Simple modded themes for LM21

[Mr Bill]

Here are some simple modifications to LM21 standard blue themes (Mint-X-Blue, Mint-Y-Blue). They both have colored titlebars and more useful buttons. I use the Mint-X-Orange and Mint-Y-Orange icons respectively and Mint-Y-Dark-Blue Desktop theme for both. After selecting and setting a Log-out/Log-in may be required.
Here is the link to download the zip file that contains the themes. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1esohWL ... sp=sharing Unzip and add themes to your hidden .themes folder. If you find these useful, let me know.

@Cosmo
I have not found a solution for the mixing of X icons and Y themes. Maybe a solution, maybe not.

Mr. Bill

[Mr Bill]

I fixed a small color bit in the Mint-Y-Blue-Modded theme that was discovered earlier today.
Thanks

Mr. Bill

[Mr Bill]

Have made yet another revision yesterday. Thanks to bluedxca93 I was able to do round bottom corners(RBC) on both Mint-X and Mint -Y themes. I also slightly increased the size of the Mint-Y buttons.
The themes are renamed using RBC or SBC to denote the difference. Link remains the same https://drive.google.com/file/d/1esohWL ... sp=sharing

Thanks all

Mr. Bill

[sebastjava]

Could you post a screenshot, please? I would like to know how it looks before attempting to install...

[Mr Bill]

Here are the Mint-X versions sebastjava.

[Mr Bill]

Here are the Mint-Y versions sebastjava.

[rcg1950]

Many thanks to you Mr. Bill for sending along the Blue Mod themes.

Like many mint users I was disappointed with the loss of customizing the window controls with just a simple theme replacement. Have been spending a lot of time tinkering around with CSS files to try to get a dark title bar. But CSS is complicated. I've done some minor tweaks in the past like changing the nemo side bar color or changing default type to black instead of that terrible low contrast gray (found out how to do that from a great site: (https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/ubu ... black.html
lots of good stuff at dedoimedo.com). But I'm not about to become a CSS coder.

Anyway your mods were a great help. I prefer a more black & gray theme so I just replaced your blue to light blue gradient to a charcoal gray to light gray. (#808080 and #D4D4D4 to be exact). Works very well for me. Thanks again.

rcg

[Mr Bill]

@rcg1950

I'm glad you found the themes useful. I only do these things to keep the old brain greased. When the Mint team said metacity was no longer supported it became necessary to find a solution.

Thanks
Mr. Bill

[tonywhelan]

Have made yet another revision yesterday. Thanks to bluedxca93 I was able to do round bottom corners(RBC) on both Mint-X and Mint -Y themes. I also slightly increased the size of the Mint-Y buttons.
The themes are renamed using RBC or SBC to denote the difference. Link remains the same https://drive.google.com/file/d/1esohWL ... sp=sharing

Thanks all

Mr. Bill

Hi Mr Bill, a moderator made me aware of your project just now and I have installed the modded themes on a test machine. Thank you for these, the modded Mint Y window buttons are much more agreeable than the standard size. When I get a chance I will spend some time trying to work out how you achieved that.

[fblais]

I'll try the Mint-Y themes, thanks for doing it!

[fblais]

I only tried the Mint-Y themes, but both the RBC and SBC have round corners at the top.
And yes, I did a Cinnamon reset each time (ALT-F2 R).
Otherwise, I really like the horizontal blue gradient on the title bar!
Thanks!

[tonywhelan]

I only tried the Mint-Y themes, but both the RBC and SBC have round corners at the top.
And yes, I did a Cinnamon reset each time (ALT-F2 R).
Otherwise, I really like the horizontal blue gradient on the title bar!
Thanks!

Standard Mint has rounded top corners, the modded theme gives the option of adding round bottom corners (RBC) instead of straight bottom corners.

[fblais]

Oups!
Thanks for the info, I was not looking at the right place!

[Mr Bill]

Hi all
I have uploaded new versions of the modded themes today. These only include the standard top corners and do not include the rounded bottom corners. There are some issues with the bottom rounded ones that I just have not been able to as yet solve. I replaced the titlebar icons to make them independent of the icon theme used.

Enjoy

Mr. Bill

[fblais]

Thanks.
Newest file in the archive (gtk.css in gtk-3.0) is dated sept. 17.
Is it okay?

[Mr Bill]

@fblais
Yes that's the latest version. I really haven't worked on these for several weeks. I hope you find these usable. If you compare the previous version to this version, you can see all the changes.

Mr. Bill

PS
I also have modded the desktop part of the theme (cinnamon.css) and use the same named theme for both application and desktop.

Thanks

Mr. Bill

[evolution]

Hello Mr. Bill.

I'm also on Linux Mint 21, and I've been trying to modify the Mint-Y-Dark theme, since the only issue I have with that theme is the small and hard-to-click window button.

Could you perhaps break down the CSS changes you made in order to make the window buttons (minimize, maximize close) larger?

I copied the theme folder from /usr/share/themes to ~/.themes, and I've been banging my head against these theme files to try and figure it out, but there are so many folders, files, and assets.

For example, in the cinnamon folder > cinnamon.css file, I found:

Code: Select all

.window-close {
  background-image: url("common-assets/misc/close.svg");
  background-size: 26px;
  height: 26px;
  width: 26px;
  -cinnamon-close-overlap: 12px; }
  .workspace-close-button:hover,
  .window-close:hover {
    background-image: url("common-assets/misc/close-hover.svg");
    background-size: 26px;
    height: 26px;
    width: 26px; }
  .workspace-close-button:active,
  .window-close:active {
    background-image: url("common-assets/misc/close-active.svg");
    background-size: 26px;
    height: 26px;
    width: 26px; }

This stretch of CSS looks like it would be related to window button sizes... but I've tried increasing the background-size, height, and width parameters to 40px, and it has no effect on my window button sizes.

Any advice, or documentation you could point me to?

Thank you!

[tonywhelan]

For a relatively simple css file that allows changing size of the min/max/close buttons and also allows the active window titlebar to be coloured, see this post by amc6010 and subsequent responses:

viewtopic.php?p=2240015#p2240015

[Mr Bill]

Hi evolution

You wrote.

For example, in the cinnamon folder > cinnamon.css file, I found:

That file is for Cinnamon desktop (panel, menu etc.). That section is for the grouped window thumbnail preview window.

The file you need to edit is gtk-3.0/gtk.css or gtk-dark.css. Starting at line 2880 or so to about 2950 or so. This section mostly controls what you want to do. I haven't done any dark themes so you are on your own. It's fun to play with this stuff, so have some. If all you want to do is button size then the first three sections will be what you need to modify.

Mr. Bill

[evolution]

For a relatively simple css file that allows changing size of the min/max/close buttons and also allows the active window titlebar to be coloured, see this post by amc6010 and subsequent responses:

viewtopic.php?p=2240015#p2240015

Thank you very much tonywhelan, and Mr Bill for the information!

I've tried adding the linked gtk.css file to my gtk.css in the gtk-3.0 folder, and this does bring some improvements!

I've added the gtk.css file to ~/.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css as instructed in the github!

However, I was more specifically looking for a way to do the following:

• Increase the clickable area of the min/max/close buttons

• Eliminate the dead space between the min/max/close buttons, so that your mouse transitions instantly from one to the other when crossing the boundary between them

• For a maximized window, throwing your mouse to the very top-right of the window allows you to click the close button, so that you can quickly close windows without aiming your mouse at the close button

• Having the option to make the clickable are of the buttons rectangular/ovular instead of square/circular

Basically, the sort of form-factor present in the Windows 10 min/max/close button



I'll continue playing around with my gtk.css file, but if either of you know how I could modify the clickable area of the buttons, that would be much appreciated!

==========================

UPDATE: I was able to get my big Firefox close buttons back by going to:
- Hamburger menu
- Add-ons and Themes
- Themes
- Selecting "Dark Theme" instead of "System theme - auto"



On another note: it seems like Firefox for Mint 20.3 has its own window decorations independent of the ones you select in Mint's Themes.



I realize I'll lose these in the transition to Mint 21, but I've really learned to love them because they're so huge! This is because I hide the title bar in my Firefox, so the combined tab row and header bar is rather tall

It would actually be amazing if I could have separate, huge min/max/close buttons for Firefox that were different than those min/max/close buttons used in other applications in Mint.