New themes for MDM in Mint 13

[Oyabunbaba]

Where i can find new theme for login menu MDM in new mint Maya? By default there are only 2.

[esteban1uy]

You can easily adapt any GDM theme from deviantart or gnome-look:
http://browse.deviantart.com/customization/skins/linuxutil/?qh=&section=&q=gdm
http://gnome-look.org/index.php?xcontentmode=150

Once you've downloaded a theme pack, decompress it, edit the file named GdmGreeterTheme.desktop and replace the line [GdmGreeterTheme] with [MdmGreeterTheme], then rename that file to MdmGreeterTheme.desktop and compress the whole folder to a tar.gz file. Then you can open MDM setup and install the adapted theme.

For example, this is my Maya Cinnamon login:

[Oyabunbaba]

Thank you esteban1uy i try use GDM theme but I do as you say and still the "file not tar.gz or tar file" any suggestions?

[cwwgateway]

Thank you esteban1uy i try use GDM theme but I do as you say and still the "file not tar.gz or tar file" any suggestions?

Does this happen when you try to add it to MDM? For some reason, the MdmGreeterTheme.desktop file added a second .desktop to the end (so it looked like "MdmGreeterTheme.desktop.desktop"). I had to rename it and remove the second .desktop before it would work.

[Oyabunbaba]

Yes this happen when am drag&drop the tar.gz to the window of theme selection in MDM, and the window with message "file not tar.gz or tar file" will pop up. first asking if i want install theme and then this window.
I also noticed it is ading another .desktop but i remove it.

[esteban1uy]

I made a little script for Nautilus to convert some GDM themes to MDM.
Copy the following code, open gedit and paste it, save it to /home/YOUR_PERSONAL_FOLDER/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/ with the name Convert GDM theme to MDM.
Then open nautilus, navigate to that folder, right-click the script file, select "Properties" and under "Permissions" tick "Allow executing file as program".
Now you can download any GDM theme pack, right-click and select "Convert..." from the scripts sub-menu.

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/env python

# Convert GDM theme to MDM by esteban1uy
import pygtk
import tarfile
import os
import sys
import tempfile
import gtk

pygtk.require('2.0')

if gtk.pygtk_version < (2,3,90):
   raise SystemExit
def look_in_directory(directory):
    for f in os.listdir(directory):
        if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(directory, f)):
            if f == "GdmGreeterTheme.desktop":
                return os.path.join(directory, f)
        if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(directory, f)):
            if look_in_directory(os.path.join(directory, f)) != "":
                return os.path.join(directory, f)

dialog = gtk.FileChooserDialog("Select theme file",
                               None,
                               gtk.FILE_CHOOSER_ACTION_OPEN,
                               (gtk.STOCK_CANCEL, gtk.RESPONSE_CANCEL,
                                gtk.STOCK_OPEN, gtk.RESPONSE_OK))
dialog.set_default_response(gtk.RESPONSE_OK)

filter = gtk.FileFilter()
filter.set_name("All files")
filter.add_pattern("*.tar.gz")
dialog.add_filter(filter)

response = dialog.run()
if response == gtk.RESPONSE_OK:
    fullpathToTar = dialog.get_filename()
    fullpath = os.path.dirname(fullpathToTar)
    tar = tarfile.open(fullpathToTar, "r:gz")
    destinationPath = tempfile.mkdtemp() + "/"
    tar.extractall(destinationPath)
    GdmFile = look_in_directory(destinationPath)
    if GdmFile != "":
        o = open(GdmFile+"/MdmGreeterTheme.desktop","a")
        for line in open(GdmFile+"/GdmGreeterTheme.desktop"):
             line = line.replace("GdmGreeterTheme","MdmGreeterTheme")
             o.write(line)
        o.close()
        innerfolder = os.path.split(os.path.dirname(GdmFile+"/"))[1]
        newtar = tarfile.open(fullpath + "/"+innerfolder+"_for_MDM.tar.gz", "w:gz")
        newtar.add(GdmFile+"/",innerfolder+"/")         
        newtar.close()
elif response == gtk.RESPONSE_CANCEL:
    exit()
dialog.destroy()

Edit: If you're using MATE desktop, save the script to /home/YOUR_PERSONAL_FOLDER/.config/caja/scripts/ (thanks therobertsonz).

[diva4]

Hi esteban1uy,

can you post the link to your GDM theme shown in your 1st post?
Or have you created it yourselve?

Best regards
Diva4

[esteban1uy]

Hi esteban1uy,

can you post the link to your GDM theme shown in your 1st post?
Or have you created it yourselve?

Best regards
Diva4

Hi Diva4!

Here it is: http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php/Doe+GDM?content=52791

You can convert it to MDM using the script I recently posted.

Cheers!

[diva4]

Thank you esteban1uy,

it's working fine.

Best regards Diva4

[cwwgateway]

I made a little script for Nautilus to convert some GDM themes to MDM.

Thank's for the script .

[therobertsonz]

Just a little help for any future newbs such as myself if you are using Mint 13 with Mate. esteban1uy's script worked great for me, but I had to figure out a few things. Instead of the suggested nautilus-scripts folder it needs to go into username/.config/caja/scripts . Nautilus is Caja in Mate and you have a different script location. If you get into your folder under home and don't see .config, then press CTRL+h to toggle between hidden and unhidden folders. These are hidden for a reason, so make sure you are careful mucking around in the hidden folders. I converted the Leaf GDM theme to MDM and it looks very nice. Good luck and thanks esteban1uy. Great script and definitely outside my skill level. Much appreciated.

[esteban1uy]

Thank you therobertsonz!
I completely forgot that for MATE edition the script must be saved to ~/.config/caja/scripts

[therobertsonz]

You got us Mate users 95 percent of the way there, and as long as you have that hypnotoad avatar, everything you do is unquestionably perfect.

[CrashedHash]

I made a little script for Nautilus to convert some GDM themes to MDM.
Copy the following code, open gedit and paste it, save it to /home/YOUR_PERSONAL_FOLDER/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/ with the name Convert GDM theme to MDM.
Then open nautilus, navigate to that folder, right-click the script file, select "Properties" and under "Permissions" tick "Allow executing file as program".
Now you can download any GDM theme pack, right-click and select "Convert..." from the scripts sub-menu.

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/env python

# Convert GDM theme to MDM by esteban1uy
import pygtk
import tarfile
import os
import sys
import tempfile
import gtk

pygtk.require('2.0')

if gtk.pygtk_version < (2,3,90):
   raise SystemExit
def look_in_directory(directory):
    for f in os.listdir(directory):
        if os.path.isfile(os.path.join(directory, f)):
            if f == "GdmGreeterTheme.desktop":
                return os.path.join(directory, f)
        if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(directory, f)):
            if look_in_directory(os.path.join(directory, f)) != "":
                return os.path.join(directory, f)

dialog = gtk.FileChooserDialog("Select theme file",
                               None,
                               gtk.FILE_CHOOSER_ACTION_OPEN,
                               (gtk.STOCK_CANCEL, gtk.RESPONSE_CANCEL,
                                gtk.STOCK_OPEN, gtk.RESPONSE_OK))
dialog.set_default_response(gtk.RESPONSE_OK)

filter = gtk.FileFilter()
filter.set_name("All files")
filter.add_pattern("*.tar.gz")
dialog.add_filter(filter)

response = dialog.run()
if response == gtk.RESPONSE_OK:
    fullpathToTar = dialog.get_filename()
    fullpath = os.path.dirname(fullpathToTar)
    tar = tarfile.open(fullpathToTar, "r:gz")
    destinationPath = tempfile.mkdtemp() + "/"
    tar.extractall(destinationPath)
    GdmFile = look_in_directory(destinationPath)
    if GdmFile != "":
        o = open(GdmFile+"/MdmGreeterTheme.desktop","a")
        for line in open(GdmFile+"/GdmGreeterTheme.desktop"):
             line = line.replace("GdmGreeterTheme","MdmGreeterTheme")
             o.write(line)
        o.close()
        innerfolder = os.path.split(os.path.dirname(GdmFile+"/"))[1]
        newtar = tarfile.open(fullpath + "/"+innerfolder+"_for_MDM.tar.gz", "w:gz")
        newtar.add(GdmFile+"/",innerfolder+"/")         
        newtar.close()
elif response == gtk.RESPONSE_CANCEL:
    exit()
dialog.destroy()

Edit: If you're using MATE desktop, save the script to /home/YOUR_PERSONAL_FOLDER/.config/caja/scripts/ (thanks therobertsonz).

Thanks alot Works like a charm!

[Inoki]

Is there a way to make this work on XFCE? I'm using Linux Mint Debian.

[cwwgateway]

Is there a way to make this work on XFCE? I'm using Linux Mint Debian.

The idea would work, but the script would have to be adapted to thunar or you'd have to install nautilus.

[esteban1uy]

Is there a way to make this work on XFCE? I'm using Linux Mint Debian.

The idea would work, but the script would have to be adapted to thunar or you'd have to install nautilus.

Well... not really.
The script is independent from Nautilus, it doesn't rely on Nautilus to pass some parameters. The use as a Nautilus script is just because it's a great placeholder, you don't have to manually create a menu entry or something like that to easily use it, just right click and go (try it, right click wherever you want and the script will equally run).
But if you don't have Nautilus you can still start the script from a terminal and it will work the same way.
For example, save the script with the name .GDM2MDM.py inside your personal folder, then open a terminal and execute this command:

Code: Select all

python .GDM2MDM.py

That's all.

Of course, you can add that command to Thunar's custom actions: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=110&t=66076

[cwwgateway]

Is there a way to make this work on XFCE? I'm using Linux Mint Debian.

The idea would work, but the script would have to be adapted to thunar or you'd have to install nautilus.

Well... not really.
The script is independent from Nautilus, it doesn't rely on Nautilus to pass some parameters. The use as a Nautilus script is just because it's a great placeholder, you don't have to manually create a menu entry or something like that to easily use it, just right click and go (try it, right click wherever you want and the script will equally run).
But if you don't have Nautilus you can still start the script from a terminal and it will work the same way.
For example, save the script with the name .GDM2MDM.py inside your personal folder, then open a terminal and execute this command:

Code: Select all

python .GDM2MDM.py

That's all.

Of course, you can add that command to Thunar's custom actions: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=110&t=66076

Sorry, thanks for explaining.

[oddball]

Thank you esteban1uy i try use GDM theme but I do as you say and still the "file not tar.gz or tar file" any suggestions?

Does this happen when you try to add it to MDM? For some reason, the MdmGreeterTheme.desktop file added a second .desktop to the end (so it looked like "MdmGreeterTheme.desktop.desktop"). I had to rename it and remove the second .desktop before it would work.

I have the same problem. Pressing "add" in the login window preferences gives me that. I also tried to manually cp the file in usr/share/mdm/themes but nothing happens. At least I don't get the second .desktop in the end

[Oyabunbaba]

oddball, don't ask me why, just remove .desktop at all, right click /rename and remove it totally, now should work