How can i Change BackBox's GUI

[dragonheart]

Hi,

I want to change a bit the graphical environment because i don't like all this gray color...
First i need to change the boot screen (grub) with something more graphical.
Second the login screen (especially the one who ask you for the pass etc).
Third how can i use compiz instead of xfce (xfce right?).
Fourth is there a standard way to download new themes? (window decorations)

For the login screen i found a tool called plymouth (/lib/plymouth/themes/) but i didn't found any graphical app and i'm bored to write a script. Is there any easier way?
If you know something just tell me what to search for.

thanks

[lister]

You can install compiz with XFCE and (i think) that the themes come from Emerald -

I just find it so time consuming to do all that - personally I think they have done a good job with BB out of the box but thats just my opinion of courses ;)

Having said that wobbly windows are pretty cool - can you let me know how you get on with that? What graphics card do you have? Thats the obvious question I guess.

Also, I think I am correct in saying that XFCE was/ is designed to be a lightweight desktop environment i.e. uses as little system resources as possible - not sure how it works with compiz. Gnome used to be really good with that sort of thing back in the day when I used it with Ubuntu until they went all weird and went into Unity.

[weVeg]

yes, you can install compiz + emerald + fusion-icon, there are some trick to do in order to make compiz working 'cause doesn't work out of the box (not bbox issue), remember that xfce is DE (like gnome or kde), compiz is WM (like metacity or xfwm4)  and emerald is WD (like gtk windows decoration).
Inside /etc/default/grub and /etc/grub.d/ you can find all about grub configuration and for change splash screen you need to go on configuration panel > session and start > Splash

http://tinyurl.com/bwqjyax

[dragonheart]

hi again,

I installed compiz, fusion-icon and emerald following this guide:
http://ubuntuportal.com/2012/06/how-to-install-emerald-window-decorator-on-ubuntu-12-04-lts.html
The problem is now that despite the fact i have installed all the required packages, i don't see any change in the environment nor any animation despite that CCSM (Compiz Confing Settings Manager) is enabled.
Also i executed fusion-icon and tried to reload the Window Manager but when i do that the window is losing the decorations and of course the buttons minimize, maximize and close.
Can i change something in order to successfully run the compiz?
...my graphics card is: NVidia GeForce GT540M...

I found some paths where boot-login images are stored:
- /lib/plymouth/themes/backbox-logo : Replace here the image backbox-nologo.png and you will have a new on boot loading image
- /etc/default : Open the grub file and add the line GRUB_BACKGROUND="/image_boot.png" and then run

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sudo update-grub and you will have a nice graphical boot menu.
- /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops : In this path you can change the background image of the login screen by replacing: backbox-left.png and backbox-right.png
- /usr/share/icons : Here you can add an icon theme pack
- /etc/X11 : I wanted to add Alt+Shift as the default keyboard shortcut and i had to modify xorg.conf. I added the following:

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Section "InputClass"
   Identifier "keyboard defaults"
   MatchIsKeyboard   "on"

   Option "XkbModel" "Generic 105-key (Intl) PC"
   Option "XkbLayout" "us,es,gr"
   Option "XKbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
EndSection


[CleanZombie]

I agree that BB have done a great job with the design of the theme etc but it would be good to have a straight foreward way of changing all the little details, its the little things like that which will help this distro become much more popular! ;D

[weVeg]

hi again,

I installed compiz, fusion-icon and emerald following this guide:
http://ubuntuportal.com/2012/06/how-to-install-emerald-window-decorator-on-ubuntu-12-04-lts.html
The problem is now that despite the fact i have installed all the required packages, i don't see any change in the environment nor any animation despite that CCSM (Compiz Confing Settings Manager) is enabled.
Also i executed fusion-icon and tried to reload the Window Manager but when i do that the window is losing the decorations and of course the buttons minimize, maximize and close.
Can i change something in order to successfully run the compiz?
..my graphics card is: NVidia GeForce GT540M...

right-click on fusion-icon > setting-manager > enable at least windows-decoration and all options for moving th windows
I have the same nvidia card, but for now compiz run with intel-card, 'cause all bullshit about bumbeblee and so on,,,,,

I found some paths where boot-login images are stored:
- /lib/plymouth/themes/backbox-logo : Replace here the image backbox-nologo.png and you will have a new on boot loading image
- /etc/default : Open the grub file and add the line GRUB_BACKGROUND="/image_boot.png" and you will get a nice graphical boot menu.
- /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops : In this path you can change the background image of the login screen by replacing: backbox-left.png and backbox-right.png
- /usr/share/icons : Here you can add an icon theme pack
- /etc/X11 : I wanted to add Alt+Shift as the default keyboard shortcut and i had to modify xorg.conf. I added the following:

Code Select Expand


Section "InputClass"
   Identifier "keyboard defaults"
   MatchIsKeyboard   "on"

   Option "XkbModel" "Generic 105-key (Intl) PC"
   Option "XkbLayout" "us,es,gr"
   Option "XKbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
EndSection


here I can't understand your question.... what do you want to know?

[dragonheart]

The last part is not a question, is a "how to" for anyone who wants to change the boot screens or whatever...  ::)
bumbeblee?? the truth is i don't know how to properly configure my card and what bumbeblee is (but i think this is another post).

I enabled windows-decoration with Command option emerald --replace and almost all options for moving the windows but still nothing! :(

[weVeg]

The last part is not a question, is a "how to" for anyone who wants to change the boot screens or whatever...  ::)
bumbeblee?? the truth is i don't know how to properly configure my card and what bumbeblee is (but i think this is another post).

I enabled windows-decoration with Command option emerald --replace and almost all options for moving the windows but still nothing! :(

Bumblebee here http://tinyurl.com/74m5m4k
Read my post above, you need to enable windows decoration inside compizconfig
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8729/istantanea2212201216090.png

[dragonheart]

Bumblebee here http://tinyurl.com/74m5m4k
Read my post above, you need to enable windows decoration inside compizconfig
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8729/istantanea2212201216090.png

Exactly:
http://imageshack.us/a/img443/8122/windowdecoration.png
http://imageshack.us/a/img560/8743/windowdecorationinside.png
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/6216/ccsm.png
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/3310/ccsm2.png
But still doesn't work.

[weVeg]

open one terminal and paste output of:

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compiz --replace
and

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emerald --replace

I've had that problem too, are you sure that emerald are correctly installed?

[dragonheart]

open one terminal and paste output of:

Code Select Expand

compiz --replace
and

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emerald --replace

I've had that problem too, are you sure that emerald are correctly installed?

hmm... i tried to do that but a bunch of errors appeared...!
http://pastie.org/5565958
probably something is missing maybe?

[weVeg]

do you have all this dependences?
compiz
compiz-core
compizconfig-backend-gconf
compizconfig-settings-manager
libcompizconfig0
libdecoration0
check also libemeraldengine

[dragonheart]

do you have all this dependences?
compiz
compiz-core
compizconfig-backend-gconf
compizconfig-settings-manager
libcompizconfig0
libdecoration0
check also libemeraldengine

i have all the above (and much more for compiz because of synaptics) but i don't have libemeraldengine and i can't find the command to install it and also doesn't exist in synaptics.
This command doesn't run:

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sudo apt-get install emerald libemeraldengine0
//nor
sudo apt-get install libemeraldengine
//nor
sudo apt-get install libemeraldengine0


[weVeg]

do you have all this dependences?
compiz
compiz-core
compizconfig-backend-gconf
compizconfig-settings-manager
libcompizconfig0
libdecoration0
check also libemeraldengine

i have all the above (and much more for compiz because of synaptics) but i don't have libemeraldengine and i can't find the command to install it and also doesn't exist in synaptics.
This command doesn't run:

Code Select Expand


sudo apt-get install emerald libemeraldengine0
//nor
sudo apt-get install libemeraldengine
//nor
sudo apt-get install libemeraldengine0


You have to find the right tut that explain you how to install compiz, search with google! You don't have correctly installed compiz and emerald! this is your problem! don't install compiz by synaptic, doesn't work!

edit: here you can find all you need!
http://cgit.compiz.org/fusion/decorators/emerald/
http://cgit.compiz.org/

edit2: here some other useful link
http://tinyurl.com/3c6vudt
http://tinyurl.com/d6v7jg7
http://tinyurl.com/dx3p55g

[dragonheart]

I found where was the problem... The problem wasn't in compiz nor emerald but in my beloved :P NVidia driver which is not installed properly.
For instructions on how to properly configure nvidia drivers i'm continue the conversation there:
http://forum.backbox.org/software-support/nvidia-driver-crashes-forever-after-altprtsck/

For anything else on how to configure the GUI of backbox anyone is free to post here...