Skypilot Classic Theme (SPC) - For the Birds

Discuss application theming and theme development.
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Sailfish
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Joined: November 5th, 2002, 4:58 pm

Skypilot Classic Theme (SPC) - For the Birds

Post by Sailfish »

A pre-release of this theme is available at either, http://themes.mozdev.org/themes/skypilot.html or http://www.projectit.com/skypilot/ (ensure you're using Firebird before going to either of the links.)

For Thunderbird, here's a manual method that should allow you to test the theme:

1. Copy the SPC theme file, skypilotp05u01rc.jar , from the Phoenix profile chrome folder and place the copy in your Thunderbird installation chrome folder. Note: make sure you do NOT place it in Thunderbird's profile chrome folder!

2. Navigate to Thunderbird's installation chrome folder (where the above file should now reside) and edit the file, installed-chrome.txt . Add the following line as a new line at the bottom of the file:

skin,install,url,jar:resource:/chrome/skypilotp05u01rc.jar!/

3. Navigate to Thunderbird's installation defaults/prefs/ folder and text edit the all.js file. Find the following line and comment it out:

pref("general.skins.selectedSkin", "classic/1.0");

as such:

// pref("general.skins.selectedSkin", "classic/1.0");

4. Start Thunderbird and select Tools > Options... and then select Themes on the left-side list and finally select SPC on the right-side panel.

5. Exit and restart Thunderbird and, Voila!, SPC should be present until you reselect another skin.

Lastly, the above process will need to be repeated whenever you install a new version of Thunderbird AND may eventually not work based on subsequent Thunderbird changes.
lynchknot
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Post by lynchknot »

Great theme! thanks!
©dn
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Post by ©dn »

you can of course add something like the following to user.js

user_pref("general.skins.selectedSkin", "orbit_r/0.0.7.1_1.3");

: )
Sailfish
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Joined: November 5th, 2002, 4:58 pm

Post by Sailfish »

©dn wrote:you can of course add something like the following to user.js

user_pref("general.skins.selectedSkin", "orbit_r/0.0.7.1_1.3");


Wouldn't that have the effect of preventing one from selecting another theme, the way classic/qute is setup now?
©dn
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Post by ©dn »

if you happen to have themer installed on thunderbird and want a theme to really stick this would be the way, and chances are it will do as sailfish says, prevent changing to another, but then what do we expect pre-0.1 ?
Sailfish
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Post by Sailfish »

lynchknot wrote:Great theme! thanks!


Thanks for the kind words, I'll take credit for the portation but kang deserves all the credit for the theme design.

Lastly, I've just seen some screenshots of some of your themes. Allow me to repay the compliment...
old Harry Waldron
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Post by old Harry Waldron »

This new theme is very nicely done ... The icons are crisp and background colorization is well done. Very nice effects throughout the design and no issues under XP or 2000.

I've tried most of all of the available FB Themes and this one is already in my "top 5". Skypilot is my favorite complex theme with Lynch's Coffee being #1 overall one currently.
Dickerson
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Joined: January 25th, 2003, 11:21 pm
Location: N34 12.534 W119 4.685

Re: Skypilot Classic Theme (SPC) - For the Birds

Post by Dickerson »

Sailfish wrote:A pre-release of this theme is available at either, http://themes.mozdev.org/themes/skypilot.html or http://www.projectit.com/skypilot/ (ensure you're using Firebird before going to either of the links.)

For Thunderbird, here's a manual method that should allow you to test the theme:

1. Copy the SPC theme file, skypilotp05u01rc.jar , from the Phoenix profile chrome folder and place the copy in your Thunderbird installation chrome folder. Note: make sure you do NOT place it in Thunderbird's profile chrome folder!

2. Navigate to Thunderbird's installation chrome folder (where the above file should now reside) and edit the file, installed-chrome.txt . Add the following line as a new line at the bottom of the file:

skin,install,url,jar:resource:/chrome/skypilotp05u01rc.jar!/

3. Navigate to Thunderbird's installation defaults/prefs/ folder and text edit the all.js file. Find the following line and comment it out:

pref("general.skins.selectedSkin", "classic/1.0");

as such:

// pref("general.skins.selectedSkin", "classic/1.0");

4. Start Thunderbird and select Tools > Options... and then select Themes on the left-side list and finally select SPC on the right-side panel.

5. Exit and restart Thunderbird and, Voila!, SPC should be present until you reselect another skin.

Lastly, the above process will need to be repeated whenever you install a new version of Thunderbird AND may eventually not work based on subsequent Thunderbird changes.


The only thing I have a question on is this: is there a space between the // and pref in step 3? I tried it both ways, and it did not make a difference, but I thought I'd ask just in case.

I do not know what I am doing wrong, but I have followed the steps above and there is no SPC present on the right side of the Themes panel.

Any suggestions?

Michael
Sailfish
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Post by Sailfish »

Putting space(s) after the double slash shoudn't make a difference.

Are you certain you placed the theme jar file in the same folder where thunderbird.exe resides?
©dn
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Post by ©dn »

based on :

skin,install,url,jar:resource:/chrome/skypilotp05u01rc.jar!/

it needs to be in the chrome subdirectory, where thunderbird exectutable is
Dickerson
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Post by Dickerson »

©dn wrote:based on :

skin,install,url,jar:resource:/chrome/skypilotp05u01rc.jar!/

it needs to be in the chrome subdirectory, where thunderbird exectutable is


Just to be safe, I put the file in both folders, but it did not make a difference. There is still no SPC options in the Themes options area, just CLASSIC.

Maybe I should just wait until Thunderbird advances enough for it to do all this automatically.

Michael
Sailfish
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Joined: November 5th, 2002, 4:58 pm

Post by Sailfish »

Dickerson wrote:Just to be safe, I put the file in both folders, but it did not make a difference. There is still no SPC options in the Themes options area, just CLASSIC.

The only other possibility that I can think of is that, perhaps, you hadn't added the line below correctly to the Thunderbird's installation chrome folder's installed-chrome.txt file:

skin,install,url,jar:resource:/chrome/skypilotp05u01rc.jar!/

make sure it's inserted at the end of that file and occupying a line of it's own.
Dickerson
Posts: 111
Joined: January 25th, 2003, 11:21 pm
Location: N34 12.534 W119 4.685

Post by Dickerson »

Sailfish wrote:
Dickerson wrote:Just to be safe, I put the file in both folders, but it did not make a difference. There is still no SPC options in the Themes options area, just CLASSIC.

The only other possibility that I can think of is that, perhaps, you hadn't added the line below correctly to the Thunderbird's installation chrome folder's installed-chrome.txt file:

skin,install,url,jar:resource:/chrome/skypilotp05u01rc.jar!/

make sure it's inserted at the end of that file and occupying a line of it's own.


I did put the line in at the bottom of the specified file, on its own line. Still no go.

Would this line, which now proceeds the new one have any effect:

skin,install,select,classic/1.0

I do not know whether to remove it or not, and what the effect would be if I did, and shouldn't have.

Thanks for continuing to work on this with me.

Michael
Sailfish
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Joined: November 5th, 2002, 4:58 pm

Post by Sailfish »

Dickerson wrote:Would this line, which now proceeds the new one have any effect:

skin,install,select,classic/1.0

No, leaving it there should have no effect on the theme being displayed.

Can you confirm the follow for me?
  1. A file with the name skypilotp05u01rc.jar is located in the same Thunderbird folder/directory where the installed-chrome.txt resides.
  2. When you start Thunderbird and select Tools > Options... and then Themes, the Skypilot Classic theme is listed.
Dickerson
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Joined: January 25th, 2003, 11:21 pm
Location: N34 12.534 W119 4.685

Post by Dickerson »

Sailfish wrote:
Dickerson wrote:Would this line, which now proceeds the new one have any effect:

skin,install,select,classic/1.0

No, leaving it there should have no effect on the theme being displayed.

Can you confirm the follow for me?
  1. A file with the name skypilotp05u01rc.jar is located in the same Thunderbird folder/directory where the installed-chrome.txt resides.
  2. When you start Thunderbird and select Tools > Options... and then Themes, the Skypilot Classic theme is listed.


Both files [Installed-Chrome and skypilotp05u01rc] are with in the following directory: C:\Documents and Settings\xxx.xxx\Desktop\Downloads\thunderbird-spellchk-win32\chrome. also have skypilotp05u01rc placed in the following folder: C:\Documents and Settings\xxx.xxx\Desktop\Downloads\thunderbird-spellchk-win32.

The downloads folder is where I installed from, and I did not bother with trying to change anything when it unzipped and installed. This is not were the profle is kept.

I am usng Win XP for all this.

Does any of this give you any ideas?
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