[SOLVED] Can't add New Look and Feel Workspace Theme Soft Glass

[nhtrader]

kubuntu 18.04
KDE plasma v5.12.6
KDE frameworks v5.44.0
Qt v5.9.5
Kernel v4.15.0-29-generic
OS type 64-bit
Intel Core i3-6100
RAM 8Gb
Screen 1920x1080
Intel HD Graphics 530(Skylake GT2)
OpenGL v3.0 Mesa 18.0.5

I just installed kub 18.04 on to a new SSD - clean fresh install + all known updates.

I tried to install new "Look and Feel" Workspace Theme "Soft Glass" but it doesn't appear in the list of themes after trying to install it.
When I select "Get New Looks" and select Soft Glass Install, something happens b/c the button changes from install to uninstall.
So I press the close button and "Soft Glass" does not appear in list of available themes, despite the fact that it was installed.

So I closed system settings and made another attempt to reopen System Settings.
Again, I select "Get New Looks" but this time select Order by Installed. Nothing appears.
Then I switched the Order by back to newest only to see that "Soft glass" shows the "Install" button not the uninstall button I was expecting to see.
So I reinstall it again and button again changes to uninstall.
I close "New Look and Feel" Packages window and again it does not appear in the list of themes.

What am I doing wrong? Why can't I install a new theme?

[Rod J]

I suspected it might be an old KDE4 theme (which I've had problems with in the past) but no, it does appear to be for Plasma 5 as far as I can tell. It looks like it's using the standard Plasma 5 icons in the system tray.

The homepage https://store.kde.org/p/1235031 has minimal info on it and doesn't give much of a clue about what would cause the difficulty you have installing it.

I guess you've tried logging out/in or restarting your system just in case it needs to be done to fully install the theme? Sometimes things like themes won't work properly until you do that.

[Rog131]

Error messages and manual installation

Getting error messages

Start the single system settings module with the terminal (konsole):

kcmshell5 kcm_lookandfeel

$ kcmshell5 --help
Usage: kcmshell5 [options] module
A tool to start single system settings modules

Options:
-h, --help                 Displays this help.
-v, --version              Displays version information.
--author                   Show author information.
--license                  Show license information.
--desktopfile <file name>  The base file name of the desktop entry for this
             application.
--list                     List all possible modules
--lang <language>          Specify a particular language
--silent                   Do not display main window
--args <arguments>         Arguments for the module
--icon <icon>              Use a specific icon for the window
--caption <caption>        Use a specific caption for the window

Arguments:
module                     Configuration module to open

Possible error messages should be shown.



Manual installation is telling more:

$ kpackagetool5 -t Plasma/LookAndFeel -i /tmp/Soft_GlassLAF-0.8.tar.gz

kns error: "Unknown Open Collaboration Service API error. (101)"
Empty filename passed to function
Error: Installation of /tmp/Soft_GlassLAF-0.8.tar.gz failed: 
Could not install dependency: 'kns://aurorae.knsrc/api.kde-look.org/1222412'

The 'Soft Glass' metadata.desktop has line:

X-KPackage-Dependencies=kns://aurorae.knsrc/api.kde-look.org/1222412,kns://colorschemes.knsrc/api.kde-look.org/1222413,kns://plasma-themes.knsrc/api.kde-look.org/1216627

.

'Soft Glass' components: https://store.kde.org/search?project...ext=soft+glass

More of the LnF themes

- Plasma/Create a Look and Feel Package: https://userbase.kde.org/Plasma/Crea...d_Feel_Package

Manual Installation

You could install the 'Soft Glass' window decoration (Aurorae) and possible other missing dependencies and then install the 'Soft Glass' LnF theme by unpacking the Soft_GlassLAF-0.8.tar.gz to the $HOME/.local/share/plasma/look-and-feel/:





KDE Forums

Cannot install look & feel: Could not install dependency: https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?t=138995

[nhtrader]

I guess you've tried logging out/in or restarting your system just in case it needs to be done to fully install the theme? Sometimes things like themes won't work properly until you do that.

Yes. I rebooted. No luck.

[nhtrader]

Thanks for your insights and teaching me more about the inner workings. I can try these things for the sake of inner growth and exploration, but I'll admit this is a bit more effort than I expected.

I simply started my new foray into 18.04 with a simple task of changing a theme. And BAM. I hit a wall. I suppose that I stumbled upon a poorly tested theme, but none the less. Here we are.
Hopefully the author of the theme will see this and fix whatever is gumming up the works. And for others with theme installation problems, your explanation will undoubtedly help many to follow.

But for me, I'll move on to something else much easier.

[jlittle]

... new foray into 18.04 with a simple task of changing a theme. And BAM. I hit a wall...

Plasma 5 promises amazing flexibility with widgets and themes, but the choices as released have disappointed me. Themes really should have a lot of polish, and we get two or three aspiring to that level of polish. There's usually only one or two widgets of each type, and "get new widgets" is flaky and the results are flaky.

We're about three years into plasma 5, and it improves steadily, but until users like me and the OP can quickly fix or circumvent "walls" its potential will remain a mirage IMO.