I don't want. If anybody knows how I could accomplish this, let me know.

Ubuntu reads from /boot/grub/themes.
My tweak just lets the user adjust his resolution or else it would just keep the resolution grub already had. Also, Towheed updated the script last night to reflect some changes for Grub 2.00. We have a grub theme thread and you can find it at the end.

I guess it can technically read from anywhere that you point GRUB_THEME. And I'll take a look at the updated script, though the one you posted seems to work just fine.

I was tired last night and was reading your Completed list like it was part of the todo.

I was still having some odd behavior though.

What issues are you having? Still a problem with the selection center image?

[morgenstond]

Ok, so in the unity-greeter-style branch, there is the beginning of a theme that will hopefully look like the Unity Greeter for LightDM (screen shot attached). A few things to note. Due to the limitations on GRUB theming, I don't think it's possible to do have the boot menu stay in place while the options scroll though it like the login window does in the greeter. I'm also not sure if I can do the dots on the wallpaper. I could put it on the wallpaper directly, but then it would be resolution dependent, which I don't want. If anybody knows how I could accomplish this, let me know.



I guess it can technically read from anywhere that you point GRUB_THEME. And I'll take a look at the updated script, though the one you posted seems to work just fine.



What issues are you having? Still a problem with the selection center image?

Wow, you work fast! That's looking quite nice already! I'm very curious to see how closely you'll be able to mimic the unity greeter in the end.
Have you thought about contacting the designers to try and get their feedback on this undertaking? They may have some invaluable ideas, and I guess that would be the first step in eventually getting this in as default.

[dniMretsaM]

Wow, you work fast! That's looking quite nice already! I'm very curious to see how closely you'll be able to mimic the unity greeter in the end.
Have you thought about contacting the designers to try and get their feedback on this undertaking? They may have some invaluable ideas, and I guess that would be the first step in eventually getting this in as default.

Thanks! And I plan on contacting them, I just wanted to make sure I could get something that is at least fairly similar so as to not waste their valuable time.

[serdotlinecho]

I totally want this. Even though i'm not dual booting...beautiful and sleek!

[dniMretsaM]

The theme now uses Raring's default wallpaper. I'll update the thread with a screenshot soon.