How to get Garuda appearance in EndeavorOS KDE and difference between Full Icons, Global Themes, Themes, etc

[nicknick]

Hello all friends.

This is my first time trying to configure the look and feel of my EndeavourOS KDE and I would like to know if I can or is it easy to get the look similar to the Arch based distro Garuda.

I have seen a thread in this forum where our friends from the forum show their desktops, and I have seen that some of them also have desktops similar to the Garuda distro, really beautiful.

I’d like to try installing it on my EndeavorOS KDE (if it’s not dangerous or might break something).

So these days I’ve been watching video tutorials and I found this web page that seems to be that from here you can download the “Themes”, which allow you to configure EndeavorOS KDE:

Browse Latest | https://store.kde.org/browse/

(I guess it’s official and there shouldn’t be any problems, right?)

But it seems that it can be done from EndeavourOS => Settings => System Settings.

The problem is, after researching on google and reddit for days, I found that it seems that the Theme I like is called Sweet KDE, but there are several types of Sweet KDE, and I would like to know what is the difference between:

• deKorator Themes
• Full Icon Themes
• Global Themes
• Kuvantum
• Plymouth
• Themes
• etc

I mean, which of these things should I download?

If I download Sweet KDE from Global Themes, will I have the complete “official” pack that includes themes, icons, windows, bars, mouse cursors, etc, or do I have to download everything separately, with the same name, Sweet KDE?

Sweet KDE

Or maybe I should download Sweet KDE from Plasma Themes, and maybe this comes the complete package and is the “official” version?

Sweet KDE

But, I’ve seen video tutorials that download various other things like BeautyLine icons, but Sweet KDE is supposed to have its own icons, so maybe these are better or more up-to-date?

Sorry, this is all a bit confusing for me because there are too many configurable things and I don’t know if this is safe to download, and some theme authors say they are copying their themes/icons etc.

I leave you a screenshot so you can see how Garuda is, although many of our friends have shown their desktops with these Themes/Icons and they are more beautiful (although Garuda’s taskbar is not like the one in EndeavourOS KDE, which I like).

Thanks in advance friends.

[brucehankins]

The easiest way to do it is just through the system settings. I’d install the Sweet Global theme, beauty line or candy icons, and something like numix or volantes cursors. You can download these directly from the settings menu, and there is very very low chance of breaking anything.
Play around, install a bunch of different things and see what you like best.

[smokey]

You’ll want to download the global theme. Things that won’t be included in that will be the kvantum theme which is available here https://store.kde.org/p/1294013/ and the konsole theme which is available here https://store.kde.org/p/1297008/

[nicknick]

@brucehankins

The easiest way to do it is just through the system settings. I’d install the Sweet Global theme, beauty line or candy icons, and something like numix or volantes cursors. You can download these directly from the settings menu, and there is very very low chance of breaking anything.
Play around, install a bunch of different things and see what you like best.

Thank you very much friend, I will do it right now, I really want to try all this.

@smokey

You’ll want to download the global theme. Things that won’t be included in that will be the kvantum theme which is available here https://store.kde.org/p/1294013/ and the konsole theme which is available here https://store.kde.org/p/1297008/

Thank you very much friend, now I understand it, the sweet Konsole is not included in the Sweet Global Theme and you have to download it separately.

But what is the Kvantum and what exactly is it for? (since you have to download it separately too)

Does it change something concrete in the folder icons, or in the global icons? In the sample images I can’t tell what it’s for.

[nohbody]

Kvantum is an application style manager for QT apps that can be used with and without KDE. Because it is designed to be “KDE optional” it has it’s own settings dialog where one can install and select kvantum themes. This is also why it is shipped separately – this allows one to use it to theme QT apps in a GTK desktop environment.

To enable it in KDE, you can choose “Kvantum” in the “Appearance Settings” dialog in the settings manager. (This would be the one that has the options for breeze and fusion among other things.)

It has no effect on folder or global icons. It does affect things like button shapes, scroll bars, etc.

[nicknick]

@brucehankins

The easiest way to do it is just through the system settings. I’d install the Sweet Global theme, beauty line or candy icons, and something like numix or volantes cursors. You can download these directly from the settings menu, and there is very very low chance of breaking anything.
Play around, install a bunch of different things and see what you like best.

@smokey

You’ll want to download the global theme. Things that won’t be included in that will be the kvantum theme which is available here https://store.kde.org/p/1294013/ and the konsole theme which is available here https://store.kde.org/p/1297008/

@nohbody

Kvantum is an application style manager for QT apps that can be used with and without KDE. Because it is designed to be “KDE optional” it has it’s own settings dialog where one can install and select kvantum themes. This is also why it is shipped separately – this allows one to use it to theme QT apps in a GTK desktop environment.

To enable it in KDE, you can choose “Kvantum” in the “Appearance Settings” dialog in the settings manager. (This would be the one that has the options for breeze and fusion among other things.)

It has no effect on folder or global icons. It does affect things like button shapes, scroll bars, etc.

Thank you all very much and thanks for the explanation friends.

So, if Kvantum only works for buttons and little else, I’m not interested for now (also I can’t find the Kvantum option either, only Breeze and Emacs).

I have installed the Sweet KDE global theme, it has beautiful icons, but I also installed the BeautyLine icons, because it has folder icons that I like better.

I’d just like to know if it’s possible for windows or folders to become a bit transparent/translucent.

I’ve been looking for tutorials on google but I haven’t found anything, I’ve also looked through all the settings slowly but I haven’t found anything.

Does KDE come with any transparency settings by default, or do I have to install something external?

Even so, I am really very happy!

[brucehankins]

KDE does have transparency built in. Go to settings and search for Translucent (something like that) and it should come up. It’s under window rules or something like that. Not at my computer or I’d tell you exactly. You can set it individually for inactive windows, menus, etc.
As far as the panel, you may have to modify the contrast value of the theme’s plasmarc file to something like 0.2 or 0.3.

Edit: also found this old post on it. But I know you can do some of this topic.

[BONK]

You can read this and then just apply your theme(s) of choice. It pretty much covers all the bases.

Theming your Plasma Desktop by BONK

This is just one way to do this. There are others. Like all things linux people have their own preferences on how to do things. I have done it this way as well as others for years now and have never broken a system. This is just how I do it. @Clu had asked me how I installed this Share Your Desktop - #4694 by BONK theme. Instead of a pm I figured I would just write it up here in case anyone else finds it interesting. We start with Endeavour OS basic Plasma install: [eos base] Open System Se…

[nicknick]

@brucehankins

KDE does have transparency built in. Go to settings and search for Translucent (something like that) and it should come up. It’s under window rules or something like that. Not at my computer or I’d tell you exactly. You can set it individually for inactive windows, menus, etc.
As far as the panel, you may have to modify the contrast value of the theme’s plasmarc file to something like 0.2 or 0.3.

Edit: also found this old post on it. But I know you can do some of this topic.

Thanks friend, I have managed to make the taskbar and the start menu transparent, without blur/noise, but I have not been able to do it with the background of the folders, etc.:

I asked in the thread you showed me, and it seems that by modifying the “metadata” file you will get transparency in the letters and icons as well, and I really don’t want that.

But you were talking about the “plasmarc” file. Does this file make the background of the folders transparent, or does it also make letters, icons, etc. transparent?

I would like to obtain the same transparency effect that I have achieved in the start menu/taskbar, but in the background of folders, etc., like this:

So, I think the only way is to install Kvantum, since I haven’t found any other transparency settings for windows, folder backgrounds, etc.

@BONK

You can read this and then just apply your theme(s) of choice. It pretty much covers all the bases.

This is just one way to do this. There are others. Like all things linux people have their own preferences on how to do things. I have done it this way as well as others for years now and have never broken a system. This is just how I do it. @Clu had asked me how I installed this Share Your Desktop - #4694 by BONK theme. Instead of a pm I figured I would just write it up here in case anyone else finds it interesting. We start with Endeavour OS basic Plasma install: [eos base] Open System Se…

Thanks for your guide/tutorial friend. I think the only option to add transparencies to the background of folders like Garuda is with Kvantum. I’m going to install it from the Arch repositories, which I think is the right way.

I already have the Sweet KDE global themes and BeautyLine icons installed from settings, should I uninstall this before following your tutorial? I mean, do I have to re-download the global themes like in your tutorial for them to work in Kvantum, or if I already have them installed, does it autodetect them?

[smokey]

Keep what you already have installed. Have you installed the theme in kavantum? If you have enable it. After this go to Settings->Appearance->Application Style from here select and apply kvantum

[nicknick]

Thanks friend, yes, I installed Kvantum and selected Kvantum-dark. Can I make Dolphin now transparent with this selected style, or is it mandatory to download a global theme? I say this because I like this style, I just want to make Dolphin transparent now.

Sorry, I’m a bit dumb and my English is really bad.

I’m also trying to set transparency from here:

[smokey]

Go to change/delete theme and change the theme to sweet