How to Change Login Theme

[ScottyK]

I went to System Settings/Login Screens/Theme and saw that I could install new themes other than the default "Horos" theme.

After selecting several theme via the "Get new Themes" Option, I returned to the themes menu, but they were not there.

The only option was still "Horos".

Closing out System settings and restarting it still only reflected "Horos" as the only theme I could select.

I even rebooted for good measure, still no effect.

I went back in and verified that the themes I previously selected were still marked as installed and they were, for the only option was to uninstall them.

So the question is, where are the themes?

[SecretCode]

You raise a good question. I installed some themes via 'Get new themes' a while back and they did appear (and work - but I didn't like any of them much). Now they don't appear in the Login Screen > Theme tab, though they still show as installed in the Get New Themes window > "Installed" button. Something is wrong ...

I do have a few other Debian themes that arrived when I installed xubuntu-desktop (Xfce) a while back. But I can't get any themes from "Get New Themes" to appear.

[james147]

Try running

kdesudo kcmshell4 kdm

then download the themes form get new stuff dialog. Try a few different themes, not all of them work or install properly... and don't close the dialog until all the themes have downloaded (or it cancels the download :S).

From what I can tell of this is the get new stuff dialog only downloads the themes to you local settings, but kdm wont find them there...

[SecretCode]

Thanks - that at least makes them appear in the list.

Isn't this a bug? Surely kdm control module should save changes, including theme downloads, into /usr/share/...

In fact, it seems not to save them anywhere (if you run without kdesudo) - as if it tries to save them into the appropriate /usr/share folders but fails silently.

[james147]

Isn't this a bug? Surely kdm control module should save changes, including theme downloads, into /usr/share/...

It is a bug and apparently it dose try to save changes to /usr/share... it just gains authentication at the wrong point (when you click apply) so cannot download them when run as a normal user.

[Teunis]

I had the same problem and not only since 11.10.

The solution is to download the *.tar.gz file from the site where it's offered and then use the install new theme button to point to it.

[SecretCode]

It is a bug

Since October 2010 ...

[ScottyK]

James - Thanks for the code, they now appear! I'll mark this as Solved for now..

[Snowhog]

James - Thanks for the code, they now appear! I'll mark this as Solved for now..

As of last night, we added and enabled the option to mark a thread as [SOLVED]. All you have to do is click on Thread Tools > Mark this thread as solved...

[ScottyK]

Add - problem exists in 12.04. running

kdesudo kcmshell4 kdm

allows themes to be installed.