How to change cursor and accent color on login screen (GDM)?

rhersel · 9 January 2023 21:01

Since the latest update (Manjaro/GNOME/Wayland) in December 2022 and also with fresh installations of Manjaro 22, the accent color and cursor theme diverts from the desktop settings (GNOME). I can change cursor theme and accent color for the desktop by means of GNOME-Optimization and the extension Custom-Accent-Colors, but not for the login screen (GDM).

Since the Manjaro-Team was able to change it, there must be a way to do it. The gdm-settings app does not provide any options for GDM accent colors nor cursor theme. So, what is the trick to change it?

Nachlese · 9 January 2023 21:20

Of course there is a way.
But, with Gnome and it’s easy to use, no need to configure stuff approach
this can be a daunting task for anyone.

GDM - ArchWiki

However, there is a tool mentioned, right at the start:
gdm-settings (an AUR package)
which can apparently greatly assist you with what is rather easy with other display managers.

I do not know it - and things like this lead to me abandoning Gnome, which I used to love. (rant over)

Good luck!

Creto · 9 January 2023 21:36

I’m Brazilian, so first excuse my bad English (google translate).

And also that it’s been over a decade since I’ve known what Gnome is on my machines

However I’ll try to show you a “possible way to look” which is something like:
" /etc/gdm/gdm.conf"

Which in my case that I use Plasma is:

I’m sorry I can’t recommend it to you, but I think it’s already a start.

T+ = See you later

Nachlese · 9 January 2023 21:47

unfortunately, that is not the way to do it with gdm
see section 3.2.2 in the linked Arch wiki
although, with the help of this guide, it is rather easy

Yochanan · 9 January 2023 22:59

GDM uses the default hard-coded gnome-shell theme which is by default blue. With gnome-shell-maia, you probably noticed it uses Manjaro Maia coloring. There’s no way to change the accent color without recompiling gnome-shell with the color changes.

For the cursor theme used with GDM, edit /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme:

[Icon Theme]
Inherits=Bibata-Modern-Classic

Nachlese · 9 January 2023 23:52

Unfortunately, this does absolutely nothing for me.

But the same is true for the method outlined in the Arch wiki - and the tool gdm-settings also doesn’t achieve a different cursor theme.

It doesn’t matter to me - and I’ll not continue exploring this because, as I said, I left Gnome for precisely these kinds of little things that seem so simple but are often only frustrating.
I only have it in a VM to see and test …

I hope it works for the OP!

Yochanan · 9 January 2023 23:55

What does absolutely nothing? Did you reboot after?

Everything I mentioned does indeed work.

Nachlese · 10 January 2023 00:02

editing /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme

If it works, the OP will be happy.

although I should not have to - stopping and starting gdm should do it, I thought - but yes, I did reboot

Perhaps I’ll re try it later - I sure will come back to apologize to you here.

rhersel · 10 January 2023 09:33

Conclusion:

This command does change the GDM cursor theme:
sudo -u gdm dbus-launch gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface cursor-theme ‘Adwaita’

There is no way to change the GDM accent color without recompiling GNOME-Shell.

Creto · 13 January 2023 13:25

Excuse me, I showed “the way of the stones” it was enough to change addresses from ‘Plasma’(sddm) to ‘Gnome’(gdm) and more as the friend said above

That is:

Sorry I didn’t help you

Best regards,
Paulo Creto

T+ = See you later