How To Set Icons and Theme from Terminal in Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a popular Linux distribution that offers a high degree of customization. One of the ways you can customize your Ubuntu desktop is by changing the icons and theme. While you can do this through the graphical user interface, you can also do it from the terminal, which can be faster and more efficient. In this article, we’ll show you how to set icons and theme from the terminal in Ubuntu.

Understanding the Basics

Before we dive into the commands, it’s important to understand a few basic concepts. Ubuntu uses the GNOME desktop environment by default. This environment manages the appearance of your desktop, including the icons and theme.

The settings for the GNOME desktop environment are stored in a system called DConf, which you can access using the gsettings command. The gsettings command is a powerful tool that lets you modify the settings of your desktop environment from the terminal.

Changing the GTK Theme

The GTK theme determines the appearance of your windows and applications. To change the GTK theme, you can use the following command:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme "YourTheme"

In this command, org.gnome.desktop.interface is the schema, gtk-theme is the key, and "YourTheme" is the value. Replace "YourTheme" with the name of the theme you want to use.

You can find available GTK themes by using the gsettings range command:

gsettings range org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme

This command will display a list of available themes.

Changing the Icon Theme

The icon theme determines the appearance of the icons on your desktop. To change the icon theme, you can use the following command:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme 'YourIconTheme'

Again, replace 'YourIconTheme' with the name of the icon theme you want to use.

You can find available icon themes by using the gsettings range command:

gsettings range org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme

Changing the Window Theme

The window theme determines the appearance of the window borders. To change the window theme, you can use the following command:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences theme "YourTheme"

Replace "YourTheme" with the name of the theme you want to use.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve shown you how to set icons and theme from the terminal in Ubuntu. This can be a faster and more efficient way to customize your desktop, especially if you’re comfortable using the terminal. Remember to replace "YourTheme" and 'YourIconTheme' with the names of the themes you want to use. Use the gsettings range command to find available themes. Happy customizing!