UPDATED: If you are using Pidgin 2.7.0 or above see This Article
One problem I have had for awhile was I couldn’t figure out how to apply a theme to Pidgin using GTK+. I have yet to find a suitable guide for this so I decided to write one.
What you will need:
- Pidgin (Obviously)
- GTK+ (Installs with Pidgin as long as you don’t uncheck it.)
- Internet Connection (for Pidgin if you don’t have it installed and Themes.)
- ZIP software (7zip, or Windows zip manager should work.)
Step 1: Install Pidgin with GTK+
Step 2: Configure the options and plugins (Optional)
Step 3: Find and download a theme – (Here)
Note: Take note of the theme name, you may know of a different site. If you want, post the link in the comments.
Step 4: Extract the zip file to C:\Program Files\Common Files\GTK\2.0\share\themes\
Step 5: Open the start menu and navigate to All Programs\GTK+\Theme Selector
Step 6: In the new window that opened click the name of the theme you downloaded under the Current User List
Note: You can click the theme name under the Global list as well.
Step 7: Restart or open Pidgin and you should see your new theme.
If you want to customize the theme a bit further you can use a built in plugin to control more aspects of your theme. (Notably Text, Link and different colors across Pidgin)
Step 8: Open the Pidgin Buddy list.
Step 9: At the top menu click Tools\Plugins
Step 10: Scroll down to Pidgin GTK+ Theme Control and check it so it is active.
Step 11: Now with Pidgin GTK+ Theme Control selected click the button Configure Plugin along the bottom of the window.
I’m not going to go in to detail on how to configure the colors
Any feedback you have is 100% encouraged.
![[Valid Atom 1.0]](http://feed2.w3.org/images/valid-rss-rogers.png "Validate my Atom 1.0 feed")
What theme are you using Jimmy?
[Reply]
Jimmy Reply:
June 8th, 2010 at 5:52 AM
@Corey DeGrandchamp, I’m using “Tenebrific-BlueMods”
[Reply]
Didn’t work for me. I don’t have any such GTK folder.
[Reply]
Jimmy Reply:
October 30th, 2010 at 10:20 PM
@Required Name,
The newest version of Pidgin installs GTK+ differently, I soon can post up an article about how that works, it’s a bit more complicated but once it’s set it works good.
[Reply]
Thanks, the bit about the link-color was exactly I was looking for!
[Reply]
Yeah the new version is different :S I didn’t figured it out yet how to do this in the new version!
[Reply]
James Kaczynski II Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 2:34 PM
@Mikec, Mike, the end of the article has a link to a updated version of this post for the newer versions of Pidgin.
[Reply]
James Kaczynski II Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 2:35 PM
@James Kaczynski II, My mistake, it’s at the top.
[Reply]