New Decoration control module

There are a few things in KDE’s desktop shell which have not changed for a very long time. For example I remember that the first KDE version I used (that was a 3.x with x << 5) had the same control module for window decorations as the one we will have in KDE SC 4.4. The interface displays a dropdown list with the names of the available decorations, a configuration panel for the selected decoration and a preview. This results in wonderful tabs inside tabs user interfaces – just look at the Oxygen configuration in 4.4.

With KDE SC 4.5 there will be a new interface which could be called the Qt 4 port of the decoration control module. The dropdown is replaced by a list view displaying previews of each decoration. The configuration panel is moved to a dialog which is accessible from a configure button next to the preview.

New decoration KCM

As I think it’s important to honor those who should be honored a button to access about data has been added. So if you have written a decoration please add your author information to the desktop file of your decoration.

Aurorae themes are included in the list just like "normal" decorations. The fact that Aurorae is a theme engine is an irrelevant implementation detail for the user and by that it should be hidden. And so KWin finally supports Get Hot New Stuff for decorations – that’s just awesome. I hope we will be able to integrate deKorator themes in the same way.

Unfortunately I was not able to finish this for 4.4.

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13 Replies to “New Decoration control module”

  1. Yay! The same could be done for styles and treat QtCurve (and Quantum) like Aurora for Get Hot New Stuff.

    Anyway this is nice!

  2. And colors schema! That is currently pretty terrible when hunting down specific color to change from multiple different choises of it’s settings.

    The color style selection has good thing it is easy, but even then managing the saves schemas is hard.

    btw, what is the black framed decoration on that screenshot?

  3. Nice, it would be nice if the Get Hot New Stuff dialog was integrated into it. It would require a server to render the preview because kde-look screenshot can’t be used, but it would make easier the discovery of the SVG based theme engine, for most people, it’s just a choice in the list, they don’t know it’s a theme collection. It would also encourage devs to use it instead of the native API. Aurora (it’s how it’s called?) have a superior usability, it is much easier to install themes with it.

    The Wallpaper and color sheme would also benefit similar approach.

  4. Just curious about the GHNS integration. How will it be implemented? AFAIK, widget styles and window decorations couldn’t be easily integrated with GHNS because they require compilation and/or installing to a system (root) directory. Of course themes for styles or window decorations can simply just be downloaded and applied to an already installed style or windeco. So I’m quite interested how the developers plan to go about this.

  5. Very cool, noticed this a couple of days ago – switching decors can’t get easier than this! 😀

    On a related note, can we now get rid of the “Use custom titlebar positions” checkbox in the Button Settings since that dialog now has its own Defaults-resetter? #164137 I believe.

    1. I think the same problems are still valid: the button configuration is global. I would like to move the button configuration into each decoration but that cannot be done without breaking BC or at least behaviour.

      I really wanted to solve that issue as I do not like it myself.

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