User:Quequotion/Pantheon

Pantheon is the desktop environment originally created for the elementary OS distribution. It is written from scratch in Vala, using GTK 3 and Granite. With regards to usability and appearance, the desktop has some similarities with GNOME Shell and macOS.

Project Status

Although the elementary OS release schedule and toolchain are bound to Ubuntu's LTS release cycle, development moves quickly and has recently moved to github.

Installation

Packages

Unofficial repository

Alucryd's unofficial repository contains more and more up-to-date packages than the few available in the community repository. To use it add the following lines at the top of your sources in /etc/pacman.conf:

Comment: Messaging seems to be problematic: we need to better communicate the distinction of installation sources, and the degree (or total lack) of support behind each ([community], [aur-alucryd], [aur], [some other recipe for trouble]). quequotion (talk) 15:11, 30 November 2019 (UTC)

[extra-alucryd]
Server = https://pkgbuild.com/~alucryd/$repo/$arch

Do note that some packages are missing from the repository due to issues with upstream. You will have to supplement the repo with locally compiled packages.

AUR

Alternatively, the PKGBUILDs for the pantheon packages are also available in the AUR.

Comment: In addition to above re: messaging, which pantheon packages? There are many more packages, and packagers, involved than when this was written. quequotion (talk) 15:11, 30 November 2019 (UTC)

Desktop Environment

For the minimal Pantheon shell, install pantheon-session-git^AUR, which pulls--among other dependencies--the core components:

• cerbere-git^AUR: Watchdog service; restarts core components if they crash.
• gala-git^AUR: Window and composting manager
• wingpanel-git^AUR: Top panel (holds the launcher, clock, and indicators)
• pantheon-applications-menu-git^AUR: Application launcher formerly known as "Slingshot"
• plank: macOS-style Dock

Comment: This should list only packages that are "stable release" versions if/when possible. quequotion (talk) 15:11, 30 November 2019 (UTC)

Services and Configuration

These optional packages provide background services and default settings for Pantheon and elementary OS applications:

• pantheon-default-settings-git^AUR: Default appearance, behavior, and configuration; pulls in theme packages elementary-icon-theme, gtk-theme-elementary-git^AUR, and elementary-wallpapers-git^AUR
• gnome-settings-daemon-elementary^AUR: A patched gnome-settings-daemon-ubuntu^AUR required by pantheon-dpms-helper-git^AUR and wingpanel-indicator-power-git^AUR
• pantheon-print-git^AUR: Print settings dialog
• pantheon-polkit-agent-git^AUR: Polkit authentication agent

Comment: This should list only packages that are "stable release" versions if/when possible. quequotion (talk) 15:11, 30 November 2019 (UTC)

Theme

These optional packages contribute to the look and feel of the desktop:

• elementary-icon-theme or elementary-icon-theme-git^AUR: Icon theme designed to be smooth, sexy, clear, and efficient
• lightdm-pantheon-greeter^AUR or lightdm-pantheon-greeter-git^AUR: LightDM greeter

It is also recommended to install the following fonts:

• ttf-opensans: Open Sans Fonts
• ttf-raleway^AUR: Raleway Font
• ttf-dejavu: Font family based on the Bitstream Vera Fonts
• ttf-droid: General-purpose fonts released by Google as part of Android
• gnu-free-fonts: Set of free outline fonts covering the Unicode character set
• ttf-liberation: Red Hats Liberation fonts

Comment: This should list only packages that are "stable release" versions if/when possible. quequotion (talk) 15:11, 30 November 2019 (UTC)

Applications

These are some of the original, patched, and selected packages that comprise the optional elementary OS software suite:

• pantheon-files or pantheon-files-git^AUR: File explorer developed from Marlin
• pantheon-terminal or pantheon-terminal-git^AUR: Terminal emulator
• pantheon-code or pantheon-code-git^AUR: Text editor formerly known as "Scratch"
• pantheon-calculator or pantheon-calculator-git^AUR: Calculator
• pantheon-music or pantheon-music-git^AUR: Audio player formerly known as "Noise"
• pantheon-videos or pantheon-videos-git^AUR: Video player formerly known as "Audience"
• pantheon-calendar-git^AUR: Calendar application formerly known as "Maya", integrates with wingpanel-indicator-datetime-git^AUR
• epiphany-pantheon^AUR: Web browser replacing midori-granite^AUR
• pantheon-mail-git^AUR: Email client developed from geary
• pantheon-screenshot or pantheon-screenshot-git^AUR: Screenshot tool
• eidete-bzr^AUR: Simple screencaster
• pantheon-photos or pantheon-photos-git^AUR: Photo manager developed from shotwell
• pantheon-camera-git^AUR: Webcam app developed from snap-photobooth^{AUR[broken link: package not found]}
• elementary-scan-bzr^{AUR[broken link: package not found]}: Simple scan utility (does not build)
• switchboard or switchboard-git^AUR: Pluggable settings manager similar to gnome-control-center

Comment: This should list only packages that are "stable release" versions if/when possible. quequotion (talk) 15:11, 30 November 2019 (UTC)

Launching Pantheon

Via Display manager

pantheon-session-git^AUR provides a gnome-session entry for display managers such as gdm or lightdm.

Autostart applications with a display manager

As a gnome-session, Pantheon implements XDG Autostart.

Via xinit

Alternatively, you can use ~/.xinitrc to launch the Pantheon shell, by adding exec cerbere to the end of the file.

Autostart applications with xinit

For applications which do not provide a systemd unit, consider these options:

• Run once when X starts:

Add it to your ~/.xinitrc Shell script, before the exec cerbere line.

• Keep running in the background:

Add it to the dconf key org.pantheon.desktop.cerbere.monitored-processes.

Should the process stop, cerbere will respawn it.

• Launch from a .desktop file:

Use a program like dapper^AUR, dex-git^AUR, or fbautostart^AUR to implement XDG Autostart.

Configuration

Configure Pantheon via switchboard or switchboard-git^AUR and its plugs (switchboard-plug-*), which must be installed separately. Not all of gnome-control-center's settings panels have been ported. In addition, except plank, all the Pantheon components store their configuration in the org.pantheon or io.elementary gsettings keys, which can be edited with dconf-editor.

Note: switchboard-plug-elementary-tweaks-git^AUR provides easy access to customizations for various aspects of the Pantheon desktop and applications, similar to gnome-tweaks.

Wingpanel

Wingpanel does not come with any indicators; they must be installed separately.

At the minimum, you'll probably want to install:

• pantheon-applications-menu^AUR or pantheon-applications-menu-git^AUR: Applications menu and "Run" dialog
• wingpanel-indicator-datetime^AUR or wingpanel-indicator-datetime-git^AUR: Clock and calendar widget
• wingpanel-indicator-session^AUR or wingpanel-indicator-session-git^AUR: User and session menu (Switch user, Logout, Shutdown, etc.)

Note: wingpanel^AUR supports Ayatana indicators, while wingpanel-git^AUR has native indicators (wingpanel-indicator-*-git).

Third-party indicators

• If launched by a display manager, append Pantheon; to OnlyShowIn= in third-party indicators' *.desktop files

• If launched by ~/.xinitrc, add third-party indicators to one of the start-up methods described above.

• Ayatana Indicators require wingpanel-indicator-ayatana^AUR or wingpanel-indicator-ayatana-git^AUR to appear in wingpanel-git^AUR.

Indicator-session menus unresponsive

• indicator-session^AUR relies on dbus methods provided by Unity for most of its functions and fails to fallback to gnome or systemd methods in its absence.

• wingpanel-indicator-session-git^AUR needs light-locker or xscreensaver-dbus-screenlock^AUR installed for the Lock menu item.

Plank

Adding new application icons

Either drag and drop a desktop file on to the dock, or right click on a running application and select "Keep in dock". You can then reorder icons by drag and drop.

Note: Plank stores .dockitem launchers in ~/.config/plank/ and configuration in the gsettings key net.launchpad.plank

Pantheon Files

Enable context menu entries

If you want to enable context menu entries such as for file-roller to extract/compress archives, then you have to additionally install contractor or contractor-git^AUR.

Terminal

Opacity

To make pantheon-terminal (semi-)transparent, set the dconf key org.pantheon.terminal.settings.opacity to your desired opacity; for pantheon-terminal-git^AUR, the background color and transparency are set by io.elementary.terminal.settings.background.

Known Issues

Appearance

Pantheon-terminal transparency

Transparency in pantheon-terminal is not yet fully functional with GTK themes other than the elmentary OS theme. Either use gtk-theme-elementary^AUR, gtk-theme-elementary-git^AUR or add the following code to your theme's css or the override file in ~/.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css:

/************
 * Terminal *
 ***********/

PantheonTerminalPantheonTerminalWindow.background {
   background-color: transparent;
}

Wingpanel transparency

Wingpanel is transparent by design when using gtk-theme-elementary^AUR or gtk-theme-elementary-git^AUR, and becomes opaque when a maximized window occupies your screen. However, using other GTK themes will produce a solid panel most of the time.

To achieve the former behavior within another theme, add the following code to its css or the override file in ~/.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css:

/*********************
 * wingpanel support *
 ********************/

.panel {
    background-color: transparent;
    transition: all 1s ease-in-out;
}

.panel.maximized {
    background-color: #000;
}