Efforts at theming Azenis in GTK3 are paying off...

I still have a LOT of work to do and a great deal to learn (I really need a formal structured education instead of winging it and flying by the seat of my pants...) and this image is not yet of a finished product... But my efforts are paying off.
Slowly.
Functions properly and the Max, Min and Close buttons glow when you hover over or click on them.

Great job!

Got around to repairing the Image for the window-close button, last night.
All back images are in GTK3 and at the very front, put one of my gtk2 AzenisXFMi windows for comparison (Full image does not show in preview, you would have to click the image and get redirected to see that).
Will work on the borders, later. Made the menus, popover and window backgrounds last night and applied them early this morning (not shown in images).
All that time reading books about css, the learning was slow. Getting into the gtk.css file and editing it made learning much faster. Still, Much I do not Understand (Or know the proper terms for) but trial and error seems to be as effective as guided instruction, it seems. Though I tend to break it 10 times for every success.
Tonight, I will do the header-border-left.
Spent the rest of the time making more icons and a new Process Working Symbolic svg

I found a major problem in the Header-right backdrop that created the Azenis-style Titlebuttons.
I had to start over and re-do it. Current version-
In the very background is a GTK2 window, with more texture added, darker theme AzenisEX with the XFMi window border. It's set to "close its eyes" when insensitive. That it why the orbs on min, max, close are gray.
All front windows are GTK3.
Added the left button. I think I may end up leaving all the titlebar buttons as they are. There are still issues... The child windows which have only Minimize and close leave the backdrop hanging. I imagine those that have only the close button will do similar. GTKBox tends to cut off the very furthest end of the backdrop, visible on the "Mines" window at the very front.
Not sure how to fix that.
I realize, I have modded this A LOT and it is an Antique by Linux standards. But it has helped me to learn a lot and expand my horizons. It's also that Very Few Themes exist out there that Have Depth and Texture and are not just Uniformity stamped out with the same exact look but different colors made with Oomox.
I am wondering if anyone would be willing to Help Out as a Tester to test the Icon Theme and Window Manager theme on different systems than my own.
When I started this, it was on GTK3.18. Needless to say, It works poorly on GTK3.20 and barely at all on GTK3.24> if anyone is willing to help look for flaws, errors and bugs, it would need to be done on a system no higher than 3.18...
When I am satisfied this is working and I get the css cleaned up- I will start working on converting it over to work on above 3.20... Until 3.26 is released and breaks it...

https://igurublog.wordpress.com/2012/11 ... in-threes/

I have often expressed the opinion that Gnome feels like Microsoft. I have expressed the opinion that the breakage of themes feels deliberate.
The above, very informative blog article nails that. I find others have been saying so and have been saying so for years.
In that blog,t he author notes the many times that the Gnome Developers insist that Gnome development is promoting the Gnome Brand Image and that they seek exclusive control of its usability and user experience.
It makes it Very Clear that the breakage of extensions and themes was, indeed, deliberate beyond any reasonable doubt.

Honestly...Looking at the above images, I feel a sense of pride. I am currently running a gtk3.18 model that No One Else Has. It is very novice. Amateur work.
But even still, it has depth and character that Gnome set out to ensure is removed.


EDIT: On another forum, User Toz pointed to the following:
https://blog.gtk.org/2016/09/01/version ... se-in-gtk/
This is a pledge made by Gnome in 2016 to stop being naughty and start playing nice after a meeting with stakeholders.
It is fair to include that here as it was pointed out to me after I ranted.
Perhaps they will stand by that Pledge for a long while.
But...
I am reminded of the pledge made by Google Company "Do no evil" moving from Publicly seen motto to being quietly shuffled to the tail end of their mission statement as a general suggestion that they may or may not partake in.

https://www.pling.com/p/1330040/

Here goes nothin...

OMG that theming is beautiful! I want! I want! Gimme! LOL!

So the question is, how do I get Zorin OS 12 to look like that? Is there a quick and easy few step process? Or do I need to re-program the entire OS from the ground up? Cause I sure as heck aint gonna go that far.

In this moment, I feel like Scotty in Star Trek 4, when he's trying to communicate to the computer via his voice, through the trackball mouse. "Computer?" "Computer!" Just use the keyboard. Oh like my brand new Corsair K95 Platinum keyboard, how quaint!

Yes, I made a GTK 3.18 version that works on Zorin 12.4, as well. However, it does not look as crisp. It wasn't until gtk3.20 that margin editing was supported in the gtk css.
So, I had to go about it a different way in 3.18. Reprogram the O.S.? No. But the css is entirely different. I used a template for 3.18 and the 3.22/3.24 versions I had to start over from scratch and build from the ground up. The first posts you see in the thread show what the 3.18 (Zorin 12.4) version looks like. The link you posted a reply to shows the 3.22/3.24 version.
I can make the 3.18 version for 12.4 Zorin Or Zorin Lite available. Shoot a message to aravisian@protonmail.com.

For Firefox/Waterfox theme: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... azenisexi/

Yes, I think I first came across Azenis whilst using Ultimate Edition - great Plymouth themes with the globe/orb available in different colours! But the blue/black was my favourite. I tried to install from the last link to Zorin 15 Lite but it wasn't having anything to do with it.

Swarfendor437 wrote:Yes, I think I first came across Azenis whilst using Ultimate Edition - great Plymouth themes with the globe/orb available in different colours! But the blue/black was my favourite. I tried to install from the last link to Zorin 15 Lite but it wasn't having anything to do with it.

Last link- clarify?

Yeah, I noticed that your link went to a TAR download for the newer version of the OS, and I would not know how to install that anyways. I can install DEB files, or anything in the repository by using Synaptic or Software center. And if its not in the repositories, I can add it if given a PPA. I'll send an email if you think you can make it.

star treker wrote:Yeah, I noticed that your link went to a TAR download for the newer version of the OS, and I would not know how to install that anyways. I can install DEB files, or anything in the repository by using Synaptic or Software center. And if its not in the repositories, I can add it if given a PPA. I'll send an email if you think you can make it.

It's only .tar to compress it. To install, just de-compress it with a jackhammer and then shove it up into the Themes folder and that is the installation.

Aravisian wrote:

star treker wrote:Yeah, I noticed that your link went to a TAR download for the newer version of the OS, and I would not know how to install that anyways. I can install DEB files, or anything in the repository by using Synaptic or Software center. And if its not in the repositories, I can add it if given a PPA. I'll send an email if you think you can make it.

It's only .tar to compress it. To install, just de-compress it with a jackhammer and then shove it up into the Themes folder and that is the installation.

Aravisian, you make my day!

Love you guy! (and no, that is in a brotherly manner!)

Yes, both Aravisian and I are hilarious people, were full of character. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I had no trouble installing the themes pack, and switching to it via the tweak tool. I didn't realize that the icons were not part of the theme pack, so thank you for helping me out with that as well. I was able to switch to the new icons pack using the tweak tool as well. Now, if you are able to patch the theme pack to fix the invisible buttons, that would make this theme pack, absolute perfection!

Swarfendor437 wrote:Love you guy! (and no, that is in a brotherly manner!)

You think you're slick, but I see through you.
We all know you meant a South Virginia Brotherly way.

Yeah, don't get all brokeback mountain on me using a bunch of Mrs Buttersworth Maple Syrup.

OK, I have an update for everyone. After getting the themes and icons setup, there was one last hurdle we had to jump over. The last issue we had was with the Chrome browser. Chrome defaults to using the Classic theme out of the box after install. This results in Chrome not wanting to utilize the system title bar and borders.



What you need to do is go into your Chrome settings. Then under the appearance section, make sure to select, use GTK+ themes. Then make sure you turn on, Use System Title Bar And Borders. You will notice it does not work right away. You need to restart the Chrome browser to put the setting into effect. Now Chrome plays nice with the system.

This is what me shamelessly Plugging Looks Like.
Zorin Lite users- beware:
https://www.pling.com/p/1339470/

My plan is to make a full GTK3.22, 3.24 theme, as well.

Hey Aravisian!

That looks a little different from the Azenis theme I am using right now, in the window borders. I won't be using that, as I like what I have now from Azenis, but I downloaded it to help you out.

Your talented buddy, no doubt there.

star treker wrote:Hey Aravisian!

That looks a little different from the Azenis theme I am using right now, in the window borders. I won't be using that, as I like what I have now from Azenis, but I downloaded it to help you out.

Your talented buddy, no doubt there.

Thanks, but I think downloading it helps the downloader more than me:P
You could rate it if you like it enough.

SWARF! Knock Knock, who's there? Its you, and I need you.

Question? How do you completely remove the Zorin Panel from loading up in the OS? I can go into the TWEAK tool, and in extensions, I can disable the Zorin Panel, but all that does is pop the panel up top instead of the bottom. I want it gone.

Check it out, I am now running the XFCE panel.


It took me some time to set that thing up, especially since I am brand new to using that panel. I am fairly happy with it at this point. In order to prevent the Zorin Panel from shrouding over it like a monster, I have the Zorin Panel set to auto hide.

But if I make the mistake of putting my curser down too far, it will pop up that Zorin panel. Which is why I am asking you SWARF, yes you! How do I remove the darn thing?

Hi star treker,

You have Tweaks (gnome-tweaks) installed yes? (This is Core right?).

Launch Tweaks | Extensions and then scroll down to Zorin Panel and switch to 'OFF'.

Alternatively, cross your fingers and remove everything via Synaptic (and watch the OS potentially melt!):

Hello SWARF! No offence but that wasn't helpful, I did mention I tried turning it off in Tweak Extensions, all it did was pop the panel towards the top of the screen when turned off. This was the point in which I understood what the awesome Aravisian was trying to explain to me the whole time. Ladies and gentlemen, I have officially converted over to XFCE desktop on Zorin OS. Gnome can kiss my a.BEEEP!


After 3-years of Gnome, I am happy that I finally took the leap. Its taken some work getting some of my settings back, but its getting there. The customisability is real folks.

Well when I posted I was at work in my lunch break having just spent all morning converting a maths paper into Braille!

SWARF! You know I like saying your name like Pinkie says NARF in Pinkie And The Brain.

I just noticed that your rocking a Ryzen CPU, how do you like it? 8-cores auda power some Tetris aint it? HEHE

Thats actually impressive that you know how to convert stuff to brail.

My Azenis-Prowler Cross-Breed desktop:



Note that the Power button is slightly over the border of the menu and highlighted Accessories bleeds slightly into menu border - But I am loving it!

Swarfendor437 wrote:My Azenis-Prowler Cross-Breed desktop:

Azenis-Prowler Cross-Breed.jpg

Note that the Power button is slightly over the border of the menu and highlighted Accessories bleeds slightly into menu border - But I am loving it!

Wow- your Gnome Shell is not displaying the background for the panel.
If you go to /themes/AzenisEX-Dark/Gnome-Shell folder, open the Gnome-Shell.css file and line #677
#panel {
background-color: transparent;
font-weight: bold;
height: 2.1em;
min-height: 23px;
background-image: url("assets/panel/panel.svg");
background-repeat: repeat;
background-size: auto;
}

Change "background-repeat: no-repea"t to "background-repeat: repeat" as I pasted it above.

If you could, please.

I posted an update on the Pling.com download page for it, as well.

Bear with!

(I always did love a transparent panel in Zorin 6 and 9 when I used to play around with AWN! )

Well, I was upset not with you, but that I missed that error --- And that NOONE that Downloaded it Said Anything!

I think I also just figured out why the Button is off the right, half off, anyway...
Entry image is set to Contain.
Which is normal... But it may be pushing the search entry slightly to the right to fit the background image in, shuffling the rest over.
I will check into that later.

Here you go:

Aravisian wrote:Well, I was upset not with you, but that I missed that error --- And that NOONE that Downloaded it Said Anything!

I think I also just figured out why the Button is off the right, half off, anyway...
Entry image is set to Contain.
Which is normal... But it may be pushing the search entry slightly to the right to fit the background image in, shuffling the rest over.
I will check into that later.

Hi, do you remember this song at all?

https://youtu.be/6W5pq4bIzIw

Well someone at work replaced 'bombastic' with 'pedantic' and aimed it at me!

I also got same helpful comments for our distributor of Duxbury Braille Translation Program when I have posted issues of MathType not converting some Maths correctly into Braille - again, users need to help developers instead of just accepting, 'oh well, it's just one of those things, ... a glitch'.

It stems from my ethos of providing customer satisfaction. When I was a self-employed IT contractor, full time employees (front-line installers) where I worked got upset when it was my turn to be in the build area of the organisation. They would bill customers for 1 hour when I had prepped machines to print instantly, scan instantly and connect to the Domains instantly = 15 minutes tops - now to me that is SERVICE!

I love the way your desktop looks SWARF! Its very pretty, downright sexy! That background is super cool too! Hey, do you have a location to the best wallpapers? If I remember correctly, you did have some stored somewhere but I don't remember the link location.

Hi star treker,

Just to point out that the wallpaper in the screenshot is one that Aravisian put together in the Prowler-EX theme pack.

My walls are here:

https://www.opendesktop.org/member/257685/

(in my sig! )

Zorin specific wallpapers (not just mine):

https://www.opendesktop.org/search/proj ... /1/pci/374

How did I miss that? Yeah I know, I really need to drink some coffee

So I found this awesome techy wallpaper online, anybody like? Plus I got my conkies dangling up top there looking good. And the panel is looking great too. I have it set to auto hide now to get more screen space in the browser, but I popped it up for the screenshot. I gotta tell ya, my system is themed way better then it was.

star treker wrote:How did I miss that? Yeah I know, I really need to drink some coffee

So I found this awesome techy wallpaper online, anybody like? Plus I got my conkies dangling up top there looking good. And the panel is looking great too. I have it set to auto hide now to get more screen space in the browser, but I popped it up for the screenshot. I gotta tell ya, my system is themed way better then it was.

Screenshot_2019-12-02_08-26-31.jpg

I hunted that wallpaper down and grabbed it.

Feel free! I have no monopoly on that wallpaper. Infact, if you asked me which one it was, I could have sent it to ya directly, but you found it so thats great.

The theme modding never changes. Why, oh why didn't I take the blue ****?