Theming Engine¶
The desktop stack uses a global, JSON-based color scheme engine. Configuration and scripts are located in dots/color-engine/.
Themes¶
Themes are stored in the themes/ directory as JSON files:
- amalgamation.json ("Muted Amalgamation (Detailed)")
- petrified_spittoon.json ("Petrified Spittoon (Detailed)")
- radioactive_slime.json ("Radioactive Slime")
- ayu_green.json
- ayu_red.json
Note
amalgamation.json serves as the canonical template and master theme. Other themes define their palettes and reference mappings defined in this template.
Scripts & Engine¶
The theming tools map JSON palettes onto various applications live:
apply_theme.py: Applies a JSON theme across the system via aTECHNICAL_MAP. Targets include Noctalia v5 (~/.config/noctalia/palettes/volnix.json), Starship (starship.toml), andkitty(current.conf+tab_bar.py). Kitty theming is applied live through a remote control socket (unix:@mykitty).check_theme.py: Validates JSON theme structures. It hard-fails on invalid hex values or dangling mapping references, and warns if roles are missing compared toamalgamation.json.make_theme.py: Generates new JSON themes from hex arguments or a color file. It derives backgrounds, accents, containers, dim variants, and a 16-color terminal set. This script also includes internal validation and an--applyflag for immediate deployment.
Workflow & Makefile Targets¶
The engine is primarily operated through Makefile targets for ease of use:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
make theme-list |
List available themes. |
make theme-apply THEME=<name> |
Apply a specific theme globally. |
make theme-check THEME=<name> |
Validate a theme JSON file. |
make theme-new NAME="..." [COLORS="#a #b"] [FROM=<file>] [APPLY=1] [FORCE=1] |
Generate a new theme from colors or an image. |
Application Specifics¶
Kitty Terminal Integration¶
The terminal environment is driven by a Home-Manager generated kitty.conf (located in dots/kitty/):
- Uses fish as the default shell.
- Font is "PunkMono Nerd Font" at size 11, with symbol_map settings for Nerd Font PUA ranges.
- Features a beam cursor with a cursor_trail.
- Contains a custom bottom tab bar powered by tab_bar.py.
- Integrates with the theming engine via allow_remote_control and listen_on unix:@mykitty.
- Additional colorschemes reside in dots/kitty_colorschemes/ (e.g., Custom.conf, "Modus Vivendi Tinted.conf").
Fonts¶
The system designates specific font families for different UI roles: - Main: "Google Sans Flex" - Monospace: "JetBrains Mono NF" - Expressive: "Space Grotesk" - Reading: "Readex Pro"