MDModern | HTML theme & development base

[philer]

An HTML5 theme for MDM's webkit greeter.

screenshot.jpg

The theme functions both as a regular theme and as an easy to use dev kit. Features a configurable
background slideshow, accessible controls etc. A default config with two background wallpapers is
included.

You can simply use this theme as is and customize it using the available configuration options, or
you can modify the sources to create something completely new.

Web developers may be happy to find several well documented JavaScript modules, including an
easy-to-use MDM interface, which you can use to build your very own theme. The main point in
creating this theme was to provide a JavaScript wrapper for MDM's rather peculiar API.

Files and installation instructions as well as documented sources can be found on github.
Feedback and Opinions are appreciated. Enjoy.

[killer de bug]

Ohhhh it looks great!

[anandrkris]

Justy tried your theme..Awesome...Great Job...Thanks.

Update: Sorry to niggle, i think, it does not show auto-login message?

[philer]

@anandrkis: niggle away, that's why I asked for feedback
And yes, I've hidden any messages other then errors since I don't use autologin. But if that's a think people use I'll check it out as soon as I get to it.

[anandrkris]

@anandrkis: niggle away, that's why I asked for feedback
And yes, I've hidden any messages other then errors since I don't use autologin. But if that's a think people use I'll check it out as soon as I get to it.

Auto-login is useful for me. I have one account for myself and guest account, and set 10 seconds before my primary account auto-logs. Another thing, in slideshow config, instead of files can it support folder path. For instance, I want to link it to Backgrounds folder...

P.S. I actually have a collection of some nice wallpapers stored in a folder (dropbox). Currently, i ls-ed the folder images and used the names.

[philer]

I'd prefer folders, too. Sadly that's not how it works.
The long version: I'm using ajax requests (XMLHttpRequest) to retrieve the config files and it's curious enough that that works. Browsers are very restrictive about accessing local files, for obvious reasons. The engine behind MDM's HTML themes (webkit) is basically just a browser showing a local document. The fact that it's all local is why the request are getting through at all. However XMLHttpRequests are specifically designed to retrieve individual files from a given path (or rather a URL) so they simply cannot retrieve a directory listing. The only way to make that possible would be ton run a local webserver in the background that provides that list, which would be quite an overkill.
So yeah, you're stuck with ls -1 >> slideshow.conf.

As for the auto login, I'll take a look at it as soon as I get to it (hopefully in a few days).

[anandrkris]

I'd prefer folders, too. Sadly that's not how it works.
The long version: I'm using ajax requests (XMLHttpRequest) to retrieve the config files and it's curious enough that that works. Browsers are very restrictive about accessing local files, for obvious reasons. The engine behind MDM's HTML themes (webkit) is basically just a browser showing a local document. The fact that it's all local is why the request are getting through at all. However XMLHttpRequests are specifically designed to retrieve individual files from a given path (or rather a URL) so they simply cannot retrieve a directory listing. The only way to make that possible would be ton run a local webserver in the background that provides that list, which would be quite an overkill.
So yeah, you're stuck with ls -1 >> slideshow.conf.

As for the auto login, I'll take a look at it as soon as I get to it (hopefully in a few days).

Hmm, thanks for clarifying. I got it.

BTW, Clem seemed interested in this theme when I shared the link. Below is a Roadmap commit where he made a note to look into this -
https://github.com/linuxmint/Roadmap/co ... 74ab04a02f

+ mdm: new theme based on mdm-modern, with slideshow

[philer]

Well that's a nice surprise
Gotta try and catch him on the IRC some time.

So I pushed an update to the github repo. It now has a countdown indicator in the top bar next to the sessions menu. It's not too fancy but should do the job.
The fact that it just resets on every keystroke confused me a little but that's just how MDM handles it. Personally I'd have expected the countdown to be stopped on first interaction.

[anandrkris]

Well that's a nice surprise
Gotta try and catch him on the IRC some time.

So I pushed an update to the github repo. It now has a countdown indicator in the top bar next to the sessions menu. It's not too fancy but should do the job.
The fact that it just resets on every keystroke confused me a little but that's just how MDM handles it. Personally I'd have expected the countdown to be stopped on first interaction.

Yes, you should do that and hear any suggestions from him. I was in fact about to suggest that ...
http://segfault.linuxmint.com/2014/08/mint-x-colors - Not sure, if you have seen this Maybe you can create / add all colors planned to be offer for Mint X as slideshow images...
Thanks, will check it out. Yeah, it did confuse me as well...
Also, is language selection intentionally left out?

[philer]

Yeah, language isn't something I ever use in the login screen. I can actually only imagine very few scenarios where someone would need that to be there.

Though again, if this is gonna get more attention I can add it easy enough.

[anandrkris]

Yeah, language isn't something I ever use in the login screen. I can actually only imagine very few scenarios where someone would need that to be there.

Though again, if this is gonna get more attention I can add it easy enough.

Even I dont need it actually, i guess, some people need it to select for keyboard layout perhaps...Say, when you attach keyboard to a laptop...

And if Clem decides to use this as default theme, it would need all bells and whistles

[caribriz]

philer -

Thank you for creating this beautiful theme.
Very classy.

I'd vote for it to be the default.

[philer]

Well I doubt it's gonna become a default theme just like that. But who knows… ;D
Clem seemed interested in the background slideshow though.

Anyway, let me know if you need anything in particular to be added.

[anandrkris]

You're in luck!
https://github.com/linuxmint/mint-mdm-t ... c7462853de

[philer]

Awesome, thanks for telling me.

I'll probably add a language chooser one of these days, just gotta find some time for it.

[anandrkris]

And now you've been made famous....

http://blog.linuxmint.com/

Last but not least, as mentioned in the introduction, the Mint-X theme received a beautiful new slideshow. A new developer, Philipp Miller, created a flexible and adaptable theme called MDModern, full of innovations and elegance from which was inspired this slideshow and which could be used by artists to produce the next generation of MDM themes.

The team is currently working with Philipp, not only on the theme but on the MDM theme API and we’re hoping to add MDModern to Linux Mint 17.1.

[philer]

Now that is awesome!
I'm not even sure I deserve that.

Meanwhile I added a language selection and updated some of the API. Get the update from github, if you care, and let me know about any issues you might encounter.
In case someone has already been using the API and needs a changelog, let me know.

[wilkgr76]

I love it, it comes default with linux mint 17.1! How about a green-blue version? [I don't like red...]

[linuxmintuser1214]

This superb greeter really helps to show off my Linux box to my colleagues. It's far superior to the more questionable aesthetics of the other welcome screens included in 7.1, if you ask me.

[philer]

@linuxmintuser1214 Glad you like it
I'm not gonna say too much about other people's work but I had a vaguely similar motivation for making this theme ;D

@wilkgr76 You can change the background wallpaper to anything you want. I only included the red and blue ones as examples (and because I like them).