[Solved] Can't Change Themes

outlaw · 2010-01-12 15:06:06

I've recently installed (built from source) Xfce 4.6.1 on Debian (Lenny) system. For the most part everything works just fine execpt for themes which I can not seem to change from the xfce settings (appearance) utility. I isolated this environment from the rest of the system by using confiure --prefix=/usr/local.

The configure and make (+install) processes display no error messages ... i.e. dependency problems.
The .gtkrc-2.0 file is not causing the problem. (moved to a tmp dir).

Yes I tried moving the ~/.config file to rule out a corrupted file.

Is there a error / log file that might provide information on this error?

Could I force the theme by editing the relevent configuration file?

Perhaps I need to make a symbolic link ...

Thanks in advance for advice or suggestions.

s0ulslack · 2010-01-12 20:42:22

hrm, that sounds odd. how are you starting Xfce? sounds like one of the settings daemons isn't running for some reason.

outlaw · 2010-01-13 03:16:45

Xfce is being started by the kde4 login manger.
Building xfce-utils created the file /usr/share/xsessions/xfce.desktop.
I'm assuming that this file controls how the xfce environment starts up.

The interesting thing about the appearance setting utility is that I'm able to change
icons in the icon tab but not the style. (not even between the generic xfce themes.)

I'm wondering if I should build the relevant packages with debugging support enable.
What would the configure command look like?
configure --prefix=/usr/local ???

And where would I look for the debug / error log?

Thanks for helping a beginner who is building packages in order to learn more about xfce and linux in general.

s0ulslack · 2010-01-13 19:48:33

ahhh, so Style is the only one that doesn't seem to have any effect? Make sure you have xfce-gtk-engines and other relevant gtk engines for other themes.

outlaw · 2010-01-13 23:22:56

The generic gnome (gtk) themes were installed using synaptic.
The Xfce engine and themes were built from source using --prefix=/usr/local

the env commad shows:
GTK_PATH=:/usr/local/lib/gtk-2.0

Which strickly speaking is not true, since the required gtk libs for building Xfce were installed using synaptic.
The "real" GTK_PATH should be /usr/lib/gtk-2.0

(Yes / No)?

So that got me to thinking .... (always dangerous:)
If copied the /usr/local xfce libs (libxfce.la libxfce.so) to the corresponding /usr/lib directory.

Then linked

ln -s /usr/lib/gtk-2.0 gtk-2.0

Nice theory but no joy ... any other suggestions folks.

outlaw · 2010-01-19 01:53:12

as per your suggestion s0ulslack (IRC) I ran xfce4-appearance-settings from terminal ..
Each time I click on a theme the following error message is generated:

Gtk-Message: (for origin information, set GTK_DEBUG): failed to retrieve property `gtk-alternative-button-order' of type `gboolean' from rc file value "((GString*) 0x91378c0)" of type `gboolean'

outlaw · 2010-01-19 04:45:54

Tried aappending: gtk-alternative-button-order=1 to my .gtkrc-2.0.

Didn't help.

Thought I could force a theme change using the .gtkrc-2.0

include "/usr/local/share/themes/Xfce-light/gtk-2.0"
gtk-theme-name="Xfce-light"

if at first you don't succeed try, try again.

But what to try next smile

mmassonnet · 2010-01-19 08:47:06

the xfce gtk engine has to be installed in the same prefix as gtk+2 (the themes can be installed in one of the following places: /usr/[local/]share/themes ~/.themes)

this is the only kind of package that has to be installed "separately", although it is possible to export the env-var GTK_PATH (=/usr/local/:$GTK_PATH)

http://library.gnome.org/devel/gtk/unst … l#id444617

outlaw · 2010-01-20 03:22:01

Thank you for your input Mike and your assistance on IRC s0ulslack.

I thought this post might have contained the needed solution to this problem.

http://foo-projects.org/pipermail/xfce/ … 24887.html

I'm almost ready to throw in the towel but not quite ...

outlaw · 2010-01-20 03:59:51

Well I've made some progress ... I can now "force" theme changes by modifying ~/.gtk-2.0rc

However the xfce4-appearance-settings still does not work.

chinamimi · 2010-10-14 07:06:43

This seems quite difficult to get, you go online to see if there's a suitable programme.

gheadshot · 2010-11-01 07:44:17

i also got a same problem before.

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#1 2010-01-12 15:06:06

[Solved] Can't Change Themes

#2 2010-01-12 20:42:22

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#3 2010-01-13 03:16:45

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#4 2010-01-13 19:48:33

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#5 2010-01-13 23:22:56

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#6 2010-01-19 01:53:12

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#7 2010-01-19 04:45:54

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#8 2010-01-19 08:47:06

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#9 2010-01-20 03:22:01

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#10 2010-01-20 03:59:51

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#11 2010-10-14 07:06:43

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

#12 2010-11-01 07:44:17

Re: [Solved] Can't Change Themes

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