How To Customize The New GDM In Karmic

By , Published October 2, 2009

Karmic's new GDM isn't as customizable as the previous version due to a complete re-write from the ground up.

Just take a look at the login preferences screen from Jaunty: -

and this is the same login preferences window in Karmic: -

As you can see, the tweakability„¢ factor is somewhat reduced. But never fear as although you can't theme it as much as before, it's still easy to put your stamp onto your login screen!

Customize!

You can change the wallpaper, icons and gtk theme from the GDM's own personal appearance menu (this is not the one reached from System > Appearance) : -

  • gksudo -u gdm dbus-launch gnome-appearance-properties
Article originally appeared on omgubuntu.co.uk

Related posts:

  1. Customize The Gnome Panel Clock To Match Karmic’s New Icons
  2. Karmic Koala's New Login Screen Revealed [Updated]
  3. Karmic Boot/GDM/Login Screen €“ Updated Design
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  • Anonymous

    This Post makes no sense at all you still cant change the login preferences in this theme editor, you are showing the normal appearance editor that is still reachable under settings !

    This Post makes NO sense at all !

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      You’re obviously confused.The new GDM rewrite also uses the gnome-appearance options but you can only get to it using: -gksudo -u gdm dbus-launch gnome-appearance-propertiesnote the GDM flag.

      I can change my wallpaper, icons and gtk theme for the GDM using it – as can the rest of the people on the thread this is sourced from so perhaps you need to run an update.

      System > Admin > Update Manager

    • Anonymous

      What we’re doing is basically running the appearance preferences as gdm which allows you to change the appearance of any app run by gdm, i.e. the login screen.

    • Ben

      Perhaps you should try reading the post, rather than just looking at the pretty pictures.

  • lol

    Actually this is better than the previous GDM because you can easily change the GTK theme of the GDM to match the GTK theme set on your desktop. The previous GDM meant you had to hand build a theme and it wouldn’t always match up with your desktop GTK theme.

  • http://pensieriacoriandoli.blogspot.com/ Giorg

    that’s great! it’s only a pity you can’t set a customised background to xsplash, like having your own desktop image since first seconds of the startup process…

    • Anonymous

      Actually, you can change your xsplash pretty easily. I have mine set as my desktop background and it’s a seamless transition. The files are in /usr/share/images/xsplash. You have to find the one that matches your resolution. Backup the old file and copy and paste your new one with the same name. If you have a weird resolution, xsplash uses the one that slightly larger in WIDTH than your resolution.

  • Mohan

    Awesome tip! Thanks d0od!

  • Archie Steel

    This *almost* works for me. I get the appearance settings window for GDM, but all text appears as square boxes. I imagine the font set for GDM is not available to it (must be on a drive not accessible to the “GDM” user), or something like that…

    That said, there are workarounds on the Ubuntu Forums post linked to in the article, and I was able to use these.

  • Ben

    Nice tip. Think perhaps they could integrate that in the next version (or maybe even this one)?

    Imagine: a little button that says “customize” and takes you to the full appearance window, with a popup explaining that you’re now choosing the theme for the login window ^_^

  • Praveen

    okay… right, i now get a universal access icon in my notification area. how do i undo the changes done to the GDM login

    • http://twitter.com/callmegregory Gregory Lawrence

      I have that problem, too. Very annoying. I actually got 2 at first — restarted, there was only one that I can’t make go away. I even deleted Universal Access from Startup items and restarted, to no avail…

    • http://twitter.com/callmegregory Gregory Lawrence

      OOoo, found the answer in the forums:

      go to System > Preferences > Keyboard > accessibility

      Uncheck the “Accessibility features can be toggled with keyboard shortcuts”

      Odd, but it works! :D

  • http://lazowski.wordpress.com/ Lazowski

    nice trick but i have a problem, after this changes i cant close or delete one blue icon from my try, guy in the wheelchair…

  • Witek

    Hello :)

    I have the same problem :(

    • http://omgubuntu.co.uk/ d0od

      It’s a bug :(

      here’s how to fix it: -

      gksudo gedit /var/lib/gdm/.gconf.mandatory/%gconf-tree.xml

      replace: -

      with: -

      Save and close.

      gksudo -u gdm dbus-launch gnome-control-center

      Go to keyboard > Accessibility and uncheck ‘Accessibility features can be toggled with keyboard shortcuts’. Log out and back in if needed!

      (you may also need to uncheck the same box from system > preferences > keyboard, too.

      • Witek

        Thanks, working :)

        • Anonymous

          After runnig this and doing no changes I ended up with awful login screen. Once it was beatiful and glassy, and now it`s only ugly gray boxes. How can I set to default login screen?

  • winniemiel05

    Perfect!!! Exactly what I searched!!! But I hope There wil be soon a graphical tool for configure sessions…

  • Anonymous

    this noob can’t get a login screen & nobody at ubuntu forum will help me since karmic came out!
    after the grub choices, all I get is command line prompt and that blinks like crazy

  • molecule-eye

    I’ve deleted all the backgrounds that originally came with Karmic, but I notice that the exist somewhere else since they’re selectable in the “Backgrounds” tab when I open gnome-appearances in the way described here. Where are they located?

    • molecule-eye

      Well, there was an easy way to find out. They’re in /usr/share/backgrounds.

      Some bugs. The one is that Universal Access Preferences starts up and throws two icons in the notification applet. The second is that my mouse settings are reset to default. Very odd.