LiteStep v. 0.24.6 documentation written by the LiteStep Documentation Effort, August 2000 |
.: introduction .: configuration .: installation .: theme installation .: theme creation .: development .: glossary .: links
.: command .: desktop .: litestep .: lstime .: hotkey .: popup .: shortcut .: systray .: taskbar .: vwm .: wharf
How do I make LiteStep look like this theme? As you get more used to using LiteStep you are going to want to start downloading themes and installing them. This is probably the second most complicated thing you can do as a new user. So far there has been no "Themeing Standard" so most commonly you will be doing different levels of re-writing the step.rc. However, all themes tend to come with the following files in the Theme Package.
`Step.RC` | The text file where all the settings for the theme are defined.
`Modules.ini` | This file is largely not used now, unless the theme is using some older modules.
`Images` | This is the folder where you will find all of the themes graphics.
`Modules` | Any Third-Party modules that the theme uses. Note: Themes should not contain core modules. If you are installing a theme that is based on a Development Build please download that Development Build that is stated in the Readme.txt
`Miscellaneous` | Any other stuff that the theme might use, like sound files or icons, is normally found in the Misc or Miscellaneous Folder.
`Readme.TXT` | There should be a readme.txt file with the theme you downloaded. Always read it first as it may give you added information regarding the installation of the theme.
Next you will want to go to a theme archive, some of which are listed on the Links page, and download a theme. Note: When you go to download a theme attempt to avoid the older themes. Older themes will most likely be incompatible with the newer Litestep Builds. Unzip the theme you downloaded into a Temporary Folder. Open your Main Litestep Folder in your favorite file manager and rename your Step.rc to something along the lines of Step_bak.rc. Now copy the Step.RC file and Modules.ini files from your new themes Temporary Folder into your Main Litestep Folder. Now hopefully in your Temporary Theme Folder, you will find a folder called "Themes". If you do find a Themes Folder, open it up and you should see a Folder with the same name as the theme you downloaded. Copy this entire Folder into your \Litestep\Themes Folder. If you are ok up to now, you should be able to recycle and see if everything loads up ok. If you do not have a "Theme" Folder in your Temporary Theme Folder, it's a bit more complicated. You should refer to the readme.txt file that came included with the theme. This should give you some instructions on what to do from this point. Hopefully you have recycled and your new theme has loaded up ok. If you get any error messages then you will need to change a few things in your Step.RC. Here are some of the more common scenarios. If no images are being displayed, open the Step.rc file and check that the LSImageFolder points to the themes Images Folder correctly. If you got an "Error loading module" message, check in the Step.rc and make sure that the path to the module is correct and that the actual module.dll exists where it you specified it to be in your Step.RC. If these hints do not lead you to a solution please seek out help either via e-mail sent to the Mailing List or please feel free to join #LS_Help on EFnet. You may also choose to e-mail the theme author for help on the theme installation, configuration, or graphic creation. Once everything is working ok, feel free to start poking about and changing a few things in your Step.RC. Have a look through the Step.RC and see if you want to change any popup settings or anything else. Before you get to in depth into changing your Step.RC make a backup copy just in case something goes wrong. Once you get your theme tweaked you can sit back and marvel at your new desktop.