# sddm-astronaut-theme: Ten Pre-Made SDDM Login Screen Themes with Animated Wallpapers

> sddm-astronaut-theme is a QML theme collection for the SDDM display manager, offering ten configurable presets with animated wallpaper support and a virtual keyboard, all driven from a single configuration file.

**Keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme** — Series of modern looking themes for SDDM.

- Repository: https://github.com/Keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme
- Stars: 3,290 · Forks: 212
- Language: QML
- License: GPL-3.0
- Published: 2026-09-24 · Updated: 2026-09-24 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/keyitdev-sddm-astronaut-theme

## Ten themes, one configuration file

sddm-astronaut-theme bundles ten distinct visual presets: Astronaut, Black hole, Japanese aesthetic, Pixel sakura (static and animated), Purple leaves, Cyberpunk, Post-apocalyptic hacker, Hyprland Kath, Jake the dog, and one additional preset. Each theme was created by changing the single configuration file at Themes/astronaut.conf. The project's design decision to centralize all appearance settings in one .conf file means switching presets requires editing one line in metadata.desktop:

```
ConfigFile=Themes/astronaut.conf
```

Swapping that path to any other file in the Themes/ directory activates a different preset. All available configuration files live in the Themes/ directory of the installed theme. The themes were designed for 1080p displays. The README notes they should function at other resolutions, but 1080p is the tested target.

The project originated as a fork of MarianArlt's sddm-sugar-dark theme and has since diverged significantly from that starting point.

## Qt6 and QML: the technology stack and its version requirements

The theme requires SDDM version 0.21.0 or newer and Qt 6.8 or newer. The README specifies four Qt6 modules as mandatory dependencies: qt6-svg, qt6-virtualkeyboard, qt6-multimedia, and the base Qt6 package. The qt6-multimedia module is what enables animated wallpaper playback; the README also mentions that additional video codecs such as h.264 may be needed for certain wallpaper formats.

The virtual keyboard, provided by qt6-virtualkeyboard, appears on the login screen and allows password entry without a physical keyboard, which is useful for tablet or touchscreen Linux setups.

Package names differ by distribution. The README lists the packages for Arch, Void, Fedora, OpenSUSE, and Debian trixie (13.5). On Debian, the package list is longer than on other distributions and includes qml6-module packages that must be specified individually. The installation script handles this automatically on the distributions it supports: pacman, xbps-install, dnf, and zypper.

## Automatic installation and manual steps

The fastest way to install the theme on a supported distribution is the one-line script:

```sh
bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme/master/setup.sh)"
```

The README warns to read scripts before running them from the internet. The script works on distributions using pacman, xbps-install, dnf, or zypper.

For manual installation, the README describes five steps. First, install the Qt6 dependencies from your package manager. Second, clone the repository directly to the SDDM themes directory:

```sh
sudo git clone -b master --depth 1 https://github.com/keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme.git /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme
```

Third, copy the bundled fonts:

```sh
sudo cp -r /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme/Fonts/* /usr/share/fonts/
```

Fourth, activate the theme in /etc/sddm.conf:

```sh
echo "[Theme]
Current=sddm-astronaut-theme" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf
```

Fifth, enable the virtual keyboard in /etc/sddm.conf.d/virtualkbd.conf:

```sh
echo "[General]
InputMethod=qtvirtualkeyboard" | sudo tee /etc/sddm.conf.d/virtualkbd.conf
```

For NixOS, a community-maintained package exists in the NixOS unstable channel. It supports custom overrides so you can set the embedded theme and override configuration keys without modifying the upstream source.

## Animated wallpapers: how the video layer works

Several of the ten presets use video files as wallpapers rather than static images. The README lists Pixel sakura, Hyprland Kath, and Jake the dog as animated themes. This feature depends on the qt6-multimedia package and may require additional video codecs installed separately.

The animated wallpapers play in a loop on the login screen. There is no documented way in the README to set a custom frame rate or loop behavior; those parameters are determined by the wallpaper files themselves and the multimedia backend. This means that the login experience with an animated preset depends on the codec support in your system's Qt6 multimedia stack.

All theme wallpapers and fonts come bundled in the repository under Backgrounds/ and Fonts/. The README acknowledges that many wallpapers are popular images that have circulated widely, and attribution links are provided for the ones where the original creator is known. The illustration assets used by the theme are licensed differently from the theme code itself.

## Previewing themes and the test mode workflow

SDDM provides a test mode that lets you preview the active theme without logging out and switching display managers. With sddm-astronaut-theme installed, the command is:

```sh
sddm-greeter-qt6 --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme/
```

The README notes that the preview may differ slightly from the actual login screen depending on system configuration. Test mode is a reliable way to verify that font rendering, element positioning, and animated wallpaper playback work before committing to a full session restart.

Selecting a different preset does not require reinstalling the theme. Edit the ConfigFile line in /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme/metadata.desktop to point to the desired .conf file in the Themes/ directory, then run the test mode command again to confirm the change.

## GPL-3.0 license, platform constraints, and the alternative

The theme is released under GPL-3.0. This means distributions that ship the theme as part of a larger system, or forks that create new themes from it, must release their modifications under the same license. MIT or Apache-licensed desktop environments that want to include the theme in a default setup should verify compatibility with their distribution's licensing policy before doing so.

The theme works only with SDDM; it cannot be ported to LightDM, GDM, or other display managers without a complete rewrite. SDDM is the primary display manager for KDE Plasma and is commonly used with Hyprland. Teams running GNOME with GDM, or distributions that do not ship SDDM, cannot use this theme directly.

The nearest comparable project is the Catppuccin SDDM theme, which shares the same SDDM and QML stack but focuses on a single cohesive color palette rather than distinct visual themes. sddm-astronaut-theme's strength is the breadth of preset aesthetics and the included animated wallpapers. Its limitation is the Qt6 6.8 version floor, which excludes older LTS distributions where Qt6 may not yet be available at that version.

## Conclusion

sddm-astronaut-theme is a practical choice for Linux desktop users who want a polished login screen without writing QML. The GPL-3.0 license means any distribution or fork of the theme must also be released under the same terms. Teams packaging a custom desktop image should verify that their SDDM version meets the 0.21.0 minimum and that Qt6 6.8 is available in their distribution's repositories before committing to this theme.

## FAQ

### Is there an animated theme for SDDM?

Yes. sddm-astronaut-theme includes several animated presets: Pixel sakura, Hyprland Kath, and Jake the dog use video wallpapers. Animated wallpaper support requires qt6-multimedia and may require additional video codecs.

### How to install sddm astronaut theme

Run the one-line install script: `bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme/master/setup.sh)"`. This works on distributions using pacman, xbps-install, dnf, or zypper. For other distributions, follow the five-step manual installation in the README.

### How do I switch between the different presets in sddm-astronaut-theme?

Edit the ConfigFile line in /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme/metadata.desktop to point to a different .conf file in the Themes/ directory. All available configuration files are in that directory. You can preview the result without logging out by running `sddm-greeter-qt6 --test-mode --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/sddm-astronaut-theme/`.

## Sources

- [Issues](https://github.com/Keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme/issues)
- [Keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme on GitHub](https://github.com/Keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme)
- [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/Keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme/blob/master/LICENSE)
- [README](https://github.com/Keyitdev/sddm-astronaut-theme/blob/master/README.md)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/keyitdev-sddm-astronaut-theme