We all know that changing the icon theme in Ubuntu is a sure-fire way to give our desktops a more personalised look and feel — and Papirus is among the best Linux icon themes out there.
In this post I show you how to install Papirus icons in Ubuntu using a PPA — a method that ensures you get future updates to this icon set as and when released.
But what makes the Papirus icon set so popular?
Well, because it’s good — so good that tens of thousands of Linux users use this icon set, and even a couple of major desktop Linux distributions!
Visually, Papirus icons use a playful palette of bold colours and simple shapes. This is combined with a subtle raised edge to give the Papirus icon set a semi-3D look that doesn’t yield to the modern trend for super-flat design, but doesn’t ignore it either.
Aside from its looks, what helps make this impeccably-made pack so popular is its coverage: it contains more than 1,000 individual app icons and new icons are added regularly.
Coverage takes in the best Ubuntu apps, like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and VLC, indie apps, Steam games, progressive web apps, and even some Windows software you can use through Wine.
Basically, the Papirus icon theme is as comprehensive as icon sets can get. It eschews a boxy rigidity in favour of free forms and shapes, delivering icons that are both distinct but consistent, giving Linux desktops a professional look and feel overall.
Installing Papirus Icons on Ubuntu
Since the Papirus icon theme is designed to work with GNOME Shell, Cinnamon, Xfce, and other popular Linux-based desktop environments.
To install the latest version of Papirus icons on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (or above) add the official Papirus PPA to your list of software sources.
To do this, run this command in a new Terminal window:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:papirus/papirus
Then run this command to install the Paprius icon set:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install papirus-icon-theme
Once the Paprius icon theme is installed you can go ahead and change your icon theme.
How to do that?
On Ubuntu you can install the Tweaks app from the Ubuntu Software app. Then, open the app and, go to the the appearance > icons section, then pick the ‘Papirus’ icon pack. Icon changes in Ubuntu take effect immediately.