Qogir Theme: Installation and GTK Variants

Qogir's GTK and GNOME Shell Scope

Qogir is a flat design theme for GTK 3, GTK 2, and GNOME Shell. Its stated target is the family of GTK-based desktop environments, including GNOME, Unity, Budgie, Cinnamon, Pantheon, Xfce, and MATE. The project also includes a GDM variant, Nautilus logo and background choices, and Firefox theme assets under `src/firefox`. Qogir therefore serves desktop users who want a consistent visual treatment across several parts of a Linux session, rather than developers seeking an application library or a runtime service.

The distinction between visual styling and application configuration matters. Qogir changes theme assets, while it does not replace the window manager, desktop shell, or application. For GNOME 3.22 or later, the README recommends putting the app menu beside the minimize, maximize, and close buttons. The documented setting is applied through `gsettings`:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences button-layout appmenu:minimize,maximize,close

The documentation presents this as a GNOME window-button recommendation for Qogir 3.20 or later, not as a mandatory Qogir installation command. Users should understand that appearance support can vary by desktop and toolkit. The repository contains separate companion projects for KDE, Qt 5 and 6, Fluxbox, Rofi, and icons. Qogir's main repository should not be treated as a complete theme suite for those interfaces.

Qogir is based on the Arc GTK theme by horst3180. That lineage explains why it belongs with desktop appearance packages, while the distribution-specific variants and Nautilus options distinguish Qogir's own installation surface.

Installer Inputs and Repository Structure

The repository is primarily CSS, with `install.sh` providing the documented installation entry point. The top-level layout also contains `src`, a `release` directory, `parse-sass.sh`, `HACKING`, and `COPYING`. Based on that layout, installation is a repository-level operation rather than a package-manager workflow for the source checkout. The README presents `install.sh` options for selecting a destination, installing name, primary color variant, light or dark family, Nautilus icon, GDM theme, libadwaita link, and visual tweaks.

The primary `-t` choices are `default`, `manjaro`, `ubuntu`, and `all`. The `-c` option selects `standard`, `light`, or `dark`. These controls affect the theme set generated by the installer, so choosing a distribution variant does not necessarily mean the installer configures that distribution's other desktop components. Similarly, `-l` installs a link to GTK 4 configuration for libadwaita, but the README does not describe the resulting link path or any post-installation activation command.

The `--tweaks` option accepts `image`, `square`, and `round`. These names describe concrete visual choices: a Nautilus or Nemo background image, square window buttons, or rounded windows and popup surfaces. The option may combine values, which permits a theme with more than one of those visual treatments. That flexibility also makes the intended result less obvious. A user who needs a single reproducible appearance should record the exact command rather than relying on the defaults.

Qogir does not infer every interface choice from the desktop. The installer controls files and selected assets, while GNOME window-button placement remains a separate `gsettings` operation.

Installing Qogir and Selecting a Dark Rounded Variant

A first local installation uses the script from the repository. The following documented command installs the dark color variant with rounded windows and popups and creates the libadwaita configuration link:

./install.sh --tweaks round -c dark -l

The README states that `./install.sh` installs the default themes when no options are supplied. The script's documented default destination is `/home/vince/.themes`, which is clearly a build-time default shown in the help rather than a universal path for every account. Use `-d` or `--dest DIR` when the destination must be different. Use `-n` or `--name NAME` when the installed theme should carry another name. The README does not document how to select Qogir as the active GTK theme after installation, so that step should come from the desktop's appearance settings rather than be inferred from the installer command.

For a second installation shape, the documented command combines an image background with square and rounded elements:

./install.sh --tweaks image square round

The help text says the image tweak applies to Nautilus or Nemo. It does not state that an image file must be supplied or how image selection is resolved, so users should not add an undocumented path or flag. Nautilus logos are installed with a separate documented command shape:

./install.sh -i [LOGO NAME...]

The placeholder is explanatory syntax from the README, not a literal logo name. The accepted names are `default`, `manjaro`, `ubuntu`, `fedora`, `debian`, `arch`, `gnome`, `budgie`, `popos`, `gentoo`, `void`, `zorin`, `mxlinux`, and `opensuse`. Replace the placeholder with the desired names when running the installer.

Flatpak, BSD, and AUR Installation Paths

Qogir is also available outside the source checkout. For Flatpak, the README directs users to add Flathub if needed and install a GTK 3 theme package. Variants include the standard, dark, light, window, and Manjaro forms in the abbreviated example:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak install flathub org.gtk.Gtk3theme.Qogir{,-dark,-light,-win,-manjaro, ...}

The brace expansion is presented by the README as a way to show multiple available variants. The actual selection syntax should be entered only for packages the reader intends to install, because the documentation does not claim that the ellipsis is a valid package name.

FreeBSD has separate packages for themes and icons:

pkg install qogir-gtk-themes
pkg install qogir-icon-themes

Arch users are directed to AUR through `pamac`:

sudo pamac install qogir-gtk-theme

AUR use delegates packaging decisions to that packaging channel rather than the repository's `install.sh`. The OpenBSD instructions have a different shape because the README explicitly requires Bash and creates a system link:

sudo pkg_add bash
sudo ln -s /usr/local/bin/bash /bin/bash
git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/Qogir-theme
cd Qogir-theme
bash install.sh

That OpenBSD procedure modifies `/bin/bash` with root authority. It should be reviewed carefully before execution. The README does not discuss whether replacing or linking that path is suitable in every OpenBSD installation, nor does it provide rollback instructions for the system-level change.

GTK 2 Engines and Root-Level GDM Installation

GTK 2 support carries an explicit dependency. The README requires the Murrine engine at version 0.98.1.1 or later, along with the GTK 2 pixbuf engine or the `gtk(2)-engines` package. Package names differ by distribution. Fedora and Red Hat systems use:

dnf install gtk-murrine-engine gtk2-engines

openSUSE and SUSE systems use:

zypper in gtk2-engine-murrine gtk2-engines

Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Debian systems use:

sudo apt-get install gtk2-engines-murrine gtk2-engines-pixbuf

Arch Linux uses:

pacman -S gtk-engine-murrine gtk-engines

These commands address rendering dependencies, not theme installation. If a target application still uses GTK 2, omitting the required engines can leave Qogir assets installed without the expected rendering. The README offers no diagnostic output for confirming which engine an application selected.

GDM installation is a separate privilege boundary. The documented standard dark installation is:

sudo ./install.sh -g -c dark -t default

The uninstall counterpart is:

sudo ./install.sh -g -r

`-g` installs or removes the GDM theme and requires root authority according to the help text. The README does not document GDM backup behavior, how to restore a previous GDM theme if the installer fails partway through, or a login-screen verification procedure.

Qogir Compared with Separate KDE, Qt, and Rofi Themes

The clearest alternative is not a competing GTK theme but a companion Qogir project for a different interface. The README recommends `Qogir-kde` for KDE and `Qogir-qt`, for Qt 5 and 6. These are separate repositories, so their files and installation procedures are not established by the Qogir GTK repository itself. The difference is architectural: Qogir targets GTK and GNOME Shell, while the companion projects target KDE or Qt rendering stacks.

For menu-driven desktop tools, the README also lists `Qogir-fluxbox` and `Qogir-rofi`. Again, these are separate projects rather than options in `./install.sh`. This separation can prevent accidental assumptions. Installing Qogir GTK files does not install the Rofi theme, and adding a Nautilus logo does not create a matching KDE panel treatment.

The icon solution is separate as well. The repository recommends `Qogir-icon-theme`, while FreeBSD instructions name `qogir-icon-themes`. This distinction matters to users evaluating a coordinated desktop appearance: a coherent name across products does not mean a single installer or one shared dependency set.

Qogir is therefore the appropriate choice when the primary target is a GTK-based desktop. KDE, Qt, Fluxbox, or Rofi users should inspect the corresponding companion repository before assuming visual coverage.

Maintenance Signals, GPL-3.0, and Upgrade Work

The repository is not archived, and its last push was on 2026-07-08. The listed releases are dated 2025-08-17, 2024-05-22, and 2023-05-24. These dates show recent repository activity and multiple tagged releases, but the README does not publish a support policy for particular GTK versions or distributions. It also does not document a migration procedure for a custom `-n` installation, a list of files changed by `-g`, or an automatic method for carrying local changes across upgrades.

Qogir is distributed under GPL-3.0. The repository includes `COPYING`, so users who copy, modify, redistribute, or incorporate theme files should examine that license and preserve whatever notices and source obligations it requires. This review does not replace legal advice. A local uninstall also cannot be assumed to remove separately installed engine packages, Flathub remotes, OpenBSD's `/bin/bash` link, or every file created outside Qogir's destination.

Upgrade work depends on the installation path. Source-checkout users rerun `install.sh` with the same variant and tweak choices. Flathub users have a package-managed update path, but the README excerpt does not document that command. AUR users depend on their AUR helper. BSD users use repository packages. Before replacing an existing installation, inspect the prior command and destination, especially if a custom `--name`, GDM theme, Nautilus image, or libadwaita link was used.

Editorial conclusion

Adopt Qogir if you want configurable flat styling for a GTK-based Linux desktop and can manage its engine and platform-specific dependencies. Do not choose it as a unified desktop solution if you expect the same installer to configure KDE, Qt, or application-specific interfaces beyond the included Firefox assets. Before installing, verify that the selected color and distribution variants match your desktop, confirm the GTK 2 engines are present if GTK 2 compatibility matters, and inspect install.sh changes with root privileges whenever using -g.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. Issues
2. License: GPL-3.0
3. README
4. Releases
5. vinceliuice/Qogir-theme on GitHub