Configure XFCE with ElementaryOS Luna skin

I've always said that Xfce it is a very configurable desktop and almost the same ones can be reached (or better) results than with others Desktop Environments. My desk, which I present below, is an attempt to get closer to the appearance of ElementaryOS Moon. In the end it has been like this:

Let's see how to configure it this way 😀

INSTALL ELEMENTARY THEMES

The first thing to do is download the last GTK theme of the team Elementary. They can be made of the same here.

To install the theme we have to extract content of the package elementary.tar.gz In the address book ~ / .themes (This folder may be hidden, press ctrl + h, to see hidden folders. If it does not exist, we create it) although it will only be available to the user who installed it. Another option (the one I use) is extract it in the directory [harddiskdrawing] / usr / share / themes. To do it graphically we will need to write in terminal, sudo thunar (or your file manager). It will be available to all users but be careful with this last option, don't do anything other than extract the package.

Then you have to install the theme elementary icons (Xubuntu users bring them installed by default). You can download it from here.

This time the package elementary_icons_by_danrabbit-d12yjq7.zip contains two packets. Those two packages you must extract them In the address book ~ / .icons (This folder may be hidden, press ctrl + h to see hidden folders. If it does not exist, create it) again it will only be available to the user who installed it. Another option (again) is to extract them in the directory [harddiskdrawing] / usr / share / icons. To do it graphically you will need to write in terminal, sudo thunar (or your file manager).

Then we proceed to install the fonts or typefaces. I have the type of font called Caviar dreams that you can download from this page, although the letter that is used officially in ElementaryOs Luna es Without Open that you can download from here. Both are "Free Sources", you just have to extract the contents of the packages in [harddiskdrawing] / usr / share / fonts / truetype .

Then to select both gtk and icon themes and take effect let's go to Mmenu »Settings» Configuration manager »Appearance and tab "style" we choose elementary. Then we go to the tab "Icons" and we choose basicdark, then you go to "font" and we choose Without Open o Caviar Dream (I have it in bold).

After in Menú »Settings» Configuration manager »Window manager tab "style" we choose the topic elementary, on the right side we choose the Title Font (Open Sans or Caviar Dream). The Title Alignment es "centered". And in Button Layout, if you want them to be distributed the same as in ElementaryOs arrange them as follows:[Close] [Title] [Maximize]. I personally don't like it so I left them with the classic style.

To shade the windows they will Menu »Configuration Configuration manager» Window manager settings, go to the tab "Composer" there select "Activate display composition" and check the first three boxes.

UPPER PANEL

Now we go on to configure the upper panel trying to imitate the Wing Panel.

If you already have a panel at the top give it secondary click »Panel» Panel preferences. If you still don't have it you can go to Menu »Configuration» Configuration manager »Panel and press the button green which is a + for Add a new panel and drag it to the top of the screen.

In the "Screen" we leave it as follows.

General

Orientation> Landscape
Lock Panel> On
Show and Hide Panel Automatically> Off

Dimensions

Size> choose the one you like, but if it exceeds 36 pixels, the image of the subject will be repeated, giving a slightly ugly appearance. If you still prefer the panel a bit larger, you can use a solid color (black) in the Appearance> Style tab.
Length> 100%

In the "Appearance" leave it as follows.

Background

Style> None, use the system style. (If your panel measures more than 36 pixels, put Solid Color and choose a black color)
Alpha> 100%

Opacity
Enter> 100%
Trace> 100%

In the "Elements".
To access the properties of each element you just have to double click.
I am of the belief that the XFCE Application Finder it can emulate Sligthshot very well, especially in XFCE 4.10. If we want this instead of adding item 1 (a traditional menu) go on to read the note at the end of the topic.

The elements of the bar are the following:
1.- On the left the "Applications menu": Generally the menu icon is a mouse, but I changed the icon image to a "to" made in Gimp, although you can just put a transparent icon made in Gimp. You change the icon properties> icon. In passing where it says "Button Title" you change what I say for the word "Applications".
2.- After a "Separator", that in its properties we select Style> Transparent and we activate the box "Expand".
3.- Then we put the plugin "Date and Time" I have it personalized with these parameters Format> Time only; At Typeface «Caviar Dreams Bold» u "Open Sans"; Format> Custom with these parameters (Without the quotes) "% B% d -% I:% M".
4.- Then we put a separator again, and in its properties we select Style> Transparent and check the box expand.
5.- Later we add the plugin called "Plugin Indicator" (if you don't have it you can add another call "Notification Area".
6.- Then we put another separator, in its properties we select Style> Transparent but here unexpanded.
7.- and at the end they add a "Pitcher" they go to their We take care of your rental property in Valencia. , they press the button «Add an Empty Element» (the icon is a + on a page). You configure it like this:

Name: Exit
Comment: Session Menu
Command: xfce4-session-logout
Working Directory: (blank)
Icon: Select all icons> Search Icon: system-shutdown-panel; and you select it. you give "Save" y "Close"

LOWER PANEL

The Lower Panel is somewhat more complex (and uncomfortable if we use the panel) since the official dock of ElementaryOs has excellent performance and looks great. I use the panel to save resources, but if you want to use Plank here I pass some instructions on how to install it.

En Xubuntu or derived from Ubuntu (Mint XFCE) this article is very clear.

En Debian this blog post written by Elav works perfect.

In other distributions I have no idea. 🙁

We create the lower panel the same as the upper one and configure it as follows.

In the  "Screen" leave it as follows.

General

Orientation> Landscape
Lock Panel> On
Show and Hide Panel Automatically> On (Does not have smart hiding)

Dimensions

Size> we choose the one we want
Length> 1%
Y we activate the box, Automatically increase panel length.

In the "Appearance" we leave it as follows.

Background

Style> Solid Color and color we choose a black color.
Alpha> 100% (this is the transparency of the panel)

Opacity
Enter> 100%
Trace> 100%

In the "Elements" We put the elements that we want, but the element [b] «Window Buttons» [/ b] should not be missing to know what programs we have open.
We configure it like this:

Appearance

Solo we activate the box «Show Flat Buttons» the rest we leave them without activating.
Sort Order> Group Title and Timestamp.

Behavior

Window Grouping> Always

The boxes leave them as you like.

Filtered out

We select only the first two boxes.

The pitchers they are added as follows.

With the button Add we select launcher. We are going to the We take care of your rental property in Valencia. of the launcher and press "Add". We look for the application we want and press "Add" again and that's it. Try to do one launcher per appIf you put more than one application per launcher, something like a menu that is very difficult to use will be created.

DESKTOP WALLPAPER

And finally we change the desktop wallpaper. You can download the official ElementaryOS Wallpapers from here.
The keep y decompress where they like. To the image of your liking they give secondary click and choose "Set as Wallpaper".

And that's it, we have a XFCE with an appearance very similar to ElementaryOS Moon.

Note: As I was saying, I think that Application Finder XFCE especially the last version, does not ask anything to Slightshot (Elementary official launcher) so let's put it in the top bar where the latter would go. Believe in panel elements un pitcher, must go to the beginning (all the way up) Let's go to their We take care of your rental property in Valencia. And we pressed «Add new empty element» In the window that appears we write:

Name: apps
Comment: Application Launcher
Command: xfce4-appfinder
We leave the rest as is and press «Create»

We go back to launcher properties and tab "Advanced", we activate the box "Show label instead of icon". We push "Close" and we press the launcher. Already in the application we select the box "Close after running" (XFCE 4.8 only). And ready. The downside is that it takes longer to run than the menu and I have not found a way to prevent it from running in the center of the screen. This is what it looks like in the end.

That was all from me, I hope you like it. See you.