How to Install the McMojave Linux Theme (Mojave GTK)

To install the McMojave Linux theme, download the current source from its maintainer, install the build tools required by your distribution, and run the included installer. The project is now listed on GitHub as Mojave GTK Theme. The default user install affects only your account.

What the theme changes

Mojave styles GTK apps and includes GTK 2/3, GNOME Shell, Cinnamon, and Xfwm components. It fits GTK desktops such as GNOME, Xfce, MATE, Cinnamon, and Pantheon; it does not automatically theme Qt apps, docks, icons, or wallpapers. Plasma has a separate KDE theme. Modern GNOME apps using GTK 4/libadwaita may need the project’s optional GTK 4 mode and still may not follow every custom style.

Install the theme from the maintainer’s source

1. Check your desktop and choose an install scope

Use the user install for a theme that only your account needs; the default destination is ~/.themes. The installer also accepts a system-wide destination, but writing to /usr/share/themes requires administrator access. These steps use the user-level default.

2. Review the current project and requirements

Open the maintainer’s Mojave GTK Theme repository. The repository README identifies the project’s supported desktop components, options, and build requirements. The older archive names in previous instructions can differ from the current source, so do not rely on a filename such as Mojave-dark-solid.tar.xz unless that exact file is listed by the maintainer.

3. Install the listed build dependencies

The source installer builds theme assets locally. The upstream README lists tools including sassc, optipng, inkscape, and glib-compile-resources, plus GTK 2 engines for GTK 2 support. Package names vary across Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, and other distributions, so install the equivalents from your distro’s trusted repositories. If you only use GTK 3 apps, GTK 2 engines may not be needed for those apps, but follow the project’s requirements if the build reports a missing tool.

4. Clone the repository

Install Git if needed, then open a terminal and run:

git clone https://github.com/vinceliuice/Mojave-gtk-theme.git
cd Mojave-gtk-theme

This downloads the source and enters its folder. Use the maintainer’s repository URL, not a third-party re-upload.

5. Choose a variant and run the installer

First check the options supported by the version you downloaded:

./install.sh --help

To install a dark, solid variant into the default user theme folder, run:

./install.sh --color dark --opacity solid

For a light version, replace dark with light. Options include light or dark colors and standard or solid opacity. Running ./install.sh without options builds the default set. Omit sudo for a user install.

For every user, run sudo ./install.sh --dest /usr/share/themes after setup. Only do this with the maintainer’s source and the options you want.

The repository also documents --libadwaita for GTK 4 files used by libadwaita applications. Check the current README for how to combine it with variant options. It does not guarantee that every modern GNOME app will honor a custom GTK theme.

Enable McMojave in your desktop settings

After installation, open your desktop’s appearance or theme settings and select the Mojave variant. In Xfce, open Settings > Appearance > Style. Xubuntu’s Xubuntu’s theming guide explains how GTK controls, window decorations, and icons are configured separately. In GNOME, choose the GTK theme in Tweaks under Appearance; on some versions the control is labeled “Legacy Applications.” Cinnamon and MATE provide similar theme or appearance panels, though menu names vary by distribution.

GNOME Shell styling is separate from GTK apps. The theme includes Shell files, but loading a user-installed Shell theme may require GNOME’s User Themes extension. GTK selection alone will not change every panel or app.

If the theme does not appear

• Confirm the installer finished without a missing-dependency error and that a theme directory was created under ~/.themes.
• Close and reopen the appearance tool after installation. If needed, sign out and back in so the desktop rescans theme files.
• Check that you selected the variant name the installer created, such as Mojave-dark-solid.
• If only some apps change, check whether they use GTK 4/libadwaita or Qt; those toolkits may need separate handling or may not follow this GTK theme.