Pantheon
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 macOS.
Contents
Installation
Unofficial repository
Alucryd's unofficial repo contains more and more up-to-date packages than the few available in community. To use it add the following lines at the top of your sources in /etc/pacman.conf
:
[pantheon] SigLevel = Optional Server = https://pkgbuild.com/~alucryd/$repo/$arch
Desktop Environment
For the minimal Pantheon shell, install pantheon-session-gitAUR, which pulls--among other dependencies--the core components:
- cerbere-gitAUR: Watchdog service; restarts core components if they crash.
- gala-gitAUR: Window and composting manager
- wingpanel-gitAUR: Top panel (holds the launcher, clock, and indicators)
- pantheon-applications-menu-gitAUR: Application launcher formerly known as "Slingshot"
- plank: macOS-style Dock
Services and Configuration
These packages provide background services and default settings for Pantheon and elementary OS applications:
- pantheon-default-settings-gitAUR: Default appearance, behavior, and configuration; pulls in theme packages elementary-icon-theme, gtk-theme-elementary-gitAUR, and elementary-wallpapers-gitAUR
- gnome-settings-daemon-elementaryAUR: A patched gnome-settings-daemon-ubuntuAUR required by pantheon-dpms-helper-gitAUR and wingpanel-indicator-power-gitAUR
- pantheon-print-gitAUR: Print settings dialog
- pantheon-polkit-agent-gitAUR: Polkit authentication agent
Theme
These packages contribute to the look and feel of the desktop:
- elementary-icon-theme-gitAUR: Icon theme designed to be smooth, sexy, clear, and efficient (development version)
- lightdm-pantheon-greeterAUR or lightdm-pantheon-greeter-gitAUR: LightDM greeter
It is also recommended to install the following fonts:
- ttf-opensansAUR: Open Sans Fonts
- ttf-ralewayAUR: Raleway Font
- ttf-dejavu: Font family based on the Bitstream Vera Fonts
- ttf-droid: General-purpose fonts released by Google as part of Android
- ttf-freefont: Set of free outline fonts covering the Unicode character set
- ttf-liberation: Red Hats Liberation fonts
Applications
These are some of the original, patched, and selected packages that comprise the elementary OS software suite:
- pantheon-files or pantheon-files-gitAUR: File explorer developed from Marlin
- pantheon-terminal or pantheon-terminal-gitAUR: Terminal emulator
- scratch-text-editor or pantheon-code-gitAUR: Text editor formerly known as "Scratch"
- pantheon-calculatorAUR or pantheon-calculator-gitAUR: Calculator
- pantheon-music or pantheon-music-gitAUR: Audio player formerly known as "Noise"
- pantheon-videos or pantheon-videos-gitAUR: Video player formerly known as "Audience"
- pantheon-calendar-gitAUR: Calendar application formerly known as "Maya", integrates with wingpanel-indicator-datetime-gitAUR
- epiphany-pantheon-bzrAUR: Web browser replacing midori-graniteAUR
- pantheon-mail-gitAUR: Email client developed from geary
- pantheon-screenshotAUR or pantheon-screenshot-gitAUR: Screenshot tool
- eidete-bzrAUR: Simple screencaster
- pantheon-photos or pantheon-photos-gitAUR: Photo manager developed from shotwell
- pantheon-camera-gitAUR: Webcam app developed from snap-photoboothAUR
- elementary-scan-bzrAUR: Simple scan utility (does not build)
- switchboardAUR or switchboard-gitAUR: Pluggable settings manager similar to gnome-control-center
Launching Pantheon
Via Display manager
pantheon-session-gitAUR provides a gnome-session entry for display managers such as gdm or lightdm.
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 theexec cerbere
line.
- Keep running in the background:
- Add it to the dconf key
org.pantheon.desktop.cerbere.monitored-processes
. - Should the process stop, cerbereAUR will respawn it.
- Launch from a .desktop file:
- Use a program like dapperAUR, dex-gitAUR, or fbautostartAUR to implement XDG autostart[broken link: invalid section].
Configuration
Configure Pantheon via switchboardAUR or switchboard-gitAUR 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.
Wingpanel
Wingpanel does not come with any indicators; they must be installed separately.
At the minimum, you'll probably want to install:
- slingshot-launcherAUR or pantheon-applications-menu-gitAUR: Applications menu
- wingpanel-indicator-datetimeAUR or wingpanel-indicator-datetime-gitAUR: Clock and calendar widget
- wingpanel-indicator-sessionAUR or wingpanel-indicator-session-gitAUR: User and session menu (Switch user, Logout, Shutdown, etc.)
Third-party indicators
- If launched by a display manager, append
Pantheon
toOnlyShowIn=
in third-party indicators' *.desktop files
- If launched by ~/.xinitrc, add third-party indicators to one of the start-up methods described above.
- Indicators designed for Unity require wingpanel-indicator-ayatanaAUR or wingpanel-indicator-ayatana-gitAUR.
- indicator-sessionAUR 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-gitAUR needs light-locker or xscreensaver-dbus-screenlockAUR 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.
~/.config/plank/
) and configuration in the gsettings key net.launchpad.plank
Pantheon Files
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-gitAUR.
Terminal
Opacity
To make pantheon-terminal (semi-)transparent, set the dconf key org.pantheon.terminal.settings.opacity
to your desired opacity; for pantheon-terminal-gitAUR, the background color and transparency are set by io.elementary.terminal.settings.background
.
Known Issues
Usability
Cannot interact with the LightDM Pantheon greeter
You need to delete /var/lib/lightdm/.pam_environment
. Do note however that this file is a workaround for the following LightDM bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-greeter/+bug/1024482
Gala crashes on start
Unconfigured gala tries to use default gnome wallpaper, which is absent unless you have the package gnome-themes-standard[broken link: package not found] installed. Install it workaround the crash; it is safe to remove after you configure another wallpaper.
No mouse cursor after login
The Gala window manager is most likely not running. Either install cerbere-gitAUR or add gala
to the list of cerbere's monitored processes.
Indicators
Indicators not appearing in wingpanel
Wingpanel does not come with any indicators; they must be installed separately.
Third-party indicators
- If launched by a display manager, append
Pantheon
toOnlyShowIn=
in third-party indicators' *.desktop files[broken link: invalid section]
- If launched by ~/.xinitrc, add third-party indicators to one of the start-up methods described above.
- Indicators designed for Unity require wingpanel-indicator-ayatanaAUR or wingpanel-indicator-ayatana-gitAUR.
- indicator-sessionAUR 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-gitAUR needs light-locker or xscreensaver-dbus-screenlockAUR installed for the
Lock
menu item.
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-elementaryAUR, gtk-theme-elementary-gitAUR or add this code to your theme or the override file in ~/.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css
.
Wingpanel transparency
Wingpanel is transparent by design when using gtk-theme-elementaryAUR or gtk-theme-elementary-gitAUR, 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 other themes, add the following lines to the end of 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; }
GTK+ applications surrounded by awful black shadow box
The elementary GTK theme seems to be using its own files and ignoring the ~/.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css
user-override config file. This has been reported on https://bugs.launchpad.net/elementaryos/+bug/1592441. To work around the issue, go to the file /usr/share/themes/elementary/gtk-3.0/gtk-widgets.css
and look for the following (around line 3669):
decoration, .window-frame { border-radius: 4px 4px 0 0; box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px alpha (#000, 0.3), 0 14px 28px rgba(0,0,0,0.35), 0 10px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.22); margin: 12px; }
Replace the above by the the code below
decoration, .window-frame { box-shadow: none; border: none; padding: 0; margin: 0; }
White icons in pantheon-files
Currently there seems to be a bug which displays the view icons in the top location in a white colour instead of black. This can be fixed by installing gtk-theme-elementary-gitAUR or, for gtk-theme-elementaryAUR, add the following line to gtk-widgets.css
:
GtkToolItem { color: @text_color; }