--- layout: doc title: Dark Theme in Dom0 and DomU permalink: /doc/dark-theme/ --- Dark Theme in Dom0 ================== Dark KDE in Dom0 ---------------- The following text describes how to change the default light theme to a dark theme. This is just an example, feel free to adjust the appearance to your taste. The image below shows the default light theme after installation. ![begin light theme](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-fresh-installed-standard.png) This is the result after applying the steps described here. ![end result dark theme](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-end-result.png) 1. Change `Workspace Appearance` 1. Open the `Workspace Appearance` window Qubes Menu -> System Tools -> System Settings -> Workspace Appearance ![Workspace Appearance](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-app-appearance-menu-style.png) 2. Go to `Desktop Theme` ![Desktop Menu](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-appearance-settings-desktop-theme-oxygen.png) 3. Select `Oxygen` and `Apply` the change 2. (Optional) Remove blue glowing task items ![blue glowing task bar items](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-taskbar-blue-glowing-border.png) 1. Adjust Oxygen `Details` Qubes Menu -> System Tools -> System Settings -> Workspace Appearance -> Desktop Theme -> Details (Tab) 2. Select `Oxygen` 3. Change `Theme Item -> Task Items` from `Oxygen Task Items` to `Air Task Items` ![Change Task items look](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-desktop-theme-details.png) 4. Apply changes ![task bar items blue glowing removed](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-taskbar-blue-glowing-removed.png) 3. Change `Application Appearance` 1. Open the `Application Appearance` window Qubes Menu -> System Tools -> System Settings -> Application Appearance 2. Go to `Colors` ![colors tab](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-app-appearance-menu-colors.png) 3. Select `Obsidian Coast` ![set to Obsidian Coast](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-app-appearance-menu-colors-set.png) 4. Apply Changes Qubes VM Manager should now look like the image below. ![result black Qubes Manager](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/kde-black-qubes-manager.png) **Note:** Chaning the `Window Decorations` from `Plastik for Qubes` will remove the border color and the VM name. The problem with `Plastik for Qubes` is, that it does not overwrite the background and text color for Minimize, Maximize and Close buttons. The three button are therefor hard to read. Dark XCFE in Dom0 ----------------- The following text describes how to change the default light theme to a dark theme. This is just an example, feel free to adjust the appearance to your taste. The image below shows the default light theme after installation. ![begin light theme](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/xfce-fresh-installed.png) This is the result after applying the steps described here. ![end result dark theme](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/xfce-end-result.png) 1. Change Appearance 1. Open the `Appearance` dialog Qubes Menu -> System Tools -> Appearance ![appearance dialog](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/xfce-appearance-dialog.png) 2. Change Style to `Albatross` **Note:** The black appearance theme `Xfce-dusk` makes the VM names in the `Qubes OS Manager` unreadable. 2. *(Optional)* Change Window Manager Style 1. Open the `Window Manager` dialog Qubes Menu -> System Tools -> Appearance ![window manager dialog](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/xfce-window-manager-theme.png) 2. Change the Theme in the `Style` Tab (e. g. Defcon-IV). All available themes work. Dark App VM, Template VM, Standalone VM, HVM (Linux Gnome) ========================================================== Almost all Qubes VM's are based on the Gnome desktop. Therefor the description below is focused on the Gnome Desktop Environment. Using "Gnome-Tweak-Tool" ------------------------ The advantage of creating a dark themed Template VM is, that each AppVM which is derived from the Template VM will be dark themed by default. **Note:** Gnome-Tweak-Tool crashes under Archlinux. A workaround is to assign the AppVM to another TemplateVM (Debian, Fedora) which has Gnome-Tweak-Tool installed. Start the AppVM and configure the settings. Shutdown the machine and switch the template VM back to Archlinux. 1. Start VM **Note:** In case of App VM start the Template on which the AppVM is based on. 2. Install `Gnome-Tweak-Tool` - Fedora sudo dnf install gnome-tweak-tool - Debian sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool 3. *(Only AppVM)* Stop template and start AppVM 4. Add `Gnome-Tweak-Tool` to the Application Menu 1. `Right-click` on VM entry in `Qubes VM Manager` select `Add/remove app shortcuts` 2. Select `Tweak Tool` and press the `>` button to add it ![Application Dialog](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/dialog-add-gnome-tweak-tool.png) 5. Enable `Global Dark Theme` 1. *Debian only* cd ~/.config/ mkdir gtk-3.0 cd gtk-3.0/ touch settings.ini 2. Start `Tweak Tool` from the VM application menu and set the `Global Dark Theme` switch to `on` ![Global Dark Theme enabled](/attachment/wiki/Dark-Theme/gnome-tweak-tool.png) 6. *(Optional)* Modify Firefox **Note:** Firefox uses GTK style settings by default. This can create side effects such as unusable forms or search fields. There are two different ways to avoid this. Either by using a add-on or by overwriting the defaults. - use the theme [GTK+ Dark Theme Global Fixes](https://userstyles.org/styles/111694/gtk-dark-theme-global-fixes) and the [Stylish](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/stylish/) addon - or add the following line to `/rw/config/rc.local` sed -i.bak "s/Exec=firefox %u/Exec=bash -c 'GTK_THEME=Adwaita:light firefox %u'/g" /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop 7. Restart VM or all application Manually -------- Manually works for Debian, Fedora and Archlinux. 1. Start VM **Note:** In case of App VM start the Template on which the AppVM is based on. 2. Enable `Global Dark Theme` cd ~/.config/ mkdir gtk-3.0 cd gtk-3.0/ touch settings.ini add the following lines to `settings.ini` [Settings] gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme=1 3. follow step 6 and 7 in: Using `Gnome-Tweak-Tool`