Change default minimize, maximize, close icons from Zorin theme

[chelidoni]

I'm new to Linux and this distro is my first, I'm enjoying the ability to custimze the OS at my preference.

I found this WhiteSur theme which looks like a macOS but I only want the minimize, maximize, close icons from it and the rest be the default Zorin blue theme (and maybe the apple shell icon). I did tweak a copy of the original ZorinBlue-Light theme and changed the icons but when applied it did not work.

These Icons from WhiteSur

I also modified the index.theme to easily switch my preference like the icon pack and cursor theme but when my theme is selected from Zorin Appearance it did not work.

Sorry for this noob question I'm really new to this stuff

[Aravisian]

Are you using Zorin OS Lite or Core?

[chelidoni]

SLR, I am using the core version.

[Aravisian]

I would adjust your Tweaked Copy to have an obvious and different name. Like ZorinSur.
Give the folder that name and give the index.theme Name= entry the same.
Ensure the theme is placed in your home directory .themes folder ~/.themes in order to allow you easy and quick non-root access for adjusting or changing things.
Reload your desktop and then open the Gnome-Tweak tool or Zorin Appearance and see if your custom theme appears and can be selected.

[chelidoni]

should the MetacityTheme= and GtkTheme also be named ZorinSur?

[Aravisian]

Zorin OS does not use Metacity out of the box. So, really... those do not matter.

[chelidoni]

So I change the XML icons in xfwm4 ZorinSur but It seems to be not working am changing the right images?

[Aravisian]

Those images are for Zorin OS Lite (Which uses XFCE).
Changing them will have no effect on Zorin OS Core, which uses Gnome.

XFCE uses a Window Manager that handles the Window borders and the Titlebars and titlebuttons (Close, min, max).

Gnome does not. Nor does it use Metacity anymore, either.
Gnome uses Mutter. Everything you must change will be found in the gtk 3.0 folder - assets folder.

[chelidoni]

Ohh sorry, so this is the folder I should be editing

I see no close, min, and max icons to replace with, does that mean I have to modify gkt.css for the icons? or add an icon image to assets override the default icons?

[Aravisian]

I will need to take a look... I have not really modified Zorin OS themes; I make my own.
I need to head out for about an hour or more but will take a look when I return.

[chelidoni]

Cool thanks!

[Aravisian]

Sorry for the delay. I took a look.
The Theme covers the Background colors and animation for the Titlebuttons only - and calls on the Icon Theme to provide Symbolic Close, Min and Max button symbols.
/usr/share/icons/Zorin/scalable/actions

The best way to approach this would be to add your own .css handling the Titlebuttons, directing to the image of your choice.

[chelidoni]

Great! This will be a long night, thanks a lot!

[Aravisian]

If you are well versed in css, then this should be pretty straight-forward. If not, you may consider using Zorin OS Lite as a playground, as you can get started in theming more easily in that environment.