[solved] xfce 4.14 - fail to set different theme for windows with root permiss.

[Xaver]

I want to define different icons and gtk-theme for windows with root permissions.
All themes and icons have been installed in /usr/share/
sudo xfce4-appearance-settings does work properly. It sets the new theme for root user in
/root/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xsettings.xml
But the dedicated root theme does not appear, no matter if I use sudo, gksu or su-to-root.


I have already tried these steps:
- create a /root/.gtkrc-2.0
- create folders /root/.themes and /root/.icons with (links to) the chosen themes in them
- create a /root/.config/gtk-3.0/settings-ini (with lxappearance)
All these efforts do not have any effect.
Have I missed something special?

[eriefisher]

You already get warnings on graphical apps run as root. I don't know if this can be done since your not running out of the root directory. The theme is being read from the current user directory. If you logged in as root it would be different.


Also use pkexec. I thought gksu you gone.

[Xaver]

@ eriefisher


Unfortunately your are right. Xfce seems to read the theme for root windows from the user directory.
Is there a way to tell Xfce to use the settings in the root directory for windows with root permissions?


If I login to a root desktop the settings for root are shown correctly. But this is a scary option!
Thank you for reminding me to turn that off (in /etc/pam.d/...).

[Xaver]

Finally a have found a solution. The decisive hint came from DolphinOracle (MX Linux):

the xfconf backend for Xfce does not run for both root acounts and the user account, it only runs for the account that is logged in

So root must be kept from reading the user-theme and icons.
Therefore I have created 2 folders in /usr/share and called them
/usr/share/icons_home and /usr/share/themes_home.
To these folders I have moved my user icons and theme (Numix). Then I have created links from my home directory to these folders.

Now root cannot read my user theme/icons anymore and is using the default xfce4-theme and gnome icons instead.
So I have a light theme for root and a dark them as user. Their difference is quite obvious now.