JDS How-To 'Install Desktop Themes' Print this jdshelp HowTo

There may come a time when you are a little tired of the same old same old default Sun desktop theme Blueprint or you saw a really nice desktop on someone's else's computer and would like to change yours also. To begin you can go to LAUNCH- Preferences- Display- Theme and up will come the following window which has the Sun Blueprint theme highlighted. If you click on any of the others various elements of your desktop will change. If you find one you like better than the default you may stop here.

Chances are however that you like everything about the theme except ...you fill in the blanks. In mild cases of this sort of dissatisfaction, after clicking on the theme which is almost right, then click on the Details button in the upper right hand corner. This brings you to a new window which looks like this.

Here you have three categories of theme aspects from which you can click around till you see some combination that works for you. When finished click on Close in the bottom right hand corner which will take you back to the previous Theme window. You will notice that there is a New Theme highlighted. This is the theme you started with plus the Detail changes. You must save this under a new name so that it will be available to you from the Theme list.

That procedure may satisfy some of you but if you want to go further click on the Install Theme button. This button is also available from the Details screen.

On the bottom is the line “New themes can also be installed by dragging them into the window.” This particular feature in my experience is a little flakey. However the Install Theme button seems to work and brings up a dialog where you can enter in the location of themes you have downloaded from the Internet.

A good place to look for themes is at the Freshmeat themes website http://themes.freshmeat.net/ . It is very important to choose GTK2 themes as the older GTK themes don't want to install correctly. In any case only correct themes will install and show up on the Themes screen. Once the downloaded themes are selected there is the usual buzzing and whirring and if the theme is correctly packaged it will show up on the Themes screen where you can select it. Don't worry if you later change your mind, good old Sun Blueprint theme is always available in case you you get tired of the latest razzle dazzle.

Submitted July 22, 2004 by Brian Goodyear