How can we make Ptheme work in every pup?

[JASpup]

This is Tahr ptheme-0.4.1.pet installed from the old forum.

Notice the JWM entries are missing. Wallpaper works. GTK and Icon theme will open the dialog or offer dropdown choice, but will not take affect when applied globally. Window buttons and the other choices do not work at all.

Or otherwise, do we have a JWM theme changer to use in any pup? I do not see it installable in the repositories.

Inspired by the @geo_c project, I have to use something lighter.

[amethyst]

The builtin JWMDesk Manager not sufficient for you?

[bigpup]

The problem with these setup programs.

The one that comes installed in the Puppy version, is setup for that version, and the location of stuff, is correct, for the setup program to use.
Also any support programs, it needs to use, it can use correctly.

Most newer Puppy versions use the JWMDesk Manager and have locations and correct support programs for it.

Slacko versions seem to want to use Ptheme and have stuff located for where it will see and use it.
Plus what it expects for support programs.

[JASpup]

It looks like in JWMDesk we can save profiles, jwmrc-personal & -tray2.

I have never needed to manually change -personal settings. I change -tray & -theme files regularly.

For those who do not use it: Ptheme is a comprehensive desktop configuration changer.

It reads like bigpup is stating each distro is specialized, so each Ptheme .pet would be custom for that distro (even though they do not seem to exist).

I suppose this is part of the bane of multiple distro sources (Slackware, Ubuntu, Debian, etc.).

I see Ptheme in Slackware and of course Bionic 32.

The other alternative to all this is knowing how to change settings by script.

E.g., How do we change GTK & the JWM theme cli? pinboard background color?

[HerrBert]

To change GTK theme you can try switch2 from cli.
I don't think there is something similar for JWM...
[EDIT]
Pinboard background color is a ROX setting.

[mikeslr]

Experimental:

ptheme.pet

(275.91 KiB) Downloaded 45 times

It is likely that since its inclusion in tahrpup ptheme has had improvements which are evidenced in newer Puppys.

I suspected that --like radky's desktop configuration applications-- ptheme consists primarily of (no-arch) bash scripts with accompanying icons. So I booted into VoidPup64 where ptheme is a 'builtin'. Confirmed that suspicion to be the case. Then I SFS-Loaded gnewpet, from here http://smokey01.com/RSH/LazY-Puppy-201/ ... ngle-apps/ --thanks, taersh, for preserving jpep's tool-- and ran it 'capturing' VoidPup64's version.

I've noted that it is experimental. Take the usual precautions you would take before installing any 'alien' package into a Puppy. The 'bash-dialect' used in tahrpup may have some subtle differences from that under Voidpup. I did NOT read the bash-scripts contained and try to follow their logic. I have no reason to. Personally, I prefer the system radky created, but If ptheme is builtin I'll use it.

Before installing, you should check to see if the script files for ptheme are in /usr/sbin. If so, those of the attached pet will 'over-write'* them in RAM >later SaveFile/Folder. If not, it is likely that this ptheme will still have priority. But only testing can determine whether theory mirrors reality.

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* The apparent effect I believe of inode modification/replacement.

[mikewalsh]

Not only do I concur with all the above, I just wanted to add my two-penn'orth to "the mix".....and that is this:-

Never forget that successive newer generations of Puppy will use successively newer builds of JWM. Joe Wingbermuehle is constantly modifying/ adding new stuff to JWM as time goes by. I remember there was a short spell around the middle of the 5-series when certain tray 'notification area' items either didn't show up correctly, or worse, refused to show at all. It was fixed in later builds, but the only real solution at the time for, say, Slacko 5.7.0 - which I remember was definitely affected by this - was to swap JWM for the slightly older version in Slacko 5.6.0.

All went as sweet as a nut after that.

And also remember, many of the components used in the 'user GUI' of Puppies have been modified/changed/altered/upgraded/added-to over time. Older versions of these in many cases lack 'features' found in later builds.....because they simply weren't present in the older builds.

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Most things improve with maturity.....just like a fine wine. You cannot expect the same degree of user 'bling' in older Pups that is found in newer ones; well, actually, you probably can, but don't expect it to look exactly the same. I know you're a great one for everything having a uniform 'look' & ease-of-use, regardless of what it is & where it's being used......thereby creating a 'friendly', 'easy-to-understand', consistent user experience.

Puppy is 'evolving' around you as you use it.....but not every bit is necessarily evolving at the same pace. Many of us get so used to trying different Pups on a regular basis that we're rarely even aware of it.

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@mikeslr :-

I came to the conclusion - a LONG while ago - that the reason so much stuff works "cross-kennels" is for two reasons:-

• One; that it's all Bash scripting, in many cases making use of & 'tying-together' standard Puppy 'built-ins'.....and

• Two; because so many of these are built to be self-contained, 'standalone' applications/utilities.

Examples:-

• The MultipleSoundCardWizard

• The LogOutGUI

• "xgamma-gui" - the Monitor Gamma Calibration utility

• The DefaultApplicationsChooser

• The Puppy EventManager

• Retrovol will, in many cases, transplant & function correctly from one Pup to another

Etc., etc.....

This is probably made that much simpler due to the fact that, in most cases, there's a 'minimum' subset of basic dependencies which seem to come, OOTB, with even the most minimalist of distros. Primarily those related to how 'X' functions, and displays stuff.......with the predictable exception of those very modern distros (we all know the 'usual suspects) who - without fail - always 'chase the tail' of the newest fad the instant it appears.

(I'm talking here about Wayland, of course; "brought to you by the same people who brought you PulseAudio & the highly-derided systemd....")

Mike.

[JASpup]

To change GTK theme you can try switch2 from cli.
I don't think there is something similar for JWM...
[EDIT]
Pinboard background color is a ROX setting.

switch2 is not in Tahr, but I will keep an eye out for it.

Bummer about JWM, too bad.

I have not tried it, but Ptheme switches globally cli, of course icon_switcher too.

The goal is script automation.

[HerrBert]

Sorry, but as our mike's and bigpup stated before, configuration files may be in different places, so any version of ptheme, pdesktop, JWMdesk, jwmconfig will not be compatible to all Puppie's.
Most promising seems to be JWMdesk (though i don't like it on Slacko for reasons - it doesn't work very well here...)

[amethyst]

Sorry, but as our mike's and bigpup stated before, configuration files may be in different places, so any version of ptheme, pdesktop, JWMdesk, jwmconfig will not be compatible to all Puppie's.
Most promising seems to be JWMdesk (though i don't like it on Slacko for reasons - it doesn't work very well here...)

JWMDesk is one of Tahr Pup's (which the user is using) builtin utilities and ALL of its many features works perfectly with that Puppy.

[geo_c]

I ripped this from the 32bit browser thread and placed it here because my comments seem more appropriate to this topic.

So it's back to the feature merry-go-round and distro compromises.

I should just get a new device and commit to 64-bit distros where this is not a problem. It's only 32-Bionic which has it's unique features worth booting.

As much as puppy is for older devices, 32 bit will have an endpoint at sometime in the not-so-distant future. I have a couple 32bit machines with Bionic, and they run well, but I won't be expecting to perform and look like some of the newer pups.

If you do get that 64bit machine, I think you might enjoy KLV-Airedale. It's all XFCE and gtk. Since I did my UniChrome Theme Switching Script experiments I've come to realize the power of symlinks in linux, and thus, I have just set up KLV-Airedale with all my high-contrast themes, ROX MIME-icons, and AppImage browsers with their color addons and such in a matter of 15 minutes by symlinking all of their config directories to a central location outside all of my pup/KLV install directories. The folder is called SysT-DPi7 and contains all of my application config files and profile folders on the home drive where Fossapup, Jackalpup, Bionic64, and KLV are located. This includes things like ROX and Xfe as well as LibreOffice, and Claws-mail, Midnight Commander, lynx, elinks, and wordgrinder. All of my pup installs share the same directory and therefore theme/option/bookmark changes made in one OS appear in all.

So in other words my icon sets and gtk themes can be big, BIG, BIGGER, while not affecting the size of the persistent save. I may make a "Portable Theme Pack" at some point, because with GTK as long as the gtk versions match the OS, they can all be shared.

At any rate KLV-Airedale-beta14 isn't ready for the store shelf yet, but it's mighty nice, and I believe right up your alley in terms of feel, consistency, and functionality. I'm playing with the beta so by the time the 'final product' hits the market, I'll have hopefully more answers than questions to post on the forum.

[JASpup]

Again, JWMDesk isn't a help when the goal is automation.

I am not looking for all the sub utilities but the global theme changer.

[JASpup]

@geo_c although my favorite pups include alt-DEs I aspire to not deviate too far from stock to not mire in my own esoteric contraption.

I was having this problem yesterday - in XFCE the gtk changer is called Appearance. Changing the setting wasn't changing the gtk.

I restarted X in JWM and changed gtk in its utility. That worked and was reflected in XFCE.

But this stuff... the only time I am tempted to use heavy customization is a DAW, which I am not doing at all right now (like CAD), but which is always in the back of my mind.

If you can get your customizations standalone that is a boon. I guess the goal then would be to make it generic if you want others to use it.

There's a side hobby of stripping Puppy minimal for various reasons, and I suppose that is a common idea for users. The average 200-400MB in a frugal boot is loaded to ram yet much of it does not need to be there as unused. I am just afraid of intricacies that I would probably prefer a nocopy boot at this point, which still leaves the problem of undesirable loading to ram under /root. Otherwise of course there is the full install with its security and integrity compromises. So we can dumb down to a standard like Redmond or understand the system design a little better and make our compromises.

I have been seeing Firefox caches recently as large as Pale Moon .sfs. Where should that be? SD? SSD?

So what I use, and should be using more (I really like this 32 keyboard) is Battleshooter Xenial and Fossa 64, but it's nice to read what others are doing out there and the possibilities.

[geo_c]

@geo_c although my favorite pups include alt-DEs I aspire to not deviate too far from stock to not mire in my own esoteric contraption.

I was having this problem yesterday - in XFCE the gtk changer is called Appearance. Changing the setting wasn't changing the gtk.

I restarted X in JWM and changed gtk in its utility. That worked and was reflected in XFCE.

If you can get your customizations standalone that is a boon. I guess the goal then would be to make it generic if you want others to use it.

I don't have a ton of experience with Xfce, but it appears to me that it renders my high resolution icons a lot better than jwm/rox. In KLV-Airedale, the appearance menu seems to offer added GTK-themes, while the window manager menu operates the window title bars etc. So much like jwm/gtk in a standard pup. I'm not sure if that's the normal Xfce arrangement or the KLV variant.

Fossapup is a powerful puppy. Since I use @puddlemoon's jackal remaster also, I don't think I'll be ditching it any time in the next few years. I may use it forever. KLV-Airedale is a fast, nice looking OS, and I'll probably be adopting it as my office work distro.

The standalone gtk themes seem to work, the only hurdle I can see would be the speed of the storage medium. Currently I'm running it on a SSD hard drive which is really fast. So I don't notice any significant lags.

KLV has Thunar as the default file manager, and what's funny is in the big scheme of things I still find the Xfe/Rox combination to be my default mode of operation. Xfe can be used a lot like midnight commander, as it is very keystroke friendly and can be set to open in a consistently sized two-pane layout. I also enjoy it's built-in theming.

There is some discussion in the KLV thread about offering JWM and other desktop options. The big advantage I see coming in KLV is the fact that is updateable, as it's not so much a pup as it is a weedogged Void-Linux

[geo_c]

@JASpup,

A note about linking themes. I have successfully linked all my added gtk themes and Unichrome icons in KLV outside the persistent save folder, that works well, however when I try to do the same thing in Fossapup, I lose the Unichrome icons on the desktop. Not sure why that is the case, the icons are stored in a different directory in the two systems, and I linked the actual directories, but in the long run it may be a stumbling block to the 'portable theme' concept. I'll keep experimenting.