Customizing Icons

Salah

Dear Folks,

I would to know if there is any way to add icons to UT device where I can create and modify icons without harming the device?

Thanks.

johndoe

@Salah I saw your other post and the "hacky" way with remounting the file system is the way I would do it (https://forums.ubports.com/post/81981).
I recommend to back up your data and to enable adb shell access, before doing so (you can often still access your device over adb shell, even if the GUI is broken).
Please be aware that an OTA update could break your device, after you did some hacks, but it is probably unlikely after changing some icons.
I don't think UT/Lomiri looks for any icons in the home folder (but I could be wrong), so it is either the "hacky" way or someone adds code to the system (pull request on GitLab), that lets Lomiri look for icon packages in a folder like $HOME/.icons/ (similar to what gnome-tweaks does).

johndoe

@Salah Maybe iteresting for hacking your device: All installed applications can be found under: /opt/click.ubuntu.com/
And the icons of the applications are often under: /opt/click.ubuntu.com/[AppName]/current/assets/

But if you install a new version of the app, any changes you do here will most likely be gone.

Salah

@johndoe Thanks for your reply

I will check it out. But the golden question is, how to move these files or change them If I can not access file system files, it gives me error or permission denied.

Could you please tell me how?

Thanks

MrT10001

@Salah To access the file system and change it you have to make the system rewritable. This is not advised as it will break your system. It will also stop future OTA updates.

Ian

@MrT10001 Or you could make the file system writrable. Make the changes you want and take backup copies to your PC along with a note of where they need to be. Then remount the filesytem as read only.

OK the next OTA would probably wipe your changes, but you can put them back from your PC.

ikoz

@Salah Another way is to edit the port. In the overlay filesystem replace the images with a symbolic link to the home directory where you should put the files.
I know this is a bit overkill, will not persist after updates and is harder, but you don't have to remount the filesystem every time.

Keneda

@Ian
As OTA updates only concern files that where modified by Devs since last update, only those files are overwritten.

MrT10001

You could do all of these things, the caveat would be if you know what you are doing, so you should know the filesystem is not writeable and how to make it so, the risks involved and so on. I could do this so far and I know I would end up having a non-booting device and have to re-install as I am not a developer or even a script kiddie.

johndoe

@Salah
The others are competly right about the potential risks.
But I do not want to discourage you from hacking the device, if you wish to do so and if you know that it could maybe break some things.

Put this in the terminal, if you want to have fun hacking and potentialy breaking your device:

sudo mount -o rw,remount /

Keneda

@johndoe
Or use Ubuntu Touch Tweak Tool ^^

Salah

Thank you guys for all your replies

I guess I do not wish to brick or screw my device.

But FYI, Nokia N900 AKA "The Monster" was and still the best Linux device ever created. Still have it as daily device for calling and texting as well as working around and changing themes & icons in the most easiest way.

Hope next update will allow us to change themes & icons as well.

It is not a rocket science.

in my Laptop I have changed a LOT of icons without breaking it by upcoming updates.

Thanks again folks

arubislander

@Salah said in Customizing Icons:

Hope next update will allow us to change themes & icons as well.

I wouldn't count on it. Customizability of the look and feel of the OS is not (high) on the agenda for UT.

It is not a rocket science.

I would have to disagree. Because this is simple to do in some Linux desktop environments does not mean it is simple to implement or to maintain.

There are also on the desktop quite a few Linus DE's or Distro's that discourage customization. Elementary OS with their Pantheon DE come to mind. But even Gnome is moving more firmly in this directions.

Officially allowing customization represents a bigger QA testing and support burden. This is not something the community can bear at the moment.

Having said all of that, there are community members that have dug in and gone all out customizing Lomiri according to their view and liking. One such member even offers a convenient way to install their customizations.

Keneda

@Salah
I don't think changing some icons is the kind of customisation that could break the system

Salah

@arubislander I see, Thank God I am using Ubuntu Mate which allows customization and freedom of changing appearance as per user's tase.

If Gnome and other distros going to be firm and strict regarding customization and thinking about Q/A. Then what makes difference than using windows 11 or other Mac. with boring UI and boring themes and so.

It is not a burden from my point of view. Check previous Ubuntu and Ubuntu Mate distros and will figure out what I am talking about.

Thanks again.

Salah

@Keneda This is suppose to be as per your saying.

I do not know.

arubislander

@Salah I have been using Ubuntu since 2004, so I know what you are talking about. I am not saying that one approach is better or worse than another. I am just explaining the differences.

On another note, I downloaded the Papirus icon back onto my Jingpad and copied it to ~/.local/share/icons. I then made a symbolic link to it in the same directory and called that suru. Upon a reboot the indicator icons where changed, but the application icons remained the same. So at this moment I am not sure if there is an easy way to change all those in one go.

EDIT: The icons in the App Drawer cannot be replaced in one go, because the .desktop files are pointing at hardcoded icon paths instead of icon names.

AppLee

@Salah said in Customizing Icons:

I see, Thank God I am using Ubuntu Mate which allows customization and freedom of changing appearance as per user's tase.

Ubuntu Touch is not a desktop distribution and maintaining and OS for mobile devices is not the same as desktop computers.
(Well technically laptop are mobile devices, but you get what I mean)

Also you still have freedom to do whatever you want.
You just don't have the skills or knowledge (yet)...

Asking questions about how the OS works in order to make a change that will benefit the community is greatly appreciated.
But it implies you want to put time and efforts into doing things without compromising the work of other contributors to the OS, what we call "the proper way". The work will be reviewed and merged if our quality standards are met.

I hope this clarifies things.

Salah

@arubislander Thanks for your reply

Can you show me pictures?

Thanks

Salah

@AppLee Thanks for your reply.

Am still learning how to use Ubuntu Touch and hope next version will be more functional.