Ubuntu to Blubuntu , it's a zip

If you thought that the default Ubuntu mix of Brown and Orange sucked , then here’s your chance to make it cool blue. You don’t need to download anything big. Just a couple of wallpapers and a splash screen. Are you ready to take a dip into blue territory ? Then let’s begin…

1.Login Window

First thing’s first. Let’s make the Login Window blue. Go to System>Administration>Login Window

Select any blue Login Window like Circles or Happy Gnome and click on the radio button beside it.

Now , click on the security tab and click on the check box beside ” Allow local system administrator login “. This allows graphical root login which we wil use later.

That’s it , you are done with the login window.

2.Wallpaper

I must admit that all those brown and orange wallpapers get to your head after sometime. So why not have a fluid , cool , blue wallpaper. Unfortunately Ubuntu doesn’t pack any blue wallpapers by default , so you will have to download your own. How about a couple of blue wallpapers that I made…

Blue Hosted on Zooomr

Blubuntu

Brilliant

Great Blue Ubuntu

Now use them as your wallpapers , or you could find more at Gnome look .

Cool , now you have a blue wallpaper.

3. Gnome Panel

Do this only after you have your blue wallpaper.

Configuring the Gnome panel is easy.

Just right click on a blank space in the panel and select properties.

In the background tab , select something blue as your solid color and set the transparency to your choice. This helps blend the panel with the wallpaper.

Done that , now you have a blue panel.

4.GTK+ Theme

Configuring your default GTK theme is easy. Click on System>Preferences>Theme.

Click on the “Theme details” button.

In the ” Controls ” tab , choose Clearlooks.

In the Window border tab , choose Human.

In the Icons tab , choose Tango.

Now , click on the close button and then save your theme as Blubuntu.

Wow , that was easy.

5.Splash screen

Do this only after you have completed the previous four steps.

That little image in the middle of the screen , that you see just after logging in , is your splash screen. They are alwasy .png images.

Download a bluish Splash Screen , or you could try my custom made Splash Screen…

Usplash

Download the image to your desktop and make two copies.

Name the 1st one as ubuntu-splash , and the 2nd one as ubuntu-slick. DO NOT CHANGE THE EXTENSION.

I am assuming that your username is eric .

Now , log out.

In your new , blue login screen type your username as root.

Give your root password and login as root. ( Read Step 1. for further reference )

Navigate to /usr/share/pixmaps/splash and there rename your existing splash images to 1,2,3 or anything other that ubuntu-splash and ubuntu-slick.

Navigate to /home/eric/desktop ( I HAVE ASSUMED THAT YOUR USERNAME IS eric ). Copy the two splash images and paste them in /usr/share/pixmaps/splash

Now , log out and login.

Result

You now have a blue login window , blue splash , blue windows , blue panel and best of all , a blue wallpaper. So right now you are the proud owner of Blubuntu…

This is what my desktop looked like…

Comments and suggestions are welcome . Oh and do tell me if it helped… If you want Ubuntu 6.10 to have a consistent blue theme , the do contribute to Ubuntu art. Here’s the link , I do say that you might find some of my work there.

Enjoy Ubuntu.

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technorati tags:ubuntu, cool, blue, gnome, kde, blubuntu, linux