Customizing Ubuntu Appearance

One of the things I’ve been doing lately is twiddling with desktop appearance. I’ve just about settled on the basic desktop configuration I’ll be using (TwinView + 1 Seperate X Screen), and so I’m doing some basic appearance twiddling.

Here are some things I’ve been trying out lately!

Blubuntu

Based on what I’ve read, the brown-based color scheme on Ubuntu bothers a lot of people. And, although I think it’s fine, I did want to try Blubuntu – a blue-based theme that is supposed to be a very comprehensive replacement theme.

This can be installed from the repositories:

$sudo apt-get install blubuntu-look

If you do install Blubuntu, read this bug report and make the simple edit to /usr/share/themes/Blubuntu/gtk-2.0/gtkrc.

Gnome Panel Color

Another thing I like is to make my Gnome panels transparent. However, although you can select the background color, you can not easily change the foreground color. So, since the default font color is black – the transparent panel doesn’t work to well with dark colors.

Gnome Color Chooser gives a simple GUI way to editing Gnome colors (and some other stuff). It is in the repositories as well:

$sudo apt-get install gnome-color-chooser

Take a look and see how simple it is:

Ultimate Gnome Icon Theme

The icons that come with Blubuntu are pretty nice, but you might like to check out the Ultimate Gnome Icon theme. I ran across a nice blog entry that shows them and gives simple install instructions.

I think they work well with Blubuntu, as well as a few other themes I had on my machine.

Conky

Conky is a system monitor that is very customizable. Lots of people like to really dig deep and come up with some really neat personalized configurations.

Here is what my current conky setup looks like:

I keep this on my right most monitor. It is based on a configuration file I found somewhere on the internet, but I lost the link to the original file. It’s very much a work in progress as I explore what conky can do, and how much it costs me in resources.

Here is my ~/.conkyrc:

#    .conkyrc configuration
#    original by Tristam Green, 11-21-2007
#    Revision 1.123 11-23-2007
#       MeduZa 05/05/2008

# maintain spacing between certain elements
use_spacer right

# set to yes if you want tormo to be forked in the background
#background yes

use_xft yes

# Xft font when Xft is enabled
xftfont Sans-Serif:size=9:pixelsize=11

# Text alpha when using Xft
xftalpha 1
#mail_spool $MAIL

# Update interval in seconds
update_interval 2.0

# Create own window instead of using desktop (required in nautilus) normal desktop or override
own_window yes
own_window_type override
own_window_transparent yes
own_window_hints undecorated,below,sticky,skip_taskbar,skip_pager

#own_window_hints below

# Use double buffering (reduces flicker, may not work for everyone)
double_buffer yes

# Minimum size of text area
minimum_size 200 5
maximum_width 250

# Draw shades?
draw_shades no

# Draw outlines?
draw_outline no # amplifies text

# Draw borders around text
draw_borders no

# Stippled borders?
stippled_borders 3

# border margins
border_margin 5

# border widt5
border_width 6

# Text alignment, other possible values are commented
#alignment top_left
alignment top_right
#alignment bottom_left
#alignment bottom_right

# Gap between borders of screen and text
gap_x 24
gap_y 24

# Subtract file system buffers from used memory?
no_buffers yes

# set to yes if you want all text to be in uppercase
uppercase no

#    *** RHYTHMBOX FORMAT SETTINGS ***

#    ${rhythmbox-client --print-playing}
#              Print the title and artist of the playing song

#    ${rhythmbox-client --print-playing-format}
#              Print formatted details of the song

#    *** PARAMETERS ***

#       %at    Album title
#       %aT    Album title in lowercase
#       %aa    Album artist
#       %aA    Album artist in lowercase
#       %ay    Release year of album
#       %an    Album disc number
#       %aN    Album disc number with leading zero
#       %ag    Album genre
#       %aG    Album genre in lowercase
#       %tt    Track title
#       %tT    Track title in lowercase
#       %ta    Track artist
#       %tA    Track artist in lowercase
#       %tn    Track number
#       %tN    Track number with leading zero
#       %td    Track duration
#       %te    Elapsed time of track

#       Variables can be combined using quotes. For example "%tn %aa %tt", will
#       print the track number followed by the artist  and  the  title  of  the
#       track.

# Colors
# Default colors and also border colors, grey90 == #e5e5e5
default_color             LightGrey
default_shade_color     black
default_outline_color     DarkGrey

# Section Title
color0 SkyBlue1

# List Colors
color1 E60066   
color2 FF6600
color3 FFE500
color4 99ff80

# Label Color
color5 SeaGreen1

TEXT
${font OpenLogos:regular:size=24}${color #ffa500}u ${voffset -8}${font Anklepants:regular:size=11}${color0}OS${font}${color}
${voffset -10}${color #ffd700}${hr 1}${font}${color}
    ${color5}${execi 99999 uname -o} ${color}${execi 99999 lsb_release -d -s -c | tr -s "\n" " "}
    $kernel $machine ${execi 99999  uname -v | cut -c -15}
    ${execi 9999 whoami} on $nodename ${alignr}${color5}Uptime: ${color}$uptime_short

${font Illustrate IT:regular:size=24}${color white}F${font Anklepants:regular:size=11}${color0}CPU
${voffset -10}${color #ffd700}${hr 1}$font$color
    ${color5}${execi 99999 cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep "model name" -m1 | cut -d":" -f2 | tr -s [:space:] | tr -d [\(TMR\)]}${font}${color}
    ${freq_g 1}GHz       ${execi 20 sensors |grep "Core 0" | cut -d" " -f8 | tr -d [+]}   ${freq_g 2}GHz     ${execi 20 sensors |grep "Core 1" | cut -d" " -f8 | tr -d [+]}
    ${voffset -6}${color5}${cpugraph cpu1 25,115 000000 ff4500 }  ${cpugraph cpu2 25,115 000000 436eee}
    ${color #ffffff}${voffset -25}            ${cpu cpu1}%$alignr${cpu cpu2}%         ${color}

    ${freq_g 3}GHz       ${execi 20 sensors |grep "Core 2" | cut -d" " -f8 | tr -d [+]}   ${freq_g 4}GHz     ${execi 20 sensors |grep "Core 3" | cut -d" " -f8 | tr -d [+]}
    ${voffset -6}${color5}${cpugraph cpu3 25,115 000000 ff4500 }  ${cpugraph cpu4 25,115 000000 436eee}
    ${color #ffffff}${voffset -25}            ${cpu cpu3}%$alignr${cpu cpu4}%         ${color}

    ${color5}Load: ${color}$loadavg ${color5}Processes: ${color}$running_processes($processes)
    ${color5}${stippled_hr 1}
    ${color1}${top name 1}$alignr${top pid 1}${top cpu 1}   ${top mem 1}
    ${color2}${top name 2}$alignr${top pid 2}${top cpu 2}   ${top mem 2}
    ${color3}${top name 3}$alignr${top pid 3}${top cpu 3}   ${top mem 3}
    ${color4}${top name 4}$alignr${top pid 4}${top cpu 4}   ${top mem 4}

${font Illustrate IT:regular:size=20}${color green2}Y${font Anklepants:regular:size=11}${color0}VIDEO${font}${color}
${voffset -10}${color #ffd700}${hr 1}$font$color
    ${color5}${execi 99999 nvidia-settings -q gpus | grep "\[gpu:0\]" | cut -d "(" -f2 | tr -d "\)"} ${color}${execi 20 nvidia-settings -q [gpu:0]/GPUCurrentClockFreqs | grep "Attribute" | cut -d " " -f6 | tr -s "," "(" | tr -s "." ")"} ${execi 20 nvidia-settings -q [gpu:0]/GPUCoreTemp | grep "Attribute" | cut -d " " -f6 | tr -d "."}ᵒC
    ${color5}${execi 99999 nvidia-settings -q gpus | grep "\[gpu:1\]" | cut -d "(" -f2 | tr -d "\)"} ${color}${execi 20 nvidia-settings -q [gpu:1]/GPUCurrentClockFreqs | grep "Attribute" | cut -d " " -f6 | tr -s "," "(" | tr -s "." ")"} ${execi 20 nvidia-settings -q [gpu:1]/GPUCoreTemp | grep "Attribute" | cut -d " " -f6 | tr -d "."}ᵒC

${voffset 4}${font Mac Dingbats:regular:size=14}${color #f5f5dc}V ${voffset -4}${font Anklepants:regular:size=11}${color0}RAM and DISK${font}${color}
${voffset -10}${color #ffd700}${hr 1}$font$color
    ${color5}RAM:${color} $mem($memmax)${color5}$alignr${membar 9,80}
    ${color #ffff00}${voffset -14}$alignr$memperc%      ${voffset 2}
    ${color5}SWAP:${color} $swap($swapmax)${color5}$alignr${swapbar 9,80}
    ${color #ffff00}${voffset -14}$alignr$swapperc%      ${voffset 2}
    ${color5}/: ${color}${fs_used /}(${fs_size /})$alignr${color5}${fs_type /} $color${fs_used_perc /}%
    ${voffset -5}${color4}${fs_bar 3 /}
    ${color5}~:${color}$alignc ${fs_used /home}(${fs_size /home})$alignr${color5}${fs_type /home} ${color}${fs_used_perc /home}%
    ${voffset -5}${color4}${fs_bar 3 /home}
    ${color5}/media:${color}$alignc ${fs_used /media}(${fs_size /media})$alignr${color5}${fs_type /media} $color${fs_used_perc /media}%
    ${voffset -5}${color4}${fs_bar 3 /media}
    ${color5}${diskiograph 10 00ff00 2f4f4f}
    ${voffset -25}${color #ffd700}  Reading: ${color}${diskio_read}${alignr}${color #ffd700}Writing: ${color}${diskio_write}  ${voffset 15}   

${voffset 3}${font Mac Dingbats:regular:size=18}${color #bcee68}U${voffset -3}${font Anklepants:regular:size=11}${color0}NETWORK${font}${color}
${voffset -10}${color #ffd700}${hr 1}$font$color
   ${color5}WAN: $color${execi 240 host tuhost.myvnc.com | cut -d" " -f4}$alignr${color5}LAN: $color${addr eth0}
   ${downspeedgraph eth0 25,115 b0e2ff 556b2f} ${alignr}${upspeedgraph eth0 25,115 b0e2ff ff4040}
   ${voffset -25}${color #ffd700} Download: ${color white}${downspeed eth0}k/s ${alignr}${color #ffd700}Upload: ${color white}${upspeed eth0}k/s ${voffset 15}
   ${color5}Total: ${color}${totaldown eth0} ${alignr}${color5}Total:  ${color}${totalup eth0}
   ${color5}Inbound: ${color}${tcp_portmon 1 32767 count}$alignr${color5}Outbound: ${color}${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 count}
   ${color5}${stippled_hr 1}
   ${color1}${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 rhost 0} ${alignr} ${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 rservice 0}
   ${color2}${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 rhost 1} ${alignr} ${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 rservice 1}
   ${color3}${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 rhost 2} ${alignr} ${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 rservice 2}
   ${color4}${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 rhost 3} ${alignr} ${tcp_portmon 32768 61000 rservice 3}

${if_running rhythmbox}${voffset 7}${font Webdings:regular:size=22}${color #ba55d3}Ø${voffset -7}${font Anklepants:regular:size=11}${color0}Music${font}${color}
${voffset -10}${color #ffd700}${hr 1}$font$color
  ${color5}Title: $color${execi 20 rhythmbox-client --no-start --print-playing-format "%tt"}
  ${color5}Album: $color${execi 20 rhythmbox-client --no-start --print-playing-format "%at"}$alignr${color5} CD:$color${execi 20 rhythmbox-client --no-start --print-playing-format "%aN"}
  ${color5}Artist:$color${execi 20 rhythmbox-client --no-start --print-playing-format "%aa"}$alignr${color5}Track:$color${execi 20 rhythmbox-client --no-start --print-playing-format "%tN"}
  ${color5}Time:  $color${execi 20 rhythmbox-client --no-start --print-playing-format "%te / %td"}$alignr${color5}Year: $color${execi 20 rhythmbox-client --no-start --print-playing-format "%ay"}
  ${color5}${execbar sh ~/.conky/rhythmboxbar.sh}
$endif

There’s a few other things I’m twiddling with, but I’d welcome comments on what you have done you customize your system’s appearance – be it something similar to the above or something else entirely!

Have fun!