GalliumOS 3.0: New Artwork

[reynhout]

GalliumOS 3.0: New Artwork

So much art. GalliumOS is defined by our visual design (and our package selection!).

Desktop backgrounds, splash screens, login screens, installer screens, websites, stickers, t-shirts!

The GalliumOS style is solid, clean, clear, attractive. Complexity is present but not emphasized (please help us replace the login greeter background! :)

The codename for GalliumOS 3.0 is "Bismuth", which is an elemental metal (like Gallium) and starts with a "B" (like upstream Ubuntu's 18.04 "Bionic Beaver").

Bismuth has a brilliant iridescence when tarnished by moisture in the air. It burns with a blue flame. These qualities might give some inspiration for new art.

The current release (GalliumOS 2.0 Xenon) includes a screen in the Ubiquity installer of a xenon discharge tube in full glow. It's pretty cool, but we didn't manage to work the idea into other art.

Art Is All Around You

• Desktop backgrounds must work on multiple screen ratios. Past art has been largely architectural, which fits our style goals nicely but is not a requirement. We like to include a light watermark of the GalliumOS logo and wordmark.

• The Plymouth splash screen is an animated image, so there are many possibilities for use (and abuse!) there.

• The LXDM login greeter background image has no special requirements, but still manages to be the least successful of all current artwork. This is my fault.

• The Ubiquity installer has several "slides" that carousel through as the install progresses. As noted before, the final slide is a xenon tube for GalliumOS 2.0, and should definitely be updated or returned to a default style.

• The galliumos.org website is ripe for a refresh. I'd vote for a little brighter. It's time.

• Stickers and T-Shirts! When we launch 3.0, we'll do another T-shirt run. Previous art was simply the logo+wordmark in white on $COLOR, which worked pretty well. New ideas are welcome.

About That Blue

• GalliumOS 1 and 2 are very blue. Blue is a fine color, but it's not the only one!

[detjensrobert]

If you want to stick with architectural images as desktops, you can use this image I shot of some building in London. Top center would be a good place for the watermark.

[reynhout]

Some links to existing GalliumOS art:

• Desktop backgrounds
  • https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-artwork/tree/Ga2/usr/share/xfce4/backdrops
• Plymouth splash screen
  • https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-artwork/tree/Ga2/usr/share/plymouth/themes/galliumos-logo
  • https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-artwork/tree/Ga2/usr/share/plymouth/themes/xubuntu-logo
• LXDM Greeter background
  • https://github.com/GalliumOS/lxdm/tree/Ga2/data/themes/GalliumOS
• Ubiquity installer slides
  • https://github.com/GalliumOS/ubiquity-slideshow-galliumos/tree/Ga2/slideshows/galliumos/slides
• galliumos.org website
  • https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos.org/tree/Ga2
• Source assets of various sorts
  • https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-distro/tree/Ga2

[reynhout]

@detjensrobert That's a great image! I'm trying it out as a desktop background with the default (zoomed) display setting on a 16:9 display, so top & bottom are a bit cropped, but it still looks good.

[detjensrobert]

Thats how I use it too. I uploaded the big version for screens that are more square, if anyone else wishes to use it.

[kakalak-lumberJack]

Use this if you wish. I will be :) I release it under CC0 if anyone chooses to use it. Enjoy

[ghost]

What about using the papirus icon theme? It's have really a active community and it's package is totally small, because all icons are svg images.

[detjensrobert]

I looked around for a Gallium logo to use to make a watermark for my background and couldn't find one large enough. Could someone link me to one?

[reynhout]

@detjensrobert Sorry, I forgot to include the source assets. I'll add to my prior posting as well:

• https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-distro/tree/Ga2/master/artwork/logo/fulllogo

[reynhout]

@detjensrobert and @kakalak-lumberJack : I'm adding your desktop images to initial packages for GalliumOS 3.0.

I'd like to include license and copyright info in the documentation: https://github.com/GalliumOS/galliumos-artwork/blob/master/usr/share/xfce4/backdrops/README-galliumos.md

@kakalak-lumberJack I saw your note for CC0, so the only question for you is how you'd like to be attributed. github:kakalak-lumberJack is fine, if that works for you.

Also, if you'd like to name your images, please do! I'm currently using galliumos-3.0-architectural.jpg and galliumos-3.0-graymist.png. :)

Thanks for allowing us to use your art!

[detjensrobert]

Awesome! You guys can use my image under CC0 license, too. Credit to Paul Detjens, submitted by WholeWheatBagels. Name is fine; better than P0042534.jpg or whatever I have it saved as, haha.

[diazabdulm]

I design websites. Here's a look at my folio: http://uplabs.com/diazabdulm

I can help with a refresh of galliumos.org

[kakalak-lumberJack]

@reynhout, You can attribute to Jack Manning. The name you have given is the image is fine. Thanks!

[reynhout]

@kakalak-lumberJack Thanks, updated!

[reynhout]

@diazabdulm We only have three pages: home, download, and donate.

Home is useful but could use some sprucing up. The other two are rather a mess.

Do you have any ideas on what could improve those three pages?

Thanks for taking a look!

[RedFantom]

It is funny how one can sometimes stumble across things. I actually ended up here by accident, but if you are looking for desktop backgrounds, this is the one I am currently using (It's a 50% rescale of the original): I did shoot it myself, and while it's not architecture, I find it is quite easy on the eyes. I've also got a few (really just like two or three) architecture shots that might be good enough, but they are all of warm-coloured buildings, so I don't know if that's what you're looking for? I've got a lot of close-ups on flowers though, but if they don't fit in with the style of the distribution, that's okay. I mean, a linux distribution is all about some uniqueness, right? :smile:

On the odd chance you are interested, I can dig through my wallpapers folder and send them, full-size (apart from cropping, of course) and licensed under CC-BY-SA. Just let me know.

[reynhout]

@RedFantom That is a great shot, no question.

We usually publish 3-4 new desktop images with each release, and we currently only have two for this one so we definitely have room for more ideas!

The architecture thing is an emerging tradition which I kind of like, but it's not set in stone (or glass and steel, for that matter). And in any case, that has only been for the default image. The alternates are wide open. That said, I'd also love to see your warmer arch images for possible future use!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

[RedFantom]

@reynhout Looking at them again I am not quite happy enough with them to share them as background images :sweat: .

[reynhout]

@RedFantom Understood, thanks for checking! :)

[diazabdulm]

@diazabdulm We only have three pages: home, download, and donate.

Home is useful but could use some sprucing up. The other two are rather a mess.

Do you have any ideas on what could improve those three pages?

Thanks for taking a look!

I took a look at the pages and was wondering about:

• implementing a search feature so that people who don't know their device architecture could still download GalliumOS with ease.
• or automatically detecting it
• checksum and mirrors could be hidden unless the user requests them
• 'donate' info could be removed since there's a page already. Or rather, if someone clicks to download, show donate button (maybe a popup?)
• lighter page background? It would feel a little cleaner
• or maybe go the elementary OS route (see elementary OS's website) and simply use one page for simplicity. The donate button could turn into a form on click, and the Download button could turn into a prompt which asks users for their architecture

[3drosalia]

https://imgur.com/a/T5QTgEB This could be good for a background!