Revitalize Your Ubuntu Desktop with the Numix Theme: A 2600-Word Guide for Developers

The default Ubuntu user interface is renowned for its simple brown-orange palette and plain windows decorations. For many though, it eventually becomes monotonous. Customizing Ubuntu‘s look-and-feel via theming is a popular way to revive your experience.

As one of Linux‘s most prominent distributions, Ubuntu makes system-wide theming relatively easy compared to other platforms. This 2600-word guide will teach you how to install and configure the iconic Numix desktop theme to give your Ubuntu installation a whole new aesthetic.

What is the Numix Theme?

First though, what exactly is the Numix theme? Numix is an open-source graphical theme project started in 2013 by German Satoshi. It offers a suite of consistent user interface themes specially designed for Linux desktops like Ubuntu.

The signature Numix style features a flat, colorful aesthetic combining both light and dark elements. As a GTK3 theme, it is fully compatible with desktops that utilize GTK+ (GIMP ToolKit) technology for rendering UI elements like GNOME, Unity, Xfce, and more.

GTK Theming Architecture Primer

As a brief background, GTK refers to the toolkit that renders the various widgets and visual components in Linux desktops like buttons, menus, window frames etc. By swapping out the theme, you drastically alter the look of these interface pieces.

Since Ubuntu Unity and GNOME both rely on GTK for drawing apps and components, changing the GTK theme allows customizing the appearance across the entire desktop. Numix in particular is quite popular partially thanks to its clean aesthetics and support for dozens of apps.

With this basic understanding of theming established, let‘s shift gears to actually installing the software so you can overhaul your Ubuntu‘s default frumpy interface.

Method 1: Installing Numix Theme from Ubuntu Repositories

The simplest method for getting Numix up and running is directly through Ubuntu‘s main software repositories. Thanks to the immense popularity of this theme, the package is already packaged up for easy installation.

To start, open up a terminal and ensure your local Ubuntu machine has an updated list of the latest packages:

sudo apt update

With the package cache refreshed, request any available application upgrades:

sudo apt upgrade

Assuming there were no critical upgrades, go ahead and install the numix-gtk-theme package:

sudo apt install numix-gtk-theme

In just three quick commands, your system now has the files necessary to activate the beautiful Numix theme! But for those wishing to tweak or build the themes from source, there is an alternative method.

Method 2: Compiling Numix from Source Code

Developers or Linux enthusiasts may prefer installing Numix directly from the publicly available source code. Although slightly more complex, this technique allows full control over any customizations before building.

Install Developer Tools and Dependencies

Since compiling software requires development tools, begin by installing the necessary packages:

sudo apt-get install ruby-sass libglib2.0-dev libgdk-pixbuf2.0-dev libxml2-utils 

Next grab the Git client for pulling down the GitHub repository:

sudo apt install git

With the essential build dependencies now satisfied, clone the Numix repo from GitHub with Git:

git clone https://github.com/numixproject/numix-gtk-theme.git

Be patient as this repository contains hundreds of theme assets – download speed will vary.

Build and Install the Theme

Once cloned, navigate into the newly created local source directory:

cd numix-gtk-theme/  

Now trigger the build process by executing the install script:

sudo make install

Within a few moments, you will have a fully compiled Numix theme from the latest source code!

Both methods accomplish the same end goal of getting the Numix goodness onto your Ubuntu desktop. But compiling it manually allows deeper customization if interested.

Now check out some tips for enhancing the theme further with matching icons.

Matching Numix Icons for a Consistent Experience

While the GTK window theme itself transforms much of the interface, switching your Ubuntu icon packs is critical for maximum impact. Luckily there are options specially crafted to complement the Numix look.

Numix-based icon variants exist like Numix Circle and Numix Square. However installing the base Numix icon pack alone leads to gaps in coverage. The recommendation is to install the base icon theme alongside a secondary variant.

Installing All Numix Icon Themes

Since only the core Numix icon theme exists in Ubuntu‘s main software channels, you‘ll need to enable the Numix PPA repository for the extra icon sets:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:numix/ppa

Next, refresh your local package list:

sudo apt update

Finally, grab all three Numix icon packs at once:

sudo apt install numix-icon-theme numix-icon-theme-circle numix-icon-theme-square

With 20-30 seconds and three quick terminal commands, you‘ll gain access to the full collection of beautifully designed Numix icons!

But what if you decide to go back to Ubuntu‘s default themes down the road? Let‘s cover removing Numix entirely.

Uninstalling Numix Elegantly

Part of the appeal of theming on Linux is the ability to switch styles easily depending on your mood. If you ever tire of the Numix look, cleanly removing the theme and icons only takes moments without leaving behind clutter.

To eliminate packages installed via APT, simply run:

sudo apt remove numix-gtk-theme numix-icon-theme  

For themes compiled from source code:

cd numix-gtk-theme/
sudo make uninstall

Either method cleanly restores Ubuntu‘s defaults. But for actual activation of the theme, keep reading!

Activating Your Shiny New Numix Theme

With the Numix theme and icons installed, you still need to enable them as your new desktop look. The process varies slightly across interfaces like GNOME versus Xfce.

Activating Numix in GNOME

To enable the magic in GNOME, open a terminal and enter:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme "Numix"
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences theme "Numix" 

Alternatively, utilize GNOME Tweak Tool:

sudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool

Inside the Tweak Tool interface, choose Numix as your Window/GTK+ theme and icon set:

Activation in Xfce4

For Xfce users, input the following xfconf commands:

xfconf-query -c xsettings -p /Net/ThemeName -s "Numix"
xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/theme -s "Numix"  

Either method overrides your existing themes with the sleek Numix look. Log out and back in see the transformation in action!

Additional Pointers for Smooth Theme Management

Changing up your default desktop is refreshing, but here are some pro tips for better theme integration:

• Before modifying critical UI files, create backups your original themes

cp -R /usr/share/themes ~/themes_backup

• Test new themes on secondary user accounts to evaluate properly
• Browse GNOME Look and other sites for matching GTK themes and icons
• Report any misaligned UI elements as Github issues to help improvement
• Consider contributing your own code tweaks via pull requests

And for picking the right theme, let‘s discuss notable alternatives.

How Numix Compares to Other Theme Options for Ubuntu

Numix ranks among the top theme picks for Ubuntu. However it faces still competition – so how does it stack up versus alternatives?

Theme	Pro‘s	Con‘s
Numix	Beautiful aesthetics	Occasional minor glitches
Arc	Highly polished and customizable	More resource intensive
Adapta	Natively supports GNOME 40+	Limited icon packs

While subjective, many users lean towards Numix for its combination of style, compatibility, and community support. But check out screenshots and demos of each before deciding!

Final Thoughts on Breathing New Life Into Ubuntu

Although Ubuntu ships with reasonable desktop customization options, employing third-party themes like Numix take it to another level. With just 20-30 minutes of your time and following this guide, you can utterly revamp the way your system looks and feels.

But don‘t just stop at the standard Numix base theme! Take advantage of the matching icon packs, pointers above, and explore related projects to tailor your ideal desktop theme. Feel free to leave a comment if you have questions on the process or want to show off your new creation!