How do I "really" change the trash can icon?

[Simon]

All of us "Senior Members"... gosh! When did that happen? Don't worry won't let it go to my head. Anyways... most of know how to right click and edit files and folder icons. You can even alter the Trash Can to look like anything you can make up in a PNG format. However... How do you get the empty/full animations?

I already know it pulls the icons from /usr/share/icons/ and I read a page saying you can place custom icons in ~/.kde/share/icons/ but there has to be a configuration I am missing. When I toss something in my Trash the icon just disappears instead of changing. I have the names of my pngs as "user-trash.png" in places and "user-trash-full.png" in status. They are saved in the ~/.kde/share/icons/ because we know not to mess with the root files without a good reason.

Ok since I am Senior Member, some one fetch me my coffee!

[claydoh]

I believe they need to mirror where they would be if they were in /usr/share/icons

~/.kde/share/icons/<name-of-your-current-icon-theme(default is oxygen)>/<size>/places for the trash icon
and
~/.kde/share/icons/<name-of-your-current-icon-theme(default is oxygen)>/<size>/status for the trash-full icon
You likely need to either make all the multiple sizes, or know which specific sizes you need.

[Simon]

In my home directory I have .kde/share/icons/oxygen/ under this is only the sizes I found with 8, 16, 22, 32, 48, 64, 128 the directories mirrored as you said. The places and status under those with the proper images. I then edit the Trash and the new empty icon appears in Dolphin but when full the icon just vanishes...
--Edit--
ok I found some info on http://opendesktop.org and downloaded some themes to study. I don't know "exactly" what did the trick but I ended up messing with;

Settings --> Application Appearance --> Icons

I installed a theme and switched back to Oxygen and it seems to have clicked.

[Simon]

Some follow up information on how to create a custom icon theme in Kubuntu.

As stated above to change an icon in Kubuntu is rather simple but to alter the entire theme you will need to resize the images and place it in folders labeled with the sizes. But the real trick turns out to be a text file called index.theme found in the icon directory. For an example, I created the directory .kde/share/icons/custom complete with sub directories ranging from 16x16 to 128x128. Then using Kate I made this file;

[Icon Theme]
Name=Custom

Comment=No Comment

DisplayDepth=32

Inherits=hicolor

Example=folder

LinkOverlay=link
LockOverlay=lockoverlay
ShareOverlay=share
ZipOverlay=zip

DesktopDefault=48
DesktopSizes=16,22,32,48,64,128,256
ToolbarDefault=22
ToolbarSizes=16,22,32,48
MainToolbarDefault=22
MainToolbarSizes=16,22,32,48
SmallDefault=16
SmallSizes=16,22,32,48
PanelDefault=32
PanelSizes=16,22,32,48,64,128,256
DialogDefault=32
DialogSizes=16,22,32,48,64,128,256

Directories=16x16/places,16x16/status,22x22/places,22x22/status,32x32/places,32x32/status,48x48/places,48x48/status,64x64/places,64x64/status,128x128/places,128x128/status

[16x16/places]
Size=16
Context=Places
Type=Threshold

[16x16/status]
Size=16
Context=Status
Type=Threshold

[22x22/places]
Size=22
Context=Places
Type=Threshold

[22x22/status]
Size=22
Context=Status
Type=Threshold

[32x32/places]
Size=32
Context=Places
Type=Threshold

[32x32/status]
Size=32
Context=Status
Type=Threshold

[48x48/places]
Size=48
Context=Places
Type=Threshold

[48x48/status]
Size=48
Context=Status
Type=Threshold

[64x64/places]
Size=64
Context=Places
Type=Threshold

[64x64/status]
Size=64
Context=Status
Type=Threshold

[128x128/places]
Size=128
Context=Places
Type=Threshold

[128x128/status]
Size=128
Context=Status
Type=Threshold

This was based on what I found inside the /usr/share/icons/oxygen/ directory. I removed a lot of the script and changed the name to match my directory.
Now when I open System Settings --> Application Appearance --> Icons



As you can see my new theme is in there ready to go. I have no clue about some of the settings. But this is how we learn.

[Rog132]

The KDE is using the 'Icon Theme Specification': http://standards.freedesktop.org/ico...ec-latest.html

Older Kubuntu Forums thread: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...al)-icon-theme