Transparencies in Kvantum EOS KDE

[nicknick]

Hi friends.

I am trying to run Kvantum on my EndeavourOS KDE 6.0. I am using nvidia with proprietary drivers.

I’m trying to get everything transparent, I’ve watched videotutorials and read on reddit. But it seems that everything is separated and not unified, or something like that. It seems to be something quite complex.

I can’t figure out how Kvantum works. I downloaded Kvantum from the official Arch repository (“kvantum” package):

https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/kvantum/

To get the transparencies, I can’t download themes from the global KDE themes, in EOS settings.

So I have to go to the KDE Store, select a theme with transparencies (since it seems that Kvantum cannot force transparencies on any theme):

Sweet KDE

Download it. I unzip it, install it from Kvantum, select it and activate it. Then I check all the transparency boxes, and the Kvantum window looks transparent, but nothing else.

The taskbar does not look transparent, the Dolphin folder window does not look transparent, the terminal does not look transparent, the Welcome window of EOS does not look transparent…

So, I don’t understand, is it a problem of KDE 6.0, or is it all separately? Is there any way to get something that changes everything globally?

Because, I have seen that there are distributions like Garuda Dragonized that comes almost all transparent, just change an option and everything becomes transparent.

Example:

It seems that the taskbar is something completely isolated from the applications, but also from the Dolphin viewer, it’s a bit complex to understand, sorry.

By the way, I forgot to mention that I’m on X11, I don’t know if this could be important.

If someone can help me a little, I will be very grateful, thanks in advance friends.

[dalto]

If all you want is global transparency, you don’t need kvantum, you can use a Window Rule as described here:
https://userbase.kde.org/Tutorials/Force_Transparency_And_Blur

[nicknick]

@dalto

If all you want is global transparency, you don’t need kvantum, you can use a Window Rule as described here:
https://userbase.kde.org/Tutorials/Force_Transparency_And_Blur

Omg, thank you very much, tomorrow when I have time I will try it and show the results!

Yes, I just want transparencies throughout, something like Garuda Dragonized. I don’t care if it’s with the default KDE theme or another theme like Sweet.

[d-air1]

I think the problem here is that you don’t quite understand Plasma all that well. It is a big and complex desktop environment.

@nicknick

It seems that the taskbar is something completely isolated from the applications

Yes this is true. If you go into System Settings → Colors & Themes. You will see that there is application style as well as plasma style. Plasma Style controls panels and widgets while application style controls applications.

@nicknick

Download it. I unzip it, install it from Kvantum, select it and activate it. Then I check all the transparency boxes, and the Kvantum window looks transparent, but nothing else.

If you go into system settings → colors & themes → application style. Is it set to breeze or kvantum?

[nicknick]

@dalto

If all you want is global transparency, you don’t need kvantum, you can use a Window Rule as described here:
https://userbase.kde.org/Tutorials/Force_Transparency_And_Blur

Omg this is almost perfect, easy and fast and for everything EOS.

The only problem, is that it affects the text, folder icons, and firefox display, I can barely read the forum, not even see your nick, because I can see the EOS wallpaper:

Kvantum doesn’t affect icons and text, but it’s more difficult and weird to use. do you think there would be any way to fix this from windows rules? I think not, but I’m not 100% sure.

@d-air1

Yes this is true. If you go into System Settings → Colors & Themes. You will see that there is application style as well as plasma style. Plasma Style controls panels and widgets while application style controls applications.

Oh thank you, this helped me understand a little more : D

@d-air1

If you go into system settings → colors & themes → application style. Is it set to breeze or kvantum?

Omg… that worked!

See? None of this makes any sense! x’DDD

I don’t even know why I have to select the Kvantum Style, if it’s supposed to be selected from Kvantum Manager.

And there’s another thing I don’t understand. How can I get the “Sweet KDE” Global Theme, if it’s no longer available for Plasma 6.0, in the EOS KDE store (System Settings > Colors & Themes > Global theme > Get New…)?

I mean, the file I downloaded manually (Sweet-transparent-toolbar.tar.xz), does not apply correctly from Kvantum, as it does not apply the icons, buttons, colors, backgrounds etc, of the Global Theme “Sweet KDE”.

In KDE 5.0, I downloaded from “Get New…” the “Sweet KDE” Global Theme and got everything. But with (Sweet-transparent-toolbar.tar.xz) + Kvantum I only got the “transparency”.

And also, if I always have to select the Kvantum Style Application, it means that I won’t be able to install other Global Themes, as I will need to always activate the “Kvuantum” Style Application.

Omg, with the few brain cells I have, I’ll need a college degree for all this x’D.

Sorry!

[dalto]

@nicknick

I don’t even know why I have to select the Kvantum Style, if it’s supposed to be selected from Kvantum Manager.

Selecting the kvantum style is telling plasma to use kvantum and then you set the specifics from within kvantum.

[smokey]

Sweet Ambar Blue LAF Plasma 6

Utterly Sweet Global for Plasma 6

Both also show up when searching under settings get new
And here are the kvantum themes for them

Utterly Sweet

Sweet KDE

I would suggest you make yourself familar with Pling as the Global themes will often direct you to where to get the Kvantum theme if one is available.

[smokey]

@nicknick

And also, if I always have to select the Kvantum Style Application, it means that I won’t be able to install other Global Themes, as I will need to always activate the “Kvuantum” Style Application.

A bit unsure by what you mean by this, I constantly switch my themes around to match my wallpapers, on some I use Kvantum and others I use Breeze. It takes about 1 minute tops to install a Kvantum theme and switch over the setting in system settings to what style you want it to use.

[swh]

I also played around with it a bit. It took some getting used to, but I think it looks very good

Share Your Desktop

Playing around with transparency window managment, window rules. Each active window has 95% transparency. Each inactive window has 70% transparency. Windows slide backwards when another window is opened. Window decorations and theme i set to klassy with modifications. Plasma, Terminal and Kitty editor colors are Tokyo-Night. That looks pretty neat [TTerminal] [TDolphin] [Tsound] [TKrunner] [Tfetch] [TApps]

[nicknick]

@dalto

Selecting the kvantum style is telling plasma to use kvantum and then you set the specifics from within kvantum.

@smokey

https://www.pling.com/p/2157756/ https://www.pling.com/p/2133021

Both also show up when searching under settings get new
And here are the kvantum themes for them

https://store.kde.org/p/1906474/ https://store.kde.org/p/1294013/

I would suggest you make yourself familar with Pling as the Global themes will often direct you to where to get the Kvantum theme if one is available.

@smokey

A bit unsure by what you mean by this, I constantly switch my themes around to match my wallpapers, on some I use Kvantum and others I use Breeze. It takes about 1 minute tops to install a Kvantum theme and switch over the setting in system settings to what style you want it to use.

Wait friends, I think I finally got it!

#1 I download the global theme from the EOS “store”, for example: Utterly Sweet Global for Plasma 6.

#2: I download the equivalent Kvantum version of the global theme I downloaded, manually from the KDE Store website, in this case: Utterly Sweet for Kvantum.

(this is not a Global Theme for Kvantum as I thought, I think it is a file that makes Kvantum compatible with the downloaded Global Theme).

#3 I unzip the file, install it in Kvantum Manager, select it and apply it.

#4 In Style Application you select and apply Kvantum (Kvantum-Dark also works, but I don’t see any difference).

And also select Colors and select and apply Kvantum if the instructions say so.

With all this it SEEMS to work correctly, and I think I understand everything now, correct me if I’m wrong! : D

@swh

I also played around with it a bit. It took some getting used to, but I think it looks very good

Playing around with transparency window managment, window rules. Each active window has 95% transparency. Each inactive window has 70% transparency. Windows slide backwards when another window is opened. Window decorations and theme i set to klassy with modifications. Plasma, Terminal and Kitty editor colors are Tokyo-Night. That looks pretty neat [TTerminal] [TDolphin] [Tsound] [TKrunner] [Tfetch] [TApps]

That looks great! But, my Firefox looks transparent when I try to read our forum.

I think I can leave Firefox at 100% opacity by creating a rule or something, but the folders and files also look transparent and visually they bother me a bit. because they look a bit ugly.

Having to use Kvantum makes me depend on Kvantum Manager, and on there being a Kvantum version of the Global Theme I downloaded, which I really don’t like at all. But you have to admit that it looks better than transparent the whole frame, plus it doesn’t affect when reading the forum:

Anyway, I like both ways, they have their pros and cons.

Although, it’s weird that there isn’t an option in KDE to make the background of folders transparent like Kvantum does. Doesn’t KDE plan to do this in the future or something? It would be a great thing, since KDE is known for having the largest number of configuration options.

For now what I really like about KDE is to disable this option, as it makes the start menu and taskbar totally transparent:

[smokey]

@nicknick

EOS “store”

This is actually just downloading them from the KDE store/Pling

@nicknick

And also select Colors

This will just apply the colours you have selected here. When you downloaded the Utterly Sweet theme it should have downloaded a colour scheme called Utterly Sweet with it, you may want to see what it looks like.

Regarding transparency to this theme the instructions on the site are

To enable transparency and blur, go to “System Settings > Workspace Behavior > Desktop Effects” and enable “Blur” and “Background Contrast” and for best result

@nicknick

this is not a Global Theme for Kvantum as I thought, I think it is a file that makes Kvantum compatible with the downloaded Global Theme

This is why I suggested you make yourself familiar with the site and read the description of things before going to the download link as they will often let you know what you are downloading and if a Kvantum theme is available or not

[swh]

@nicknick

That looks great! But, my Firefox looks transparent when I try to read our forum.

Too much transparency actually disturbs reading. No matter if forum or other website. I have set active windows to 98% transparency. I just don’t like it when everything is completely transparent. Everything else I have set with the klassy theme and klassy window decoration. It’s almost perfect for my needs. There’s always room for improvement.

[d-air1]

I think the important thing to remember here is that kvantum is a third party tool that is not a part of Plasma. That is why there are different things you have to do in order to make it work.

It will never be integrated directly into the plasma settings so that everything is in one place because it is not made by KDE, but instead a really great and passionate developer who goes by the online handle Tsujan.

[nicknick]

@smokey

I would suggest you make yourself familar with Pling as the Global themes will often direct you to where to get the Kvantum theme if one is available.

@smokey

@nicknick

EOS “store”

This is actually just downloading them from the KDE store/Pling

Thanks for the info friend, but what is the difference between KDE Store and Pling?

Which one would be the “official” or the recommended one to download files when needed?

@swh

@nicknick

That looks great! But, my Firefox looks transparent when I try to read our forum.

Too much transparency actually disturbs reading. No matter if forum or other website. I have set active windows to 98% transparency. I just don’t like it when everything is completely transparent. Everything else I have set with the klassy theme and klassy window decoration. It’s almost perfect for my needs. There’s always room for improvement.

I tested it at 98% and it looks fine.

I was also trying different values for the main opacity and secondary opacity. I really like it, but I liked the Kvantum effect better, so in the end I stuck with Kvantum for now.

Although I hope the KDE developers will take this into account and try to add it in the future (although aesthetics is something unimportant and secondary, and I understand that they focus on other more important and necessary things).

@d-air1

I think the important thing to remember here is that kvantum is a third party tool that is not a part of Plasma. That is why there are different things you have to do in order to make it work.

It will never be integrated directly into the plasma settings so that everything is in one place because it is not made by KDE, but instead a really great and passionate developer who goes by the online handle Tsujan.

Thank you all for your help friends.

Oh, so that guy, (Tsujan), is really great!

In the end I decided to go with the Global Theme Sweet Amber Blue + Kvantum.

I wish this could be done from the KDE defualt options, but since it’s not possible for now, then I’ll keep using Kvantum, since it looks really beautiful.

By the way, how do you usually download the Global Themes for KDE, do you do it from “Get New…”, or via terminal, from the Arch/Aur repositories?

In another thread in our forum I have been recommended to download it from the repositories (I think they are for Arch/Aur), or from Discover. But it is not 100% clear to me.

By the way, here is the result if anyone wants to see it!

(Dolphin has a little bug at the bottom right, where it shows the GBs, but I guess it’s because of incompatibility with KDE 6.0 or something like that)

[d-air1]

@nicknick

By the way, how do you usually download the Global Themes for KDE, do you do it from “Get New…”, or via terminal, from the Arch/Aur repositories?

In another thread in our forum I have been recommended to download it from the repositories (I think they are for Arch/Aur), or from Discover. But it is not 100% clear to me.

I download them manually, but will get new for some portions of it. When using Get New I prefer to download the individual components rather than the global theme.