Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Gentoo Forums
Quick Search: in
Looking for clean DE design
View unanswered posts
View posts from last 24 hours
View posts from last 7 days

 
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Desktop Environments
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Banana
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 1362
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:43 pm    Post subject: Looking for clean DE design Reply with quote

I'm a XFCE user for decades. Mainly because the other DE are "bloated". Don't get me wrong, there are not bad but I try to keep any uneeded stuff of my system (more or less successfull)
I also run Windows and OSX on a daily basis, but gentoo is the my main work and develop OS.

I know there are themes for XFCE (https://www.xfce-look.org/browse/) and settings for fonts (https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Fontconfig) to make a beautiful and consistent DE.
But I'm struggeling to get a "clean" and consistent look in XFCE.

As I switch to Windows and OSX I notice that the UI is more polished (I know, more money etc. Those are not perfect) and more consistent. Fonts are more clean, window decorations and buttons are overall better styled.

I tried different themes and font settings. Reset my user folder (removed all the .confg and xfce settings) and strarted fresh but could not achive the look and feeling that I have when I use Windows or OSX.
I don't want that xfce looks like windows/osx. I just think I'm missing something.

Any ideas or things I could change?
_________________
My personal space
My delta-labs.org snippets do expire

PFL - Portage file list - find which package a file or command belongs to.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mike155
Advocate
Advocate


Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Posts: 4438
Location: Frankfurt, Germany

PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most important are fonts. Let's try to beautify them.

Please show us your font settings (fonts, anti-aliasing, auto-hinter, hinting, subpixel order, lcdfilter, dpi, rendering engine). There are settings in fontconfig as well as in the XFCE GUI. Please post all of them.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Banana
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 1362
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are the font settings from XFCE appereance - fonts

default font: Droid sans regular 10
default monospace font: droid sans regular mono 10
Rendering: enable anti-aliasing; hintng: full; sub-pixel order: RGB
DPI: not set


Code:
$ eselect fontconfig list
Available fontconfig .conf files (* is enabled):
  [1]   10-autohint.conf
  [2]   10-hinting-full.conf
  [3]   10-hinting-medium.conf
  [4]   10-hinting-none.conf
  [5]   10-hinting-slight.conf *
  [6]   10-no-sub-pixel.conf
  [7]   10-scale-bitmap-fonts.conf
  [8]   10-sub-pixel-bgr.conf
  [9]   10-sub-pixel-rgb.conf
  [10]  10-sub-pixel-vbgr.conf
  [11]  10-sub-pixel-vrgb.conf
  [12]  10-unhinted.conf
  [13]  11-lcdfilter-default.conf
  [14]  11-lcdfilter-legacy.conf
  [15]  11-lcdfilter-light.conf
  [16]  20-unhint-small-dejavu-sans.conf
  [17]  20-unhint-small-dejavu-sans-mono.conf
  [18]  20-unhint-small-dejavu-serif.conf
  [19]  20-unhint-small-vera.conf
  [20]  25-ttf-arphic-ukai-render.conf
  [21]  25-ttf-arphic-uming-bitmaps.conf
  [22]  25-ttf-arphic-uming-render.conf
  [23]  25-unhint-nonlatin.conf
  [24]  30-metric-aliases.conf
  [25]  35-ttf-arphic-ukai-aliases.conf
  [26]  35-ttf-arphic-uming-aliases.conf
  [27]  40-nonlatin.conf
  [28]  41-ttf-arphic-ukai.conf
  [29]  41-ttf-arphic-uming.conf
  [30]  42-luxi-mono.conf *
  [31]  43-wqy-zenhei-sharp.conf
  [32]  44-wqy-zenhei.conf
  [33]  45-generic.conf *
  [34]  45-latin.conf
  [35]  49-sansserif.conf
  [36]  50-user.conf
  [37]  51-local.conf
  [38]  57-dejavu-sans.conf
  [39]  57-dejavu-sans-mono.conf
  [40]  57-dejavu-serif.conf
  [41]  59-google-droid-sans.conf
  [42]  59-google-droid-sans-mono.conf
  [43]  59-google-droid-serif.conf
  [44]  60-generic.conf *
  [45]  60-latin.conf
  [46]  60-liberation.conf
  [47]  64-ttf-arphic-uming.conf
  [48]  65-fonts-persian.conf
  [49]  65-khmer.conf
  [50]  65-nonlatin.conf
  [51]  66-ja-ipafonts.conf
  [52]  66-noto-mono.conf *
  [53]  66-noto-sans.conf *
  [54]  66-noto-serif.conf *
  [55]  66-takao-fonts.conf
  [56]  69-unifont.conf
  [57]  70-no-bitmaps.conf
  [58]  70-yes-bitmaps.conf
  [59]  75-ttf-arphic-ukai-select.conf
  [60]  75-yes-terminus.conf
  [61]  80-delicious.conf
  [62]  90-synthetic.conf
  [63]  90-ttf-arphic-ukai-embolden.conf
  [64]  90-ttf-arphic-uming-embolden.conf


fonts.conf from ~/.config/fontconfig
Code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
    <!-- This part deals with the looks -->
    <match target="font">
        <edit mode="assign" name="hinting" >
            <bool>true</bool>
        </edit>
        <edit mode="assign" name="autohint" >
            <bool>false</bool>
        </edit>
        <edit mode="assign" name="hintstyle" >
            <const>hintslight</const>
        </edit>
        <edit mode="assign" name="rgba" >
            <const>rgb</const>
        </edit>
        <edit mode="assign" name="antialias" >
            <bool>true</bool>
        </edit>
        <edit mode="assign" name="lcdfilter">
            <const>lcddefault</const>
        </edit>
        <edit mode="assign" name="dpi">
          <!--
            check with
            xdpyinfo | grep -B 2 resolution
          -->
          <double>96</double>
        </edit>
    </match>

    <!--
      Setting aliases for default font names with the fonts we have installed.
      Now in programs like lxappearance, we set the UI font to Sans and we
      get Roboto as the UI font. This is super useful when we want to change the
      font used in all apps on the fly in one go.
      sudo apt install fonts-noto fonts-hack-ttf
    -->
    <alias>
        <family>serif</family>
        <prefer>
            <family>Noto Serif</family>
        </prefer>
    </alias>
    <alias>
        <family>sans-serif</family>
        <prefer>
                      <family>Noto Sans</family>
        </prefer>
    </alias>
    <alias>
        <family>monospace</family>
        <prefer>
          <family>Hack</family>
        </prefer>
    </alias>

    <!--
      Some websites and app have Helvetica, Times and Terminal values
      hardcoded as fonts to be used. We tell them to use our fonts instead.
    -->
    <match target="pattern">
      <test name="family" qual="any">
          <string>Helvetica</string>
      </test>
      <edit name="family" mode="assign" binding="same">
          <string>sans-serif</string>
      </edit>
    </match>
    <match target="pattern">
      <test name="family" qual="any">
        <string>Times</string>
      </test>
      <edit name="family" mode="assign" binding="same">
        <string>serif</string>
      </edit>
    </match>
    <match target="pattern">
      <test name="family" qual="any">
        <string>Courier</string>
      </test>
      <edit name="family" mode="assign" binding="same">
        <string>monospace</string>
      </edit>
    </match>
    <match target="pattern">
      <test name="family" qual="any">
        <string>Terminal</string>
      </test>
      <edit name="family" mode="assign" binding="same">
        <string>monospace</string>
      </edit>
    </match>

   
    <!--
      This sets Symbola as the final fallback font for the monospace font family.
      To get that all important emoji support.
      sudo apt install ttf-ancient-fonts-symbola
    -->
    <match target="pattern">
      <test name="family"><string>monospace</string></test>
      <edit name="family" mode="append"><string>Symbola</string></edit>
    </match>

</fontconfig>


are there other places to look for configs?
_________________
My personal space
My delta-labs.org snippets do expire

PFL - Portage file list - find which package a file or command belongs to.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
kukibl
Apprentice
Apprentice


Joined: 10 Jun 2008
Posts: 230

PostPosted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe you can also provide us with few screenshots to better understand issue.

Also, after infinality was removed, I encountered fonts issue with GTK apps especially (I am using Plasma). Here is the link to my post that provided me with very good result: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-8604639-highlight-.html#8604639

Also, do not neglect DPI setting: https://blog.aktsbot.in/better-font-rendering-linux.html
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Tony0945
Watchman
Watchman


Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 5127
Location: Illinois, USA

PostPosted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good tips, kukibl! Although I'm relectant to install anything from google.

Re fonts, I like Arial that I stole from my XP years ago. Search for "fonts arial linux"
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Banana
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 1362
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is the screenshot: https://delta-labs.org/sp/BF0

Maybe I exaggerate it a bit since it is not bad. The screenshot is from a already modified workstation.
_________________
My personal space
My delta-labs.org snippets do expire

PFL - Portage file list - find which package a file or command belongs to.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mike155
Advocate
Advocate


Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Posts: 4438
Location: Frankfurt, Germany

PostPosted: Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It looks like subpixel rendering is enabled on your machine:
Code:
<edit mode="assign" name="rgba" >
     <const>rgb</const>
</edit>

I can see it in your screenshot. Many characters have colored edges.

I don't like subpixel rendering at all! I really hate it! Therefore, I disable subpixel rendering on my machines:
Code:
<edit name="rgba" mode="assign"><const>none</const></edit>
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Banana
Veteran
Veteran


Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 1362
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Thu Jul 29, 2021 11:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

deactivated subpixel rendering and I can see some light difference. Thx.

Gonna try those settings on a "new" box and see what the result will be.

Right know I'm pleased and to be fair, it was not that bad. Was just curious if I'm missing something.
_________________
My personal space
My delta-labs.org snippets do expire

PFL - Portage file list - find which package a file or command belongs to.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Gentoo Forums Forum Index Desktop Environments All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum