Optimizing Xubuntu's user interface

Xubuntu targets slower older hardware with limited resources like my IBM Thinkpad with 1 Gig Intel processor 250 Mb memory, 30 Gig hard drive and 14 inch display size. Running Xubuntu on older hardware is a challenge in itself but in this article I focus exclusively on usability issues that might enhance older hardware functionality making xubuntu experience more enjoyable.

When we interact with a computer we essentially use the interface as our primary aid to carry out certain tasks; therefore, it is essential to have a user-friendly desktop that speeds up rather than slows down our work process.

The default look of Xubuntu is pretty good but it still leaves room for improvements. For me the two panels default set up wastes too much valuable screen estate. The two panels don't add more functionality to the work environment than the one panel setup, in fact, I found the second panel redundant from the usability point of view. Take a look at the screeshot below. This is the default look of Xubuntu (click to enlarge).



After much thinking and experimenting, I worked out a different conceptual model of the interface that I describe below. In this set up, I have only one panel on the left side of the screen. I set this up by deleting the bottom panel from the default setup and reposition the top one to the left side of the screen. But before, I disabled the Application label in the top panel. The label prevents the panel to re-size properly when it is positioned vertically.

However, from the usability point of view the default Application icon is a weak visual sign, it doesn't provide enough feedback by itself because it was designed to function, in accord with the menu label. To fix this I've created a new Application button that can be seen in the following image.


In the next step, I changed the default color of the panel. Unfortunately, Xfce panel doesn't allow color customization by default. To be able to change the color of the panel, users have to create a .gtkrc-2.0 file in their Home directories with the following code.

style "panel"
{
bg[NORMAL] = "#909599"
xthickness = 0
ythickness = 0
}

widget_class "*Panel*" style "panel"
widget "*Panel*" style "panel"
class "*Panel*" style "panel"

I set the panel color Gray because the neutral tone provides an ideal background for the icons.

The code also lets the icons to scale properly. Xfce panel has a bug making the icons scale disproportionally when the panel size is changed.

Finally, I added an Icon Box applet to the panel. The Icon Box applet is a neat little program that shows the icons of all running applications. Again, icons as visual signals provide more complete feedback than the labels evident in the default taskbar setup. To add an Icon Box, simply right click on the panel and from the menu options select the Add New Item, then choose the Icon Box.

The next step, I replaced the default Tango icons for a visually more fitting icon theme called Nimbus. I like Nimbus because it is attractive and its visual properties are superior to Tango. Nimbus perceptual cues provide superb navigational feedback for users enhancing speed and sense of mastery over the task. Nimbus comes in binary debian packages and its installation is a matter of double-clicking on the file name.

There was one more thing that I had to fix regarding the icons--taking out the icon label backgrounds. Unfortunately, Xfce places non-transparent backgrounds behind icon labels that are visual nuisances. To take the background out you have to insert the code seen below into the .gtkrc-2.0 file.
The code:

style "xfdesktop-icon-view" {
XfdesktopIconView::label-alpha = 0

#Text colors you can delete these if you want you use gtk theme colors
fg[NORMAL] = "#ffffff"
fg[SELECTED] = "#00ff00"
fg[ACTIVE] = "#0000ff"

}
widget_class "*XfdesktopIconView*" style "xfdesktop-icon-view"

Notice that the code provides options for changing the font color (Normal, Selected and Active).

As a final touch, I replaced Xubuntu's clearlooks gtk theme for a faster and more fitting Murrina theme called MurrinaAquaIsh. Great Murrina themes can be found at the Gnome-look site; theming is more or less a matter of personal preference, but from the visual point of view the light gray of MurrinaAquaIsh is a better complement to the blue color of the background than the beige Clearlooks.

This is the redesigned interface of Xubuntu (click to enlarge).

Beautifying Debian Etch

Debian is one of my favorite distros; but in terms of look, I hate it. At each release, I am hoping for visual improvements but each time I get disappointed. Etch is no different, the artworks are unpolished, the icon set (Rodent on the Xfce desktop) is prehistoric and in general, the desktop has a poor aesthetic appearance. These issues prompted me to redesign the entire desktop and create a visual environment that is pleasant to work with. Take a look at the screen-shot below.

This is the default desktop:



In order to get the result I wanted, I decided on the following design steps.

1) Create a new wallpaper
2) Find a new icon set
3) Customize the icons, take out the ugly icon label backgrounds; also create a customized start button.
4) Customize the panel
5) Redesign the splash screen
6) Redesign the GDM screen

Creating a new wallpaper was a simple enough task. After a few hours of experimenting with the Gimp I came up with the following image (click to enlarge).




I tried many color schemes but I kept the blue because it made me feel relaxed.

In step two, I had to find new icons that could replace the horrible looking Rodent icon set that was the default on Etch. On the gnome-look site, after a short search I found the Nimbus icons that have become my instant favorite.
You can find Nimbus here.

Next, I got rid of the icon label backgrounds. Unfortunately, Xfce adds non-transparent label backgrounds to the icons making them look visually distracting, especially on darker backgrounds.

This is the code that makes the label backgrounds disappear.

style "xfdesktop-icon-view" {
XfdesktopIconView::label-alpha = 0

#Text colors you can delete these if you want you use gtk theme colors
fg[NORMAL] = "#ffffff"
fg[SELECTED] = "#00ff00"
fg[ACTIVE] = "#0000ff"

}
widget_class "*XfdesktopIconView*" style "xfdesktop-icon-view"

I pasted these lines in the .gtkrc-2.0 file in my Home directory. The code also lets you change the font colors.

Next, I created a new start button because I preferred a Debian specific artwork to the Xfce mouse icon.

This is the button.



I replaced the the Xfce icon with the new Debian one in the pixmap directory and it appeared in the panel instantly.

The next step is the panel. I personally don't like it on the top or the bottom of the screen. I prefer it on the side. Luckily, the new Xfce customize panel dialogue lets you place the panel in any position you want. So I put it to the left side of the screen. I also wanted to change the color of the panel. Because Xfce doesn't let you change the default panel color you have to insert additional lines of code in the .gtkrc-2.0 file to be able to accomplish this.

This is the code.

style "panel"
{
bg[NORMAL] = "#909599"
xthickness = 0
ythickness = 0
}

widget_class "*Panel*" style "panel"
widget "*Panel*" style "panel"
class "*Panel*" style "panel"

I changed the panel color to dark brown. The x and y coordinates in the code handle the proper icon scaling.

Now, the desktop started to look pretty good. Take a look at the screenshot below.

The redesigned desktop (click to enlarge).



I also redesigned the splash screen to go with the new artworks. This is the final product.




There was one more thing left to do, creating a new GDM theme. For the background, I re-used the wallpaper and created a new artwork for the user name and password entry box.

These are the artworks.






The place for these artworks is the /usr/share/gdm/themes/debian-moreblue directory.

And this is the final GDM look (click to enlarge).