How to replace the KDM branding of openSUSE 12.2 with a polished one.

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1

Hi,

Some users (including me and swyear) feel the KDM branding of openSUSE 12.2 is of lower quality than GDM branding. It seems to be created under a lot of pressure and in a hurry.

It’s the first time that I and swyear (We’re the openSUSE members in mainland China and Taiwan island, so users sometimes complain to us) have ever heared criticism about openSUSE artwork.

That’s not good, so I just polished it a little.

openSUSE 12.2 KDM branding - reworked! SUSE-Art.org

Installation:

You can copy the content of openSUSE-reworked into /usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes/openSUSE/


wget https://github.com/downloads/marguerite/openSUSE-12.2-KDM-branding-reworked/KDM-openSUSE-12.2-default.tar.gz
tar -xzvf KDM-openSUSE-12.2-default.tar.gz
cp -r openSUSE-reworked/* /usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes/openSUSE

In this way, the default KDM will be overrided. thus you don’t need to do anything to use the new branding.

You can also use this as a complete new theme for openSUSE


wget https://github.com/downloads/marguerite/openSUSE-12.2-KDM-branding-reworked/KDM-openSUSE-12.2-default.tar.gz
tar -xzvf KDM-openSUSE-12.2-default.tar.gz
cp -r openSUSE-reworked /usr/share/kde4/apps/kdm/themes

Then open YaST - /etc/sysconfig editor - Desktop - Display manager - DISPLAYMANAGER_KDM_THEME

set it as “openSUSE-reworked”

NOTE: I just finished the “normal user mode” which means the remote login mode and other modes might be even more ugly than before (I tweaked settings while those ones are still at the old positions because I have no such hardware for testing, I can’t even see them). But it’ll be enough for desktop users.

And if you have such testing environment, please help me finish that parts, appreciated.

You can contribute here:

https://github.com/marguerite/openSUSE-12.2-KDM-branding-reworked

PS: I’ll talk with artwork team to see if we can have this default through an update or something…lol!

https://raw.github.com/marguerite/openSUSE-12.2-KDM-branding-reworked/master/screenshot.png

2

Awesome!
Thanks I will surely use this, thanks a lot for sharing.

3

Absolutely agree … first time I saw the 12.2 KDM theme I was like:

http://paste.opensuse.org/images/34814440.png

4

PS: I’ll talk with artwork team to see if we can have this default through an update or something…

Nice idea :slight_smile:

5

Joining deano_ferrari on this one.

6

A lucky news: we’ll distribute this through an update. just wait :slight_smile:

7

I’ve updated to this but for some reason there is a pretty huge font for my username.
What would be the reason for this? Don’t recall it being particularly big with the original Opensuse KDM branding / graphics

8

The font in the xml file is set to Sans 14.
To my mind, with a smaller login / greeter a better font size would be something between 8 and 10.

Thoughts?

9

one other thing I have noticed is that the Opensuse logo is not quite fitting within the boundaries of the overlay.
These little things I think should be tidied up before it is pushed to the updates repo.

10

This user agrees with both your criticism and the pirate’s expression. Your desire for change is admirable, and if that’s a “Nice idea” errr well it’s an idea. :smiley:

You mentioned “artwork”, also I am aware of significant cultural differences in art appreciation. However “lower quality” art reduced in size is <sigh> lower quality art, but smaller and possibly more cluttered. Suggest you run it past a [globally aware] designer.

I don’t have a better solution, other than putting up with the original (at least that’s what it is, an original if it is). After all, it has a relatively short life-cycle, and is on my screen for maybe 30 seconds, once or twice per day, and the pirate-like expression just a one-time event. Sorry. :slight_smile:

11

unfortunatley, I feel this is a very accurate description of the “improved” kdm login artwork.
I myself have reverted to the original Opensuse 12.2 kdm artwork as I feel this just lacks a little finesse.

12

Yes, I think the original KDM’s login screen design got itself confused with a splash screen, which should be polished from an artistic perspective. I preferred the 12.1 KDM, but I’m equally sure there are others who don’t.