Problems setting KDM theme

[Anton Aylward]

A few revisions ago I set up the KDM login screen for a custom
background picture. Now after reading David Rankin's posts I'm trying
out various Themes instead.

Only they don't take! I'm stuck with my custom picture.


Systemsettings -> loginscreen
general -> [x] Use Themed Greeter
then select the theme from the "Theme" tab
then "apply" and enter root password when prompted.


No change!

Oh, the frustration!

Now is this something crazed like .... I have a 1440x900 screen and it
all balks at the idea of using a 1280x1024 image.... or what?
--
It is an error to imagine that evolution signifies a constant tendency
to increased perfection. That process undoubtedly involves a constant
remodelling of the organism in adaptation to new conditions; but it
depends on the nature of those conditions whether the directions of the
modifications effected shall be upward or downward.
Thomas H. Huxley

[Anton Aylward]

Post by Anton Aylward
A few revisions ago I set up the KDM login screen for a custom
background picture. Now after reading David Rankin's posts I'm trying
out various Themes instead.
Only they don't take! I'm stuck with my custom picture.
Systemsettings -> loginscreen
general -> [x] Use Themed Greeter
then select the theme from the "Theme" tab
then "apply" and enter root password when prompted.
No change!
Oh, the frustration!
Now is this something crazed like .... I have a 1440x900 screen and it
all balks at the idea of using a 1280x1024 image.... or what?

Yea, I think they do that intentionally. In any case once you've
downloaded the theme you want to use, it will be found in
/usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes/ After an clean install the only one
you'll find there is SUSE. Once you know the directory name of the
one/ones you installed simply change the ISPLAYMANAGER_KDM_THEME="SUSE"
to point to the directory you want kdm to use. DISPLAYMANAGER_KDM_THEME
is found in /etc/sysconfig/displaymanager.
Hope it helps...

Yes, it does.

And I'm, as Captain Renault said when he was told that gambling was
going on in Rick's Café, shocked! Shocked!

You mean that after all that GUI stuff to download a theme from
KDE-look.org and install it, I then have to hand edit a config file?

It seems so.
Outrageous.
I'm shocked! Shocked!

But it works.
Thank you, Mark.

[Mark Hounschell]

Post by Anton Aylward
A few revisions ago I set up the KDM login screen for a custom
background picture. Now after reading David Rankin's posts I'm trying
out various Themes instead.
Only they don't take! I'm stuck with my custom picture.
Systemsettings -> loginscreen
general -> [x] Use Themed Greeter
then select the theme from the "Theme" tab
then "apply" and enter root password when prompted.
No change!
Oh, the frustration!
Now is this something crazed like .... I have a 1440x900 screen and it
all balks at the idea of using a 1280x1024 image.... or what?

Yea, I think they do that intentionally. In any case once you've
downloaded the theme you want to use, it will be found in
/usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes/ After an clean install the only one
you'll find there is SUSE. Once you know the directory name of the
one/ones you installed simply change the ISPLAYMANAGER_KDM_THEME="SUSE"
to point to the directory you want kdm to use. DISPLAYMANAGER_KDM_THEME
is found in /etc/sysconfig/displaymanager.

Hope it helps...
Regards
Mark

[Mark Hounschell]

Post by Anton Aylward

Hope it helps...

Yes, it does.
And I'm, as Captain Renault said when he was told that gambling was
going on in Rick's Café, shocked! Shocked!
You mean that after all that GUI stuff to download a theme from
KDE-look.org and install it, I then have to hand edit a config file?

At least the GUI stuff was there to easily let you download them from
and to the correct locations.

Mark

[Mark Hounschell]

Post by Mark Hounschell

Post by Anton Aylward

Hope it helps...

Yes, it does.
And I'm, as Captain Renault said when he was told that gambling was
going on in Rick's Café, shocked! Shocked!
You mean that after all that GUI stuff to download a theme from
KDE-look.org and install it, I then have to hand edit a config file?

At least the GUI stuff was there to easily let you download them from
and to the correct locations.
Mark

Oh, you can also change this with a GUI if you want but its in
YAST->system->/etc/sysconfig Editor->Desktop->Displaymanager

Mark

[David C. Rankin]

Post by Mark Hounschell
Oh, you can also change this with a GUI if you want but its in
YAST->system->/etc/sysconfig Editor->Desktop->Displaymanager

Err... Umm... That just sets the DM. As in... GDM, KDM, KMD3, XDM. I'm not even
sure YAST->System->/etc/sysconfig Editor-> Desktop->Display
manager->DISPLAYMANAGER_KDM_THEME works any more in yast. IIRC, I set this
multiple times, but it still didn't change the value in
/etc/sysconfig/displaymanager.

The login manager theme was a simple selection in kde control center -> login
manager in kde3. I had to resort to manual setting in kde4. Just another example
of glitz over functionality in kde4... And people howl and are "shocked,
shocked, shocked, I say" when I point theses things out :p

The strange part is "login manager" was part of the kde4 control center *and
worked* all the way up to at least 4.3beta2. I don't know where it went, or who
removed it, but it is indeed gone.
--
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
Rankin Law Firm, PLLC
510 Ochiltree Street
Nacogdoches, Texas 75961
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
www.rankinlawfirm.com

[Mark Hounschell]

Post by David C. Rankin
Err... Umm... That just sets the DM. As in... GDM, KDM, KMD3, XDM. I'm not even
sure YAST->System->/etc/sysconfig Editor-> Desktop->Display
manager->DISPLAYMANAGER_KDM_THEME works any more in yast. IIRC, I set this
multiple times, but it still didn't change the value in
/etc/sysconfig/displaymanager.

It certainly changes it for me. The little drop down box for selecting
one doesn't though. You must already know the directory name.

Mark

[David C. Rankin]

Post by Mark Hounschell
It certainly changes it for me. The little drop down box for selecting
one doesn't though. You must already know the directory name.

I'll try again. Yep, there is nothing like having to open konsole and do a:

ls -lt /usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes/

to get the info needed to change the kdmtheme in sysconfig-editor. Sure seems
like a long way around something that used to be a simple selection from a list
in control center :p

Will/all you know if there is already a bug open on this at kde.org?
--
David C. Rankin, J.D.,P.E.
Rankin Law Firm, PLLC
510 Ochiltree Street
Nacogdoches, Texas 75961
Telephone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
www.rankinlawfirm.com

[Mark Hounschell]

Post by David C. Rankin

Post by Mark Hounschell
It certainly changes it for me. The little drop down box for selecting
one doesn't though. You must already know the directory name.

ls -lt /usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes/
to get the info needed to change the kdmtheme in sysconfig-editor. Sure seems
like a long way around something that used to be a simple selection from a list
in control center :p
Will/all you know if there is already a bug open on this at kde.org?

I suspect this may just be a SuSE branding issue/thing done on purpose???
I certainly haven't tried straight from kde.org though.

Mark

[i***@dsl.pipex.com]

Post by David C. Rankin

Post by Mark Hounschell
It certainly changes it for me. The little drop down box for selecting
one doesn't though. You must already know the directory name.

ls -lt /usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes/
to get the info needed to change the kdmtheme in sysconfig-editor. Sure
seems like a long way around something that used to be a simple selection
from a list in control center :p
Will/all you know if there is already a bug open on this at kde.org?

There has been a bug open for years. Will Stephenson said it was going to be
fixed in 4.5 but i still can't get it to work without editing files manually.

regards

Ian

[Sven Burmeister]

Post by David C. Rankin

Post by Mark Hounschell
Oh, you can also change this with a GUI if you want but its in
YAST->system->/etc/sysconfig Editor->Desktop->Displaymanager

Err... Umm... That just sets the DM. As in... GDM, KDM, KMD3, XDM. I'm not
even sure YAST->System->/etc/sysconfig Editor-> Desktop->Display
manager->DISPLAYMANAGER_KDM_THEME works any more in yast. IIRC, I set this
multiple times, but it still didn't change the value in
/etc/sysconfig/displaymanager.
The login manager theme was a simple selection in kde control center ->
login manager in kde3. I had to resort to manual setting in kde4. Just
another example of glitz over functionality in kde4... And people howl and
are "shocked, shocked, shocked, I say" when I point theses things out :p
The strange part is "login manager" was part of the kde4 control center
*and worked* all the way up to at least 4.3beta2. I don't know where it
went, or who removed it, but it is indeed gone.

It was the same issue for KDE3 and is an openSUSE thing so blaming KDE is just
ignorant. As usual.

https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=267903

Sven