.. index:: lumina configuration utility
The |lumina| Configuration utility, shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina3>`, is used to configure every aspect of the desktop and is the recommended way to make changes. To launch this utility, click :menuselection:`Start menu --> Preferences --> Configure Desktop`, or right-click the desktop and hover over :guilabel:`Preferences` and click :guilabel:`All Desktop Settings`, or type :command:`lumina-config` in a Command Line Interface (CLI). If all those options are unavailable, the Desktop Configuration application (under the :guilabel:`Settings` category) also opens the configuration utility. For convenience, the :guilabel:`Preferences` section of the right-click menu also lists the commonly used sub-elements of Screensaver, Wallpaper, and Display from within the Configuration utility.
|lumina| Desktop Settings
Under the top search bar are options to configure different areas of the system. By default, each category is expanded to provide an efficient view of all available configuration options. Click an option to view more details and tunables.
Note
If you make changes to any of the options, remember to click :guilabel:`Save` before exiting this utility in order to save them. |lumina| prompts for a decision if any unsaved changes are present when attempting to navigate away from the current settings area.
The rest of this section describes the available configurations in each category.
.. index:: configure appearance
This category changes the visual appearance and functionality of the desktop on a per-screen basis.
.. index:: configure themesettings
The :guilabel:`Theme` option, shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina17>`, is used to change the default font, font size, theme template, color scheme, icon pack, and mouse cursors.
Desktop Theme settings
It is possible to create personalized theme templates or color schemes by clicking :guilabel:`Edit` next to those options and changing the settings as necessary. :numref:`Figure %s <lumina18>` shows an example of clicking :guilabel:`Edit` on the :guilabel:`Glass (System)` theme template. The :guilabel:`Theme Editor` opens and the user clicks the color selector (:guilabel:`dropper` icon) in the upper right corner. Selecting an item in this menu edits the template by changing the values in the theme editor box.
Note
Theme templates are written as Qt stylesheets. Scripting experience is helpful when configuring a theme.
When making changes, be sure to click :guilabel:`Save` to save the theme without closing the editor, or click :guilabel:`Apply`, which both saves the theme and closes the editor.
Using the Theme Editor
The :guilabel:`Application Themes` tab, seen in :numref:`Figure %s <appthemes>`, allows the user to easily apply any installed Qt5 theme engines to any Qt based applications.
Select the :guilabel:`Qt5 Theme Engine` drop down menu to choose between the defaults of None or Manual Setting. Any user installed theme engines will also appear in this drop down menu.
.. index:: appearance, wallpaper
The :guilabel:`Wallpaper` option, shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina27>`, can be used to add or remove a wallpaper with the :guilabel:`+` or :guilabel:`-` buttons, respectively. When :guilabel:`+` is pressed, the drop-down menu can be used to select the file(s), a single directory, a directory and all of its subdirectories, or a solid color to use as the wallpaper. If multiple images are selected, :guilabel:`Rotate Background` can be selected as well as a specified time interval in minutes to move to the next image.
Wallpaper Settings
Click the :guilabel:`Layout` drop-down menu to change the default layout of :guilabel:`Automatic` to one of several options: Fullscreen, Fit screen, Tile, Center, Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, or Bottom Right.
Click :menuselection:`+ --> Solid Color` to view all the wallpaper options shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina16>`. Select a color and click :guilabel:`OK` to add that color as a solid background to the wallpaper selection drop-down menu.
Custom Wallpaper colors
.. index:: window effects
:guilabel:`Window Effects`, shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina28>`, is used to add or alter graphical effects or animations applied to your windows. By default, no additional effects are added. Any desired changes need to be adjusted manually.
Window Effects
Disable the Compositing Manager by checking its associated box. Restarting the current session is required for any changes to take effect. By default, :guilabel:`Only use compositing with GPU acceleration` is selected, which improves system performance.
.. index:: window manager
:guilabel:`Window Manager`, shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina22>`, contains various configuration options for the window manager.
Session Window Manager
Drop-down menus are provided for configuring all options:
- Number of Workspaces: A maximum of 10 workspaces can be defined, with a default of 2.
- New Window Placement: Indicates where new windows are placed on the screen. Choices are Align in a Row, Align in a Column, Cascade", or *Underneath Mouse.
- Focus Policy: Indicates when windows receive focus. Choices are Click to Focus, Active Mouse Focus, or Strict Mouse Focus.
- Window Theme: Controls the appearance of the frame around application windows. The :guilabel:`Window Theme Preview` box previews the selected theme.
The :guilabel:`Advanced Editor`, seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina29>`, provides options to manually adjust every setting related to the display of windows on the system.
Window Manager - Advanced Editor
.. index:: Desktop Defaults
The :guilabel:`Desktop Defaults` category, seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina3>`, is used to configure which applications automatically start on login in to |lumina|, the default applications and file types, and keyboard shortcuts.
.. index:: default applications
Click :guilabel:`Applications` to view the default applications :guilabel:`Basic Settings` tab, shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina24>`. This tab can be used to configure default applications.
|lumina| Default Applications - Basic
The default web browser, email client, file manager, and virtual terminal are all configurable. Click the desired application, and a new window appears, allowing a new default application to be chosen. To return to the default application, click the current application's name, then :guilabel:`Restore Defaults`.
Note
Some applications, such as web browsers, keep their own internal lists of default applications for opening particular types of files. These applications, when configured to use the :command:`lumina-open` or :command:`xdg-open` utilities, refer back to the default applications set in :guilabel:`Applications`.
The :guilabel:`Advanced` tab allows for configuring the default application used for particular file types, as seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina7>`.
|lumina| Default Applications - Advanced
To add an application, select both the file type and specific group. Then, either click :guilabel:`Set App` to open a drop-down menu of common applications or :guilabel:`Set Binary` to open a file browser for navigating the application path. Alternately, selecting only a file type and clicking :guilabel:`Set App` or :guilabel:`Set Binary` registers the application for all the groups within the selected type. Selecting :guilabel:`Clear` removes the default application from the associated file type or group.
.. index:: keyboard shortcuts
:guilabel:`Keyboard Shortcuts`, shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina8>`, is used to configure various keyboard shortcuts for system or window tasks. Most of these options relate to window and workspace management, such as moving windows between workspaces, but there are also options for changing the system audio volume or screen brightness.
|lumina| Keyboard Shortcuts - Basic
To create a shortcut, click the desired entry, then :guilabel:`Change Shortcut`, and define the desired key combination. Any entry with an already defined shortcut showing in the :guilabel:`Keyboard Shortcut` column can not be assigned to another action. To free a shortcut for reuse, highlight the shortcut, click :guilabel:`Clear Shortcut`, then :guilabel:`Save Changes`. A new shortcut can now be created.
Click :guilabel:`Advanced Editor`, seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina30>`, to manually adjust or create all keyboard shortcuts. By default, syntax codes are shown in their own display area, but this can be hidden by unchecking :guilabel:`View Syntax Codes`.
|lumina| Keyboard Shortcuts - Advanced
.. index:: startup
:guilabel:`Autostart`, displayed in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina6>`, provides adjustment options for what is automatically started when logging into |lumina|.
|lumina| Startup Services Configuration
To prevent an application from starting automatically, uncheck its box. To add an application to the auto-start configuration , click :guilabel:`Application` to select the application's name from a drop-down menu. Alternately, click :guilabel:`Binary` or :guilabel:`File` to browse to the location of the application or file to open. If a file is chosen, |lumina| automatically opens it in an application capable of reading the file type.
.. index:: interface configuration
:guilabel:`Interface Configuration`, as seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina31>`, is used to configure the Desktop, (right-click) Menu, and any Panels.
|lumina| Interface Configuration
Note
The options of :guilabel:`Menu`, :guilabel:`Desktop`, and :guilabel:`Panels` involve modifying and interacting with plugins. These are described at length in the :ref:`Plugins` chapter of this handbook.
.. index:: desktop config
Select :guilabel:`Desktop` to modify the appearance of the primary desktop and modify any embedded utilities. As :numref:`Figure %s <lumina40>` shows, the :guilabel:`RSS Reader` is currently the only embedded utility.
Desktop Settings
Click the :guilabel:`Monitor` drop down menu to select screen to modify. se the :guilabel:`Plus` and :guilabel:`Minus` buttons to adjust the embedded utilities. The :guilabel:`Display Desktop Folder Contents` option automatically populates the Desktop with any item seen in :file:`/<username>/Desktop`. The :guilabel:`Display Removable Media Icons` option toggles if icons for mounted media (USB, DVD, etc.) is visible on the Desktop. Be sure to click :guilabel:`Save` after customizing these options or any embedded utilities.
When viewing the deskop itself, right-click an icon on the desktop to view a variety of customization options, as seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina42>`:
Customize desktop icons
- Launch or Open: Depending on what the icon is linked to, there are options to Open or Launch the item. There may also be an option to Open With, which uses Lumina :ref:`Open` to give the user more choices for opening the item with an application or setting a default application for that type of item.
- View Properties: Launches a :guilabel:`File Information` window to display more information about the selected item.
- File Operations: Standard file operations are available when an icon is selected. These include Rename, Copy, Cut, Delete, and Paste. Options vary depending on the selected icon.
- Modify Item: The icons are also modifiable apart from the linked item itself. There are options to Start Moving Item, Start Resizing Item, Increase Desktop Icon Sizes, Decrease Desktop Icon Sizes, and Remove Item.
An icon is also movable across the desktop by clicking and dragging it.
.. index:: right click menu
Click :guilabel:`Menu` to adjust the appearance of the menu which appears when right-clicking the desktop, seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina36>`. By default, the context menu includes several plugins: :ref:`Terminal`, :ref:`Browse Files <File Manager>`, :ref:`Menu Applications`, a :ref:`Separator`, :ref:`Settings`, and Leave.
Context menu plugins configuration with an open context menu.
Note
:guilabel:`Leave`, with its options to Logout, Restart, Shutdown, Lock, and Suspend the system, is always available in the context menu.
.. index:: panels
The :guilabel:`Panels` option offers the ability to create and/or customize panels which are attached to the edges of the screen, as seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina5>`.
|lumina| Panel Configuration
This screen is used to customize the location, alignment, size, theme, and plugins for an existing panel. A preconfigured :guilabel:`Profile` is also available for panels. These profiles are used to mimic the style of other desktops. Click :guilabel:`Import` to add other custom-created profiles.
The :guilabel:`+ Panel` and :guilabel:`-` icons at the top-left of the window can add or remove additional panels. Panels must be aligned along a screen edge or opposite screen edges in the case of two panels. Panels may have any width, color, or transparency.
Note
When adding panels, a frame similar to :guilabel:`Panel 1` is created for each panel, labeled :guilabel:`Panel 2`, :guilabel:`Panel 3`, and so on. This allows each panel to be configured separately. The configuration tabs available for a panel are described below. Be sure to select the tab in the desired panel.
The :guilabel:`Location` tab (4 arrow icon) contains a number of items:
- Edge: This drop-down menu is used to set the general location of the panel. The options are Top, Bottom, Left, or Right.
- Alignment: This drop-down menu is used to center the panel or pin it to a corner of the screen.
- Size: Is used to specify the panel width in pixels as well as panel length.
The :guilabel:`Appearance` tab (monitor icon) is shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina19>`.
Panel Appearance
To hide the panel unless the mouse is hovered over it, check :guilabel:`Auto-hide Panel`. The :guilabel:`Custom Color` option can be used to fine-tune the panel color. Click its box, then the paint icon to select a panel color. The panel transparency is also adjustable using the :guilabel:`Alpha channel` element.
The :guilabel:`Plugins` tab (puzzle icon) is shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina20>`.
Panel Plugins
To add a plugin as an icon to the panel, click :guilabel:`+` below the listed plugins and select a plugin from the list that appears. To remove a plugin, highlight it and click :guilabel:`-`, which is below the listed plugins. The arrow buttons can be used to move the location of the plugin on the panel. The top of an ordered list corresponds to either the top of a vertical panel or the left side of a horizontal panel.
By default, |lumina| has one panel stretching across the bottom of the primary screen and another automatically hiding panel centered at the top of the screen.
The bottom panel incorporates the :ref:`Panel Start Menu`, :ref:`Task Manager Plugin (No Groups)`, a :ref:`Spacer`, :ref:`System Tray`, :ref:`Time Date`, and :ref:`Battery Monitor` plugins.
The top panel includes the :ref:`Desktop Bar` between two :ref:`Spacer` plugins.
Note
Panel and other Desktop settings may appear differently when using a version of |lumina| packaged with an OS. For example, |trueos| uses only a single panel across the bottom of the primary screen.
.. index:: system settings
The :guilabel:`System Settings` category, seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina41>`, displays all configurable system utilities in one convenient location. |lumina| automatically updates this category as new utilities are added or removed by the user or other development updates.
System Settings
The entries in this category are all symlinks. Click an entry to open the related utility or configuration tool. For example, click :guilabel:`Mouse Configuration` to open a simple menu for adjusting all mouse settings.
Warning
Some utilities prompt for Root access before opening.
.. index:: user settings
The :guilabel:`User Settings` option governs the general settings for the desktop session. The settings include how the time and date are displayed, changing user icons, when to play chimes, and all localization options.
.. index:: user settings, general options
:guilabel:`General Options`, seen in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina12>`, is used to govern numerous settings for the desktop experience.
|lumina| General Options
Here are the options available in the General Options menu:
- Enable numlock on startup
- Play chimes on startup
- Play chimes on exit
- Manage desktop app links: When checked, |lumina| automatically updates the available desktop symlinks when applications are installed or removed.
- Show application crash data
- Change User Icon
- Time Format
- Date Format
Note
Click the :guilabel:`blue circle with "i" icon` for examples of time and date formatting.
- Display Format: Opens a dropdown menu for more format options.
- Return to system defaults: All system settings revert to those configured by the OS.
- Return to Lumina defaults All system settings revert to their |lumina| defaults.
.. index:: localization
:guilabel:`Localization` options are shown in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina21>`.
Session Locale Tab
The lumina-i18n package provides localization files. Once installed, this allows customization of the locale used for the various items listed in :numref:`Figure %s <lumina21>`. To install this package on a |trueos| or FreeBSD system, type :command:`sudo pkg install lumina-i18n`. On other operating systems, use the default software management tool. Since each setting has its own drop-down menu, there is flexibility to select different locales for each item shown in this screen. If any changes are made in the :guilabel:`Locale` tab, click :guilabel:`Save Changes` and restart |lumina| to load the configured locales.
Installing the lumina-i18n package also adds a drop-down menu to the :guilabel:`Preferences` area of the start menu. |lumina| must be restarted after the package installation before the locale menu is visible in :guilabel:`Preferences`. This drop-down menu changes the locale for the current session only. This immediately changes the localization of any translated menu items without requiring a restart of |lumina|.
Note
If using |lumina| with a language other than English, any menu items that continue to be displayed in English have not yet been translated to the selected language. To assist the |lumina| Project with translating menu items, see :ref:`Interface Translation`.