Anyone using PMChrome?

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SpockFan02
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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by SpockFan02 » 2018-03-23, 00:05

You can un-zip the theme (.xpi file) like a zip file, and inside it, probably in a folder called browser, there should be a browser.css file. Adding the rule there should do it. Then just re-zip (make sure you zip the original contents, not a folder containing them, or the theme will not work), make sure it's a .xpi (not .xpi.zip or similar), and try it out. :)

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by context » 2018-03-23, 02:08

Thanks ... but WOW! The unzip resulted in over 700 component files ... in 4 directory levels.

I found some CSS files under the browser subdirectory ... and some tab-related entries in a couple of them.

The problem is—even with your good instructions—it will be a tedious process to apply and then test any change. Plus, I'm completely unsure I can rezip the file set properly since I would have to use the Send To command. It makes me think of the line in the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty: " ... all the kings horses, etc.".

I appreciate your posts ... but this looks like too big of a stretch for me. Maybe someone else will take it on. (If so, I'd sure like to see bigger icons for the main forward and back controls.)

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by SpockFan02 » 2018-03-23, 06:14

I'm happy to tweak it for you.

Here's PMChrome 4.0.1 with the back and forward buttons 45px wide instead of 30px (icons are still the same size) and the tabs 100px wide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B-SkqQ ... sp=sharing

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by context » 2018-03-23, 09:11

@SpockMan02: thanks for providing that variation. I admire your expertise in these things (... and your quick implementation).

The result I see isn't quite what I expected. (see below) Also—a few posts back—I departed from the PMChrome theme (hamburger menu) in favor of Australium (full Pale Moon menu button). Australium also renders the light themes with better results for the tabs.

If it's within your realm—and if it's not a chore—could you tweak Australium to have a larger 'back' icon ... and a minimum tab width of 140? From everything I've tried, that would give me a "best of the bunch" result. 100-pixel tabs just don't tell enough.

But in any case, I've learned a lot from this exercise and have an appreciation for what's taking place behind the scenes in themes. Thanks.

Tweaked PMChrome:
PMChrome4.PNG
PMChrome4.PNG (10.77 KiB) Viewed 783 times
Maybe something like this:
Australium Tweaked.png
Australium Tweaked.png (14.79 KiB) Viewed 783 times

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by SpockFan02 » 2018-03-24, 06:42

Right then, how's this? :D

As for the behind-the-scenes of themes, ever since I found out that they're basically just CSS and images, I've thought it was cool how Web design methods are applied to the application UI, and it's meant that there was a pretty low bar for me to start themeing.
Last edited by SpockFan02 on 2018-03-24, 06:43, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by context » 2018-03-24, 13:41

Sounds very promising. Thanks.

But in trying to test, I determined that I didn't use a valid method. Moving your new xpi to the same \extensions folder as Australium didn't cause it to be recognized as an available theme. (I didn't recognize the problem when I tried your PMChrome ... which means my test of it wasn't valid.)

Can you outline the proper procedure? And is the path to available themes somewhere in about:config?

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by context » 2018-03-24, 20:10

Well, for lack of anything else to try, I just renamed your file with the name of the Australium file I originally installed. The result is shown below.

It's quite a nice solution, for me. The only "defect" I see is that the two large icons are a little blurry ... which is only noticeable because the other icons are so precise.

Is the any way that those two icons can be located and replaced in the definition file? (I've replaced icons, before, in EXE files.) It's too bad that the about:config file doesn't offer override icons for some of these key elements.

Anyway, thanks for providing this theme. It's certainly usable, as is.
Larger Icons.PNG
Larger Icons.PNG (13.34 KiB) Viewed 703 times

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by SpockFan02 » 2018-03-25, 03:08

To install themes, you can just drag them onto your browser window, or in about:addons choose the file from its location. Themes do go in the extensions folder in your profile, although you don't normally have to manually place them there.

The icons would be a little blurry because they're the same images, just scaled up. You can, in fact, replace them. Within the theme .xpi file, /chrome/browser/Toolbar.png contains the icons used by default (although depending on your OS, it may be another version of the file, e.g. Toolbar-aero.png, Toolbar-linux.png, etc.). The part of the file they are taken from is defined in CSS with the -moz-image-region property. You could change the Toolbar file and update the buttons' -moz-image-region properties for the larger icons, but there's a lazier and easier way: Place new icons in /chrome/browser, and in /chrome/browser.css, add these lines:

Code: Select all

#back-button { list-style-image: url("chrome://browser/skin/YOUR-ICON.FILEEXTENSION") !important; }
#forward-button { list-style-image: url("chrome://browser/skin/YOUR-OTHER-ICON.FILEEXTENSION") !important; }
Then, the forward and backward buttons will use the images you put in there. :D
Again, just re-zip the chrome folder, chrome.manifest, icon.png, and install.rdf, make sure the extension is .xpi, and you can install your modified theme.

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by context » 2018-03-25, 04:17

just re-zip the chrome folder, chrome.manifest, icon.png, and install.rdf, make sure the extension is .xpi
Everything you suggested makes sense ... right to the point of the zip instruction.

On the file set below, what's the correct method to Send To Compressed Folder? ... highlight all the directories? ... or only Chrome?

And for testing, is the current theme already unzipped somewhere on the Pale Moon's file path? (I haven't found it.)
Theme Files.PNG

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Re: Anyone using PMChrome?

Unread post by SpockFan02 » 2018-03-25, 07:31

I'm glad I'm mostly making sense. ;) All of those directories are contained within chrome. They should all be zipped up, but you should only have to select their parent folder, chrome.

I don't think the active theme is unzipped and placed somewhere, but I don't know for sure.

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