Possible to change default icons?

Customization
1

I do not like the default icons. For media, I would like to use the VLC icon. I know how to change one file at a time but that is time consuming.

For folders, I would like to use a dark folder (ever darker than dark mode). Again, I can do this one by one but there has to be a way to change default icons.

Is this possible? I searched on duckduckgo and I searched the forum.

2

You might try searching gnome-look, xfce-look (pling) or Deviantart for Custom linux Icon sets.
If you find a full set you like, you will no longer need to adjust every icon, one-by-one.

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3

so I heeded to your announcement regarding using help from chatgpt, I did eventually ended up asking it and here are the results
Me : I am using Zoring OS 17.1 core, and i just switched from windows 11, now this linux distro also has an app store like microsoft store, its called "software", it has a rather boring icon, so now i want to change the icon to the microsoft store one and i even have the SVG file

Chatgpt 4o mini : Customizing icons in Linux, particularly in distributions like Zorin OS, can be a fun way to personalize your desktop environment. Since you want to change the icon for the "Software" app to the Microsoft Store logo, here's a step-by-step guide to do that:

Step 1: Prepare the SVG File

Make sure your SVG file for the Microsoft Store logo is ready. You might want to convert it to PNG if needed, as PNG is often more universally supported for icons.

Step 2: Locate the Current Icon

  1. Find the .desktop File:

    • The application launcher icons are generally controlled by .desktop files. These are usually located in /usr/share/applications/ for system-wide applications or ~/.local/share/applications/ for user-specific applications.

  2. Find the Correct File:

    • Open a terminal and list the files in the /usr/share/applications/ directory. You might use ls /usr/share/applications/ | grep software to find the relevant .desktop file.

Step 3: Edit the .desktop File

  1. Open the .desktop File:

    • Use a text editor with root permissions to edit the file. For example:
      sudo nano /usr/share/applications/software.desktop
    • Replace software.desktop with the name of the file you found in the previous step.

  2. Change the Icon Path:

    • Look for a line that starts with Icon=. It will point to the current icon's path.
    • Change this line to point to your new icon file. If you're using an SVG file, ensure that your desktop environment supports SVGs for icons. If not, convert it to PNG and use that instead. For example:
      Icon=/path/to/your/microsoft-store-icon.png

Step 4: Place the New Icon File

  1. Copy the Icon File:

    • Place your new icon file (e.g., microsoft-store-icon.png) in a suitable location. You can place it in /usr/share/icons/ or any directory where your system looks for icons.
    sudo cp /path/to/your/microsoft-store-icon.png /usr/share/icons/

Step 5: Refresh the Desktop Environment

  1. Update the Icon Cache:

    • Depending on your desktop environment, you might need to update the icon cache. Run:
      sudo gtk-update-icon-cache /usr/share/icons/

  2. Restart Your Session:

    • Sometimes, a restart of the desktop session or a full reboot is required for changes to take effect.

Additional Tips:

  • Permissions: Ensure that the new icon file has the appropriate permissions so that it can be read by all users.
  • Backup: Before making changes, it’s always a good idea to back up the original .desktop file and any icons you modify.

If you encounter any issues or the new icon does not show up immediately, you might need to log out and log back in or reboot your computer. Let me know if you run into any specific problems or if something isn't working as expected!

so should I follow this, is it legitimate and safe ?

4

Yes, chatGPT provided you with safe and functional instructions, there.
It should work just fine and is a safer method to redirect to your preferred icon, than it is to change the icon within the theme to a different one.

1 Like
5

That approach would work but you're still left with changing the icons one by one.

If you look into the .desktop files for most programs you will notice that it doesn't point to a particular file, i.e. instead of "/path/to/your/microsoft-store-icon.png", it just says "microsoft-store" or something around those lines.

This is because you can install an icon set that provides this icon. Changing the icon set would apply changes to all icons in one go, which is far more efficient.

It's possible that an icon set doesn't have one for a particular program that you use, which then reverts to the default. In that case, you can customize it individually using the described method of updating the .desktop file. Or you can request an update to the icon set maintainer.

Now, if you are only interested in certain icons, that's where you would have to mix and match individually. In that case, I would suggest creating your own icon set just so that it's easier to apply in the future and in other computers as well.

Searching online in the websites proposed by Aravisian above, you can find plenty of icon sets, for example:

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