Another theme package format has been proposed with similar goals to Cothemes. The draft specification can be found at:
http://freedesktop.org/wiki/ThemePackageSpec
This document aims to compare them.
ThemePackage | Cotheme | Comments by Flimm, author of Cotheme | |
---|---|---|---|
File extension | .theme | .cotheme | .theme is already used by Windows themes, as well as other file formats. .cotheme has not been used, as far as I am aware. |
Mime-type | application/x-themepackage | application/x-cotheme | Both are unique, AFAIK |
Archive format | gzipped-compressed tarball | zip | Gzipped tarballs are the traditional archive format for themes on free desktop environments. However, the zip file format is more universally accepted. In addition, zip files allow random access to its contents by file name, allowing rapid extraction of metadata files or thumbnail files. Different files can be compressed at different levels and at specified positions in the file. This is important for maintaining the magic number. OpenDocument packages use zip. |
Magic number | None | application/x-cotheme found at byte x | |
Metadata file format | an INI file | an RDF/XML file | While INI files are simpler to edit by hand, their format is not well documented, leading to incompatible parsers. XML files are also reasonably easy to edit by hand. The XML file format is very well defined, and parsers exist for practically every programming language. Developers and theme creators would not need to know RDF at all, similar to DOAP, the XML format chosen would coincide with RDF/XML. |
Embedded thumbnails | None | Included (Thumbnails/thumbnail.png) | Cotheme's thumbnail mechanism is similar to OpenDocument's. |
Include multiple themes | Yes | Yes | |
Theme types allowed | Not specified | Almost any that meet the minimum requirements | |
Theme type names | Simple but limited: gtk-2.0, xfwm4, etc | Uses URNs, unlimited | |
Required and recommended meta-data |
|
|
Cothemes use the well-established vocabulary of Dublin Core for some of its metadata. Dependencies on other themes can be specified (for example, icon themes on other icon themes). Dependencies on software programs or libraries can be specified (for example, GTK themes on GTK engines), in a way that would allow automatic installation of the dependency. |
Can metadata be translated? | Unspecified, probably yes | Yes |
This is the design document for the application Epidermis.
Please note that this is a work in progress.
Epidermis aims to make changing the look of your GNOME desktop complete, rapid, simple, automatic, customisable and shareable.
As a secondary mission, Epidermis wants to aid the user in creating their own look and sharing it to other Epidermis users, but without hindering those who consume exclusively.
Ubuntu (using GNOME) has the following customisable elements, which change its look and feel:
(Add anything else that you can think of here)
In order to keep Epidermis' customisations both customisable and complete, a structure involving pigments and skins was created.
A pigment is a customisation of a piece of the GNOME desktop. It contains the files necessary to activate the customisation, (with the exception of skins,) and the information describing it, including authorship, copyright, name, key words, description, main colours and a preview image.
A pigment type is a category of pigments sharing the same characteristics of the area of the GNOME desktop they affect using the same technology, for example, pigment types can include: Metacity, wallpaper, GDM login screen... Metacity and Emerald are seperate pigment types, because they use different technology.
A skin is a pigment of the type skin, it is unique in the fact that it includes links to other pigments required for the activation of the skin. It should link to (at least?) one pigment of every type (other than skin). The skin is the means through which both complete and rapid customisation occurs.
A pigment is one single file. It is a gzipped tar archive (.tar.gz) of other files, but it has the extension .pigment .
Its mime-type is application/x-pigment
The archive should contain:
(Should we allow a file to include several pigments? This would make it easier for people with no Internet access to distribute skins) (Implemented in packs)
Here's an example of a pigment's XML information file:
<?xml version="1.0" ?> <pigment> <pigmentVersion>0.1</pigmentVersion> <name lang="en">3LCD</name> <description lang="en">Just a different angle rendering of another wallpaper I did</description> <type>wallpaper</type> <codename>3lcd</codename> <copyright>Free</copyright> <author>Chris S</author> <preview>3lcd.png</preview> <filename>3lcd.jpg</filename> <pictureOptions>zoom</pictureOptions> <colorShadingType>solid</colorShadingType> <primaryColor>#87028e72ffff</primaryColor> </pigment>
Here's an example of pigment.xml for a skin pigment.
Note that Skin is the only type of pigment that doesn't require a preview image, for the time being.
<?xml version="1.0" ?> <pigment> <pigmentVersion>0.1</pigmentVersion> <name lang="en">Ubuntu Studio</name> <description lang="en">The default Ubuntu Studio theme</description> <type>skin</type> <codename>ubuntu-studio</codename> <copyright>Creative Commons and other</copyright> <author>Ubuntu Studio</author> <preview></preview> <primaryColors><color>Black</color></primaryColors> <secondaryColors><color>white</color></secondaryColors> <keyWords><keyWord lang="en">Studio</keyWord></keyWords> <version>unknown</version> <webPage></webPage> <link><codename type="wallpaper">3lcd</codename></link> <link><codename type="metacity">ubuntu-studio</codename></link> <link><codename type="gtk">ubuntu-studio</codename></link> <link><codename type="icons">ubuntu-studio</codename></link> <link><codename type="gnomeSplash">blue-ubuntu</codename></link> <link><codename type="cursors">ComixCursors-blue-regular</codename></link> <link><codename type="grub">debian-moreblue-swirl</codename></link> <link><codename type="gdm">blue-folder</codename></link> <link><codename type="usplash">splash</codename></link> </pigment>
In order to simplify accessing available pigments and sharing them, using shared repositories, preferably online, is a must for Epidermis.
Epidermis currently uses a variation of Get Hot New Stuff (http://ghns.freedesktop.org). Browse (http://download.tuxfamily.org/epidermis/ghns) for an example of an Epidermis repository.
The user interface has these requirements: it should include both a GUI and a command line interface, it should fit in with the customized GNOME desktop, it should keep its mission in focus and therefore hide secondary functionality. It should comply with the HIG and use GTK.
Daniel Glimm has shared an independent non-functional prototype for an application very similar to Epidermis. He included screenshots, the glade file and a python app.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
glade.zip | 11.29 KB |
The 0.1p3 GUI was devided in two: the main app, and the creator app.
The main app
This window was devided into three: Installed, Find more and Settings.
Three dialogs are displayed at the appropriate times: (progress window not displayed)
Attached is the glade file.
The creator app
This app was there for those wishing to create their own pigments without editing XML.
If you encounter any bugs, you know where to report them.. If you complete the entire test case without any errors, send me a line, I'll be interested to know (David D Lowe).