Pantheon

Template:Article summary start Template:Article summary text Template:Article summary heading Template:Article summary wiki: A DE which is also based on GTK3. Template:Article summary end

Pantheon is the default desktop environment originally created for the elementary OS distribution. It is written from scratch using Vala and the GTK3 toolkit. With regards to usability and appearance, the desktop has some similarities with GNOME Shell and Mac OS X.

Installation

Pantheon is split into several packages which are available in the AUR. To get a minimal desktop interface, you may start by installing pantheon-session-bzr^AUR. This will pull the following core components:

• cerbere-bzr^AUR: Watchdog service to keep core Pantheon apps running
• gala-bzr^AUR: Window Manager
• wingpanel-bzr^AUR: Top panel
• slingshot-launcher-bzr^AUR: Application launcher
• plank-bzr^AUR: Pantheon bottom dock

Additionally, you may install the following packages:

• audience-bzr^AUR: Video player
• contractor-bzr^AUR: Service for sharing data between apps
• dexter-contacts-bzr^AUR: Contacts manager (does not build)
• eidete-bzr^AUR: Simple screencaster
• elementary-icon-theme: elementary icons
• elementary-scan-bzr^AUR: Simple scan utility
• egtk-bzr^AUR: elementary GTK theme
• feedler-bzr^AUR: RSS feeds reader (does not build)
• footnote-bzr^AUR: Note taking app
• geary: Email client
• indicator-pantheon-session-bzr^AUR: Session indicator
• lightdm-pantheon-greeter-bzr^AUR: LightDM greeter
• maya-calendar-bzr^AUR: Calendar (does not build)
• midori-granite^AUR: Web browser
• noise-bzr^AUR: Audio player
• pantheon-calculator-bzr^AUR: Calculator
• pantheon-files-bzr^AUR: File explorer
• pantheon-notify-bzr^AUR: Notification daemon
• pantheon-print-bzr^AUR: Print settings
• pantheon-terminal-bzr^AUR: Terminal emulator
• plank-theme-pantheon-bzr^AUR: Pantheon theme for plank
• scratch-text-editor-bzr^AUR: Text editor
• snap-photobooth-bzr^AUR: Webcam app
• switchboard-bzr^AUR: Settings manager

Note: You will also need to install plugs, look for "switchboard-plug-*" in the AUR.

• webcontracts-bzr^AUR: Web services contracts for use with contractor-bzr

Additional Infos

Github repository

All Pantheon related PKGBUILDs can be found on my GitHub repository: https://github.com/alucryd/aur-alucryd/tree/master/pantheon

You will need to build at least 'bamf' from there because the AUR package is out of date. Some other packages which do not belong to me can be found in the AUR, you should build those packages from the GitHub repo if available as they are packaged differently.

Stable releases

Several of the listed packages have seen stable releases, it is recommended to use them when available, they are in both the GitHub repository and the AUR too.

Packages based on older evolution-data-server

dexter-contacts-bzr^AUR, feedler-bzr^AUR and maya-calendar-bzr^AUR do not build because they are based on evolution-data-server 3.2. Arch Linux provides version 3.8 which uses a different API.

Wallpaper drawer

The pantheon wallpaper drawer has been deprecated in favor of the GNOME drawer. This used to be handled by nautilus until GNOME 3.8, but it is handled directly by gnome-shell since GNOME 3.8, which means we can't have GNOME drawing the wallpaper. Instead one can use nitrogen to paint their desktop background.

Launching Pantheon

Via a Display Manager

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

Note: Currently, pantheon-session-bzr^AUR uses a custom gnome-session with desktop files in /etc/xdg/autostart. This method will not work with the current version of GNOME (this is the same for the GNOME/Openbox session too).

Via .xinitrc

You can also use ~/.xinitrc with slim to launch the Pantheon shell. The following code will successfully launch a Pantheon session:

#!/bin/sh
#
# ~/.xinitrc
#
# Executed by startx (run your window manager from here)

if [ -d /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d ]; then
  for f in /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/*; do
    [ -x "$f" ] && . "$f"
  done
  unset f
fi

gsettings-data-convert &
xdg-user-dirs-gtk-update &
/usr/lib/polkit-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1 &
/usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon/gnome-settings-daemon &
/usr/lib/gnome-user-share/gnome-user-share &
eval $(gnome-keyring-daemon --start --components=pkcs11,secrets,ssh,gpg)
export GNOME_KEYRING_CONTROL GNOME_KEYRING_PID GPG_AGENT_INFO SSH_AUTH_SOCK
cerbere &
exec gala

You may add any other program you'd like to start with Pantheon as well.

Configuration

Configuring Pantheon is done via switchboard-bzr^AUR and its plugs, some of which are available in the AUR, but close to none work as intended for the moment. Instead, most pantheon settings can be altered via dconf, they are located in the org.pantheon key. Use dconf-editor for easy editing.

Also, part of the configuration is handled by gnome-control-center via a dedicated plug, which unfortunately does not support GNOME 3.8. Use gnome-control-center itself and gnome-tweak-tool instead.