I am using Ubuntu 14.04. I found a great theme I would really like and downloaded it. It is in a zip file and I cannot figure out how to install it.
I tried the /usr/shared/themes but it tells me I do not have permission to do this.
Ubuntu – Installing theme manually
themes
Related Solutions
You can install a theme from an archive using the command line by running:
tar xavf ARCHIVE -C ~/.themes
(replacing ARCHIVE with the path to the theme archive)
If it is a zip archive, use:
unzip ARCHIVE -d ~/.themes
This seems to be a popular theme, albeit somewhat different from the original Unity. This theme also prefers cold colours producing an overall calming and comfortable desktop.
Update: After using this theme for a couple of weeks I must say this is the best I ever had with Unity. The choice and combination of colours is spot on, a serene and beautiful theme. Highly recommended.
This theme can be installed from the Nooblabs PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:noobslab/themes
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install arc-theme
There is also an Arc icons theme, check more details at the NoobsLab webpage.
This theme introduces a number of modifications to window decorations and icons, but the end result is quite crisp. All the colours seem to have been well worked out, producing a nice desktop in different monitors.
Installation:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:tista/adapta -y
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install adapta-gtk-theme
It might require some tweaking to get activated, check the details here or follow the steps below.
Install unity-tweak-tool to apply the newly installed theme using:
sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool
Now navigate to unity-tweak-tool > Appearance > Theme to choose theme.
Best Answer
You need to extract it first.
To install globally (i.e. to install it such that it is available for all users, you need to place it in
/usr/share/themes.For this you need root privileges. A simple way to achieve this would be to open
nautilusas root and then copy paste the extracted theme folder.Type Ctrl+Alt+T to open a terminal window. In the terminal window that opens do:
A window will show up. Copy your extracted theme folder and paste it into
/usr/share/themes. (Close the window when you're done.)If you do not have root privileges, copy your extracted theme folder to
~/.themes/where~stands for your home and.makes the folder hidden – simply create one if there isn't any.After all, you need apps such as Unity Tweak Tool to select the theme.