How to change default icon size in GNOME?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm currently using GNOME and would like to find a way to change the default icon size for all desktop icons. Right now they look really huge, even at high resolutions. I know you can stretch them, but does that go for all and future icons I create as well?

Perhaps there is a configuration file I need to edit?

If this can only be done in KDE, how would I make KDE my default GUI? Right now I'm using Fedora Core 3 and it automatically goes into GNOME, although I did select the KDE option.

- Matt.

Hi Mateo,

You can resize your icons by setting the propreties at Gnome File Browser.

This is what you need to do:

- Open the File Browser and choose: Edit -> Preferences
- In the "Icon View Defaults" section, set the desired (50% for example) "Default Zoom Level"
- Take a look at your desktop! :-)

Cheers,

MykTuX.

PS: Unflag the "Use compact layout" option for a better result with the icon text labels.

Thanks for the reply. I did end up figuring this out eventually and it did help. I'm unfortunately no longer using Linux though due to the following:

1) Was ridden with bugs and problems such as internet not working in one distribution (Mandrake 10.0).

2) The fonts looked horrible. I scoured the web and looked at post after post, but the suggestions I found didn't help much. Windows fonts are so much better.

3) RPM's were driving me crazy. And I thought the Windows registry was bad. Yes, I got some installed. But the dependency thing is just plain irritating. Windows programs install so much faster.

Overall, it seemed to be more of a hobby or server OS and not a satisfactory desktop OS. It is disappointing as I was really looking forward to Linux and even found all new Linux programs to replace my Windows ones.

- Matt.

It's always sad when somebody gives up so quickly and there wasn't 1 good point made here to leave[

Install many times on many machines, never had a prob.

So why didn't you install windows fonts?

Use apt-get or equiv unstead of trying to find them on your own, you'd never even know that they exist, just click and go!


- Matt.

Guess I just got really unlucky then. But it was enough to pull my hair out. From what I've read, others had problems with Mandrake as well. There were some other miscellaneous oddities as well though with Redhat, especially when logging in.

I did try, but the stupid thing looked nasty. And I even read through numerous guides out there on how to make fonts look better. But they still looked like hell. :-/

All the documentation I read mentioned using "makefile" or something like that or else the standard RPM way of doing it. Finally just got irritated with RPM hell as I like to call it and it install process would take so much longer. Granted, there is a learning curve and I understand that.

I was expecting Linux to be different and was ready with new Linux based applications, but some of the above really turned me off. I wouldn't call it giving up easy either. I spend 8-hour days messing with it for an entire week. I've used Linux plenty of times before, but it was a server environment via SSH / FTP.

Of course, I could have played with it for a year if I had wanted to, but I just don't have that kind of time to consider Linux a hobby.

Hello Mateo, I hope I'm not too late to convince you to use Linux. Fedora (Core) is/(was) a good distribution. However, you should try Ubuntu. It has no RPMs and uses a package manager called apt. You said you wanted MS fonts and such, it is easy in Ubuntu. After Ubuntu is installed give three commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras (or some package like that)

(You can also do this in synaptic, a GUI manager)

There is no makefiles and RPMs for you to worry about, and Ubuntu has a very large community. I hope I am not too late to change your mind.
----
Good Luck, TDJACR.

I'm only 4 years late :/

Wow, thanks for the post. :-) I ended up going with Windows XP still for the time being, but would still like to make the switch to Linux eventually. My primary issues right now are lack of support on the device front and compatibility with some other software. I already use some excellent open source apps like GIMP, so I should be fairly ready when the time comes.

But right now the downsides still outweight the upsides for me.

I have tried Ubuntu in the past and really like it. That's the distribution my brother recommended too (he's more into Linux than I am). He's also a big Mint fan. I had a much better experience with Ubuntu than the rather buggy Fedora Core 2.

Very helpful
 

Well I never posted the initial thread but am very happy after applying the instructions / guidance, and now my icons don't look quite so stupid (hey I'm long sighted gimme a break :).

I'll be back to ask hundreds of questions about using Ubuntu as I'm A:) Way too lazy to learn it all from a book, B:) Not a millionaire and let's be honest books on any of the distro's are expensive (in the U.K.) and C:) Far happier with my PC's security using any version of Linux than I am with my other partition of Windows 7 :)