If you like the new Plymouth theme Ubuntu Lucid got recently and want to use it in Ubuntu Karmic... you can't (or can but have to install Plymouth) because Karmic doesn't use Plymouth. But you can install this nice XSplash screen called lucid-Xsplash:
To install it, download lucid-Xsplash, then open nautilus as root (press ALT + F2 and enter: gksu nautilus), navigate to /usr/share/images/xsplash and extract there all the contents of the downloaded archive. Then remove all the images in that folder having the name "bg_RESOLUTION.jpg" (where RESOLUTION is a number like 800x600, etc.), and then append "bg_" in front of each resolution file (eg: 1024x768.jpg) file extracted from the archive. You have to do that because it appears the author of this XSplash forgot to add the "bg_" prefix to the files.
Then, to test the new XSplash, type this in a terminal:
Gstyle is a new full Gnome theme manager with some really great features which I am sure you will love if you like to customize your Desktop look constantly. Gstyle can automatically download and install wallpapers, Xsplash, GTK themes, icon themes, full themes, mouse pointers and more from gnome-look, deviantart, customize.org and others, or directly from the software source. But not only that, Gstyle can show you how a theme (any kind of theme: icons, Emerald, Metacity, etc.) actually looks, not just a preview. You will see what I mean in the screenshots below (3rd screenshot).
Gstyle can also apply different Compiz cube (well, actually Sphere) styles called Cubemodels. I'm sure you're going to love them. Of course, there is still work to do, but Gstyle is still in its infancy, this being the first version ever released. I think we'll see more of Gstyle soon.
A few Gstyle screenshots:
Gstyle Gnome Full Theme Manager also comes with a script to install some applications such as AWN, Cairo-Dock and others, but something required by Gstyle too: Compiz GIT, including the latest plugins (many many new plugins!) (required for Cubemodels only). There is a downside to this script which worked flawlessly for me: it's in French. Yes, even though Gstyle is in English, the script to install Compiz from GIT and the latest plugins (among others) is in French so you can either install Compiz from GIT yourself, or learn French or... use Google Translate. But everything is pretty easy to understand even if you don't know French (or so it seems to me).
Before you proceed with the installation, here is a video with Gstyle in action:
Alternatively, watch the OGV version of the video, HERE.
Install Gstyle In Ubuntu
Gstyle installation from GIT is very easy. Simply open a terminal and paste this:
Where "/path/to/gstyle" is the path where you've previously downloaded Gstyle.
Update: if you don't want to install Compiz from GIT (see below), you can simply download and install Cubemodel .deb (Ubuntu Karmic package).
Installing Compiz GIT and others in Ubuntu
If you don't have the latest Compiz from GIT, the first tab called "Cubemodels" will not be available. To enable it, you'll have to run a script called "cfinstall.sh". Don't worry about it being a script, a GUI will pop up so you can do everything very easy.
Along with Compiz GIT, you will also get lots of new plugins (you can see a few of these new plugins in the screenshot below):
Warning: only follow these steps if you know what you are doing and know how to fix your system in case anything goes wrong! You have been warned!
The cfinstall.sh script is available HERE. The instructions are in French, but don't worry, you just have to copy and paste the following commands:
After running this last command, some dependencies and a GUI for cfinstall.sh will be installed. Once everything is done, open cfinstall from Applications > System Tools > 3D desktop installer.
You can simply check Compiz Git and Cubemodel and click OK and the installation will shortly begin. As you can see, you don't have to know too much French to do this.
A note: make sure you do not select to install both COMPIZ GIT and Compiz Depots (Compiz from the PPA)!
After installing Compiz GIT and any other applications you want, log out and log back in.
At this point Compiz will probably be disabled. Enable it through the Compiz Fusion Icon which will be available in the Notification area. Also, the Compiz plugins will be disabled so enable the plugins you want to use (don't forget the very basic ones!). As a note: you may want to enable the "Move window" plugin so you can move the windows and the "Window decoration" plugin!
Message from Testking: We offer certified 642-566 training products to help you get easy success on JN0-522 exam. Use our self paced 70-433 resources to guaranteed pass your certification exam.
XSplash Background Settings provides a background settings dialog for XSplash and the login screen (GDM) so you can use it to change your XSplash or GDM image and optionally (my favourite): change the XSplash and GDM backgrounds to match your current desktop wallpaper.
XSplash Background Settings comes now with an Ubuntu .deb file so it's very easy to install and a GUI - so you no longer have to run some script to get this to work.
Once installed, you need to restart your computer for the daemon to run (so it can automatically change your XSplash and GDM backgrounds to match your current wallpaper). You will find XSplash Background Settings under System > Preferences > XSplash Background Settings.
The first 3 XSplash themes (screens) are part of the Fusion-GX-v00 pack and can be downloaded from the same location - download link after the third XSplash.
Yet another pack of 2 Xsplash screens: a gray and a green one. Here is a screenshot of the green one:
To change you Xsplash theme, download the archive for the XSplash theme you want and extract the contents to the /usr/share/images/xsplash folder (you need to open nautilus as root: Alt + F2 and type: gksu nautilus).
To test your new XSplash, simply type this in a terminal:
You already know PackoXsplash HD (we wrote about it a few days ago) which is my favourite Xsplash, but I guess not everybody likes the same things, so here are some other nice Xplash Themes to use with your new Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10.
Before we get started, here is a quick info you'll need. To change you Xsplash theme, download the archive for the Xsplash theme you want and extract the contents to the /usr/share/images/xsplash folder (you need to open nautilus as root: Alt + F2 and type: gksu nautilus).
And finally: a script that dynamically adjusts the xsplash and gdm background whenever the user changes his desktop background. Installation instructions HERE.
The Xsplash I'm talking about is called PackoXsplash HD and comes in two versions:
To install it, simply extract the archive to /usr/share/images/xsplash (make sure you open Nautilus as root, by using the following command: gksu nautilus).
Of course, you can also use one of the images in the archive (the one suited for your screen resolution) as your wallpaper.
Epidermis theme manager is an open source GTK application for managing, automatically downloading and installing themes of various types, in order to transform the look of your Ubuntu desktop, from the moment you turn it on until the moment you turn it off.
Basically, Epidermis can be used to install new themes (Metacity, GTK), wallpapers, icons, cursors, spash, xsplash, GRUB and GDM.
Version 4.0 which was released yesterday does not work for Ubuntu Karmic Koala 9.10, but version 4.0.1 fixes this.
Changes in version 4.0:
* Added support for Xsplash themes. * Removed support for Usplash themes. * Skin previews are displayed. * Added autogenerate button for Epidermis Creator so that previews of pigments can be automatically created. * Help message is displayed if no skins are installed. * License updated to GPLv3.
