ICEWM-THEME(5) Standards, Environments and Macros ICEWM-THEME(5)
icewm-theme - icewm theme configuration file
$ICEWM_PRIVCFG/theme
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/icewm/theme
$HOME/.icewm/theme
/etc/icewm/theme
/usr/share/icewm/theme
The theme file contains the name of the default theme. On startup
icewm reads this file to obtain the theme name, unless icewm was
started with the --theme option. Whenever a different theme is
selected from the icewm Menu then the theme file is overwritten with
the name of the selected theme.
This theme file contains the keyword "Theme", followed by an equals
sign, followed by a double-quoted string with the theme name. The
theme name is the name of the theme directory, followed by a slash,
followed by the theme file.
Usually the theme file is just default.theme, but a theme may have
alternatives. Alternatives are small tweaks of a theme. These are
specified in their own .theme file, which replaces default.theme.
If no theme file exists then icewm will use the default setting of
"Theme="icedesert/default.theme"".
Following is a theme file. The comments show that icewm(1) keeps a
history of previous theme settings.
Theme="CrystalBlue/default.theme"
#Theme="icedesert/default.theme"
##Theme="default/default.theme"
Locations for the theme file are as follows:
$ICEWM_PRIVCFG/theme
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/icewm/theme
$HOME/.icewm/theme
/etc/icewm/theme
/usr/share/icewm/theme
The locations are searched in the order listed; the first file found
is read and the remainder ignored.
icewm(1), icewm-preferences(5), icewm-prefoverride(5).
Brian Bidulock <mailto:bidulock@openss7.org>.
IceWM is licensed under the GNU Library General Public License. See
the COPYING file in the distribution.
icewm 3.9.0 2025-08-31 ICEWM-THEME(5)
NAME
icewm-theme - icewm theme configuration file
SYNOPSIS
$ICEWM_PRIVCFG/theme
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/icewm/theme
$HOME/.icewm/theme
/etc/icewm/theme
/usr/share/icewm/theme
DESCRIPTION
The theme file contains the name of the default theme. On startup
icewm reads this file to obtain the theme name, unless icewm was
started with the --theme option. Whenever a different theme is
selected from the icewm Menu then the theme file is overwritten with
the name of the selected theme.
FORMAT
This theme file contains the keyword "Theme", followed by an equals
sign, followed by a double-quoted string with the theme name. The
theme name is the name of the theme directory, followed by a slash,
followed by the theme file.
Usually the theme file is just default.theme, but a theme may have
alternatives. Alternatives are small tweaks of a theme. These are
specified in their own .theme file, which replaces default.theme.
If no theme file exists then icewm will use the default setting of
"Theme="icedesert/default.theme"".
EXAMPLES
Following is a theme file. The comments show that icewm(1) keeps a
history of previous theme settings.
Theme="CrystalBlue/default.theme"
#Theme="icedesert/default.theme"
##Theme="default/default.theme"
FILES
Locations for the theme file are as follows:
$ICEWM_PRIVCFG/theme
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/icewm/theme
$HOME/.icewm/theme
/etc/icewm/theme
/usr/share/icewm/theme
The locations are searched in the order listed; the first file found
is read and the remainder ignored.
SEE ALSO
icewm(1), icewm-preferences(5), icewm-prefoverride(5).
AUTHOR
Brian Bidulock <mailto:bidulock@openss7.org>.
LICENSE
IceWM is licensed under the GNU Library General Public License. See
the COPYING file in the distribution.
icewm 3.9.0 2025-08-31 ICEWM-THEME(5)