Zorin 15 Lite Timeline

[zoringroup21]

Please keep us informed where we are with Zorin 15 Lite.



Thank you.

[Aravisian]

Seconded. I went ahead and installed Zorin 15 as a dual boot on my 12.4 machine. I then installed XFCE 4.14 to test it all out. I think I did a pretty good job, but I bet Kyrill would do it better.
I still MUCH prefer XFCE 4.12, however and in the process, I learned that all I need to do is install Zoirn 15, then install XFCE 4.12 directly. If you want dockbarx, can install that, too.

[JeffK969]

Still waiting for Ultimate Lite 15 myself...... Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock....

So to kill some time, installed Ultimate 15 (that I will dual boot with 15 Lite if it ever comes out) last night. In the process of going thru Zwarf's 15 manual
and doing some tweaks, adds like Core fonts, gnome tweak tool, dconf editor & codecs... Also went through and deleted almost all the games.
Will look for other stuff I'll never use to also delete. Why waste time and space with software updates if I don't use them...

So until then, just gonna be like Otis... I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay Watchin' the tide, roll away I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay Wastin' time

[Aravisian]

So until then, just gonna be like Otis... I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay Watchin' the tide, roll away I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay Wastin' time

Excellent Reference.

[Swarfendor437]

Or you could 'sample memory'!

https://www.jamendo.com/track/6579/sampling-memory

[JeffK969]

Holy cow, I think of Zwarf and he appears, it's like magic.... Questions for you.. In the new manual, I didn't see or missed core fonts, do we no longer need them.
Also in the manual, you give a suggestion on pg 105 under appearance. I tried those, Thanks. I created a .themes folder and put them in there, is that the correct thing
to do, because not all showed up? Lastly (for now), do you know of a way to change the windows borders. Thanks... Let me try this again... Kate Beckinsale... Darn it...

[Aravisian]

Holy cow, I think of Zwarf and he appears, it's like magic.... Questions for you.. In the new manual, I didn't see or missed core fonts, do we no longer need them.
Also in the manual, you give a suggestion on pg 105 under appearance. I tried those, Thanks. I created a .themes folder and put them in there, is that the correct thing
to do, because not all showed up? Lastly (for now), do you know of a way to change the windows borders. Thanks... Let me try this again... Kate Beckinsale... Darn it...

Well, I'm not Swarf or Kate Beckinsale... but...

Please remember that Gnome did this thing with gtk that caused many themes to break. Over the course of a few years, many themers gave up. So not all themes are compatible with the gtk version you are using.
There are a few reasons why a theme might not show up in the list of available themes.
1.) The theme is not extracted. You may download a theme that is compressed as a zip and extract it, but that does not decompress the .tar.gz file within. You must ensure all folders are extracted.
2.) Theme folders are not in the proper sequence; If using your home directory, the sequence should be ~ /.themes/"ThemeName"/gtk-3.0/*
Sometimes the themer has multiple folders involved so will compress it under a parent folder that contains the multiple elements. For example:
~ /.themes/Theme-Pack-All/Grouping/"Theme name"/gtk-3.0/*
In this case, you must move the "Theme name" folder to ~/.themes so it follows as above:
~ /.themes/"ThemeName"/gtk-3.0/*
These are the common reasons- if these suggestions do not work, please report back and we can examine what else may be the problem.

Window Borders cannot be changed any longer using Core or the Gnome Desktop Environment. Gnome has switched to Client Side Decoration or CSD (See above about breaking themes) for various reasons. CSD means that Gnome Desktop no longer manages the window borders and leaves it to the client, or the application, to manage that. Clutter/Metacity was combined into "mutter" as a language and is no longer an independent Window Manager for CSD.
Window Borders CAN be changed using other Desktop Environments that either use an independent window manager or metacity.
Examples:
XFCE4 desktop environment uses XFWM Window Manager and can change window borders. Zorin Lite uses XFCE4.
Cinnamon desktop environment uses Metacity and can change Window borders just as you see them in gtk 2 themes.
Mate desktop Enviroment uses Metacity, as well and can change Window borders just as you see them in gtk 2 themes.

On each of these, the window border theme is placed in the .themes folder. For example, ~ /.themes/"theme name"/Metactiy-1/* or for XFCE4: ~ /.themes/"theme name"/XFWM4/*

You can install any of the above desktop environments using synaptic or terminal easily. Once done and installed, log out and then select the gear icon below your name when you go to sign in to change the desktop environment to the one you want to use and sign in on it.
I find XFCE4 to offer the most customization.
If you would like details on how to instlal other D.E.'s, please say so and we can bang some out.

[JeffK969]

[So not all themes are compatible with the gtk version you are using.
There are a few reasons why a theme might not show up in the list of available themes.
1.) The theme is not extracted. You may download a theme that is compressed as a zip and extract it, but that does not decompress the .tar.gz file within. You must ensure all folders are extracted.
2.) Theme folders are not in the proper sequence; If using your home directory, the sequence should be ~ /.themes/"ThemeName"/gtk-3.0/*
Sometimes the themer has multiple folders involved so will compress it under a parent folder that contains the multiple elements. For example:
~ /.themes/Theme-Pack-All/Grouping/"Theme name"/gtk-3.0/*
In this case, you must move the "Theme name" folder to ~/.themes so it follows as above:
~ /.themes/"ThemeName"/gtk-3.0/*
These are the common reasons- if these suggestions do not work, please report back and we can examine what else may be the problem.

Thanks for all that info Aravisian... Which just leads to so more questions...lol When you say GTK, does that mean GTK2/3, or no, just GTK. Just looking for clarification...
Will try downloading those themes again and check the folders for proper sequence....
I don't want to download other desktop environments, just want to first figure what I have and how to adjust. While learning what I can about it...
Plus I already used Mint Cinn. Got it looking good, just slowed down on me after a few months...

OK, just went through the folders, seems the only one to show up were the 'Gnome Shell Themes'...

[Aravisian]

Thanks for all that info Aravisian... Which just leads to so more questions...lol When you say GTK, does that mean GTK2/3, or no, just GTK. Just looking for clarification...

Good point- I am a creature of bad habits when I type.
Whenever I say GTK, I am almost always referring to GTK 3. This is because GTK 3 is the dominant, troublesome, problematic GTK.
GTK 2 is like a Torvalds wet dream. Stable, dependable, reliable, and works well overall.
GTK 3 is like a Torvalds nightmare, scattered, unreliable, self conflicting, increased functionality that actually DECREASED its functionality...

You do not hear much about GTK 1. GTK 2 has several versions, but almost everyone these days is on its latest and final version.
GTK 3 has many versions, each different from the last. GTK 3.18 is what you will find on Zorin 12.4 and GTK 3.22 is what you will find on Zorin 15.

Will try downloading those themes again and check the folders for proper sequence....
I don't want to download other desktop environments, just want to first figure what I have and how to adjust. While learning what I can about it...
Plus I already used Mint Cinn. Got it looking good, just slowed down on me after a few months...

OK, just went through the folders, seems the only one to show up were the 'Gnome Shell Themes'...

Which themes are you trying to use?

[JeffK969]

I was hoping to use what ever was appealing to my eyes...lol Tried a few different 'Midnight's, also the one that BonusBrain suggested, Ambrosia (which worked, and I now use, Thanks BB).
They were Gnome Shell Themes (GST), GTK2 & GTK3. Only the GST worked. The others I removed. I didn't know which worked, which didn't. But now I know GST works... Next, icons...lol