[mythtv-theming] How to set up a test bed for a theme

[Elkin Fricke]

Hi Ken,

as many have already noted:

1) copy a working theme from /usr/share/mythtv/originalthemetitle to
/usr/share/mythtv/yournewthemetitle

2) edit the themeinfo.xml file in your favorite editor and change the title
there to any you like. This is the title later shown in your frontend.

3) start learning some of the basics by editing small things (one at a time)
in the file base.xml. This file is used as the "root" of all themes. Most
themes then inherit the settings made here into the subsections (also called
screens) like recordings.

4) comment everything you have learned (with <!-- this changes XYZ in screen
YZX -->) as it allows you to relearn it fast if you don't edit the file
often.

5) make use of the http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/MythUI_Theme_Development wiki.
It contains up to date information on what settings can be used in each
screen.

6) don't get frustrated, as some screens (mythmusic comes to mind) is not
fully converted to the new MythUI way of theming.

7) set a keybinding to reload the theme, that way you don't have to "kill
-USR1 $(pidof mythfrontend)" all the time.

8) sometimes you need to clear the theme cache to make your changes visible
(rm ~/.mythtv/themecache/* -r)
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