Installing a theme in the /usr/share/themes/ directory

Question

I'm trying to install this theme http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2014/01/iris-flat-gtk-theme-for-linux

In their readme they say that there are two methods of installing it; either to the /usr/share/themes/ directory or in the .themes folder but then it would only be available for one user

I was trying to do it with the /usr/share/themes/ way but after I put the theme there I can't find it neither on unity tweak nor on settings/appearance

What am I missing?

Solution

Ok, let's do a checklist to make it work:

1) You probably downloaded the .zip from github, right?

2) Uncompress the master.zip, you will get a folder named "iris-light-master"

3) Copy that folder in /usr/share/themes/

3a) But be careful! you will need root access to do that: run (pressing alt+f2) gksu nautilus (enter your password) and finally browse to /usr/share/themes/ and paste the folder.

Or you can use an script that I made: In one move, you should be able to download, install and apply the theme by pasting this code in your terminal:

Iris Light theme:

mkdir -p ~/.iris-install && cd ~/.iris-install && wget https://github.com/xyl0n/iris-light/archive/master.zip && unzip master.zip && sudo cp -a iris-light-master /usr/share/themes && gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'iris-light-master' && cd ~ && rm -R ~/.iris-install

Iris Dark theme:

mkdir -p ~/.iris-install && cd ~/.iris-install && wget https://github.com/xyl0n/iris/archive/master.zip && unzip master.zip && sudo cp -a iris-master /usr/share/themes && gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'iris-master' && cd ~ && rm -R ~/.iris-install

Yes yes, just copy and paste in your terminal. It will be automatically applied. :)

Comments

[Admin]

i just guess but can it be that it have a wrong chmod? (if it is a file every user who should use it needs a last read permissions on it (here you can find a simple intoduction to chmod: computerhope.com/unix/uchmod.htm ) - if it is a directory users need the +x flag (execute) to get into the dir...

[Mina Michael]

wow! that worked!! now everything's white and I hate it XD ... now I want to try the dark theme AND I want to know how to revert what I've just done :D

[Mina Michael]

oh right! I can revert it thru unity tweak. If you have time to give me "another script" to try the dark theme I'd be so happy! thanks so far :D :D

[Rho]

jajaja just edited the response. :) if you have problems seeing your installed themes the easiesy safest way to be able to see them is to log-out and log-in again. Or try another tool like ubuntu-tweak.

[Mina Michael]

thanks alot :D :D ... I wonder how you make those scripts?!?! XD XD

[Rho]

You are welcome. ;) The script is really simple, uses the connectors "&&" to chain different lines of command. The rest is just wget, to download a file, unzip to unzip (jeje), and gsettings to apply the theme. Cheers!