Improve GTK Application Looks
GTK1 Apps
If you sometimes use old GTK1 apps (like xmms), you probably know they don't look nice. This is because they use ugly default theme. To change it, you need to:
- download and install some nice theme
- change the theme
Some nice themes are in [extra]. To install it:
# pacman -S gtk-smooth-engine
To change the theme you can use gtk-theme-switch:
# pacman -S gtk-theme-switch
then run it with 'switch' command. That's all. Isn't it better looking now? :)
GTK2 Apps
For GTK2 apps (e.g. Pidgin), methods to change theme include: gtk-theme-switch2
, gtk-chtheme
or gtk2_prefs
. There is also lxappearance
, a DE independent configuration tool from the LXDE project. It doesn't require any other parts of LXDE. So once you have made your mind do one of the following:
# pacman -S gtk-theme-switch2 # pacman -S gtk-chtheme # pacman -S gtk2_prefs # pacman -S lxappearance
You probably would like to install some themes too. The popular Clearlooks theme is included within the gtk-engines
package:
# pacman -S gtk-engines
Further themes can be installed with:
# pacman -S gtk2-themes-collection
Now run either switch2
or gtk-chtheme
or gtk2_prefs
, depending on what you chose before and change the theme to your liking.
If you want to change the icon theme of GTK2 Applications, then you have to modify or add in the file ~/.gtkrc-2.0
the following line (here the icon theme is set to Tango):
gtk-icon-theme-name = "Tango" ...more gtk2 settings...
GTK with QT
If you have GTK and QT(KDE) applications on you desktop then you know their looks don't blend well. If you wish to make your GTK styles match your QT styles please read Uniform Look for QT and GTK Applications.