I got tired of Yosemite’s icons and decided to take some initiative without the usual dependency on an app. It took about 2 days for me to perfect this strategy and now it’s time to make your process a lot easier than mine. π§
for all you machines out there
Intro
So maybe you got tired of Yosemiteβs icons. Thatβs cool.
Even without apps like the once legendaryΒ CandyBar
Β orΒ LiteIcon
, you can still change all your icons. No more dependencies!
I got tired of Yosemiteβs icons and decided to take some initiative without the usual dependency on an app. It took about 2 days for me to perfect this strategy and now itβs time to make your process a lot easier than mine.
Tools
Terminal
- your favorite set of icons
- some patience
Step 1 – Get Your Icons
DeviantArtΒ is my go-to place for icons sets, but you can also tryΒ IconArchiveΒ for a broader range of options.
If you like the app icons I show in these pictures, then youβre welcome to download them from my Dropbox.
Here is aΒ ZIP
Β file of the icons and commands used in this tutorial.
A special thanks to these guys for the amazing circular icons that I use in this how-to.
Step 2 – Get The Command
I include this command file in theΒ ZIP
Β fileΒ mentioned inΒ Step 1, but for reference, here is the code for theΒ ChangeIcons.command
.
#!/usr/bin/env ruby require 'json' require 'shellwords' if ENV['USER'] != 'root' puts "You'll be prompted once to enter you administrator password." end Dir.chdir(File.dirname(__FILE__)) do file = File.read(%Q(.set_icons/icon_data.json)) icon_data = JSON.parse(file) icon_data.each do |key, value| app_path = "/Applications/#{key}" if Dir.exists?(app_path) and File.exists?("#{value}.icns") puts "Changing icon for #{app_path}" `sudo .set_icons/setfileicon "#{value}.icns" "#{app_path}"` end end puts "Restarting Finder and the Dock" # `killall Dock` # `killall Finder` puts %Q(Finished!) end
Now here comes the tricky part. This command relies on aΒ JSON
Β file that is namedΒ icon-data.json
Β and aΒ UNIX Executable File
Β calledΒ setfileicon
.
These files are both included in a folder calledΒ set_icon
Β in theΒ ZIP
Β fileΒ provided inΒ Step 1.
TheΒ icon-data.json
Β file looks something like this:
{ "1Password 5.app": "1Password 5", "Alfred 2.app": "Alfred 2", "Amphetamine.app": "Amphetamine" }
It is formatted with the name of the app first in quotes followed by a semi-colon and then the name of theΒ icns
Β file.
Edit thisΒ icon-data.json
Β file to include your own apps or create it yourself using your favorite text-editor.
Here is how theΒ JSON
Β file for the Utilities looks like.
It isΒ case-sensitive
, so make sure to type everything correctly to suit what the app is called and what you named the correspondingΒ icns
Β file.
When you are editing this file to add on your own apps, make sure thereβs not a comma on the last line or there will be an error.
Now, usingΒ Terminal
, type in the following:Β defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
. Once you pressΒ Enter
, this command will show all the hidden files on your Mac. Donβt mess with any of these hidden files. The reason Apple hides them is so that the user has less of a chance of messing things up.
To make the files hidden again later, type in the same command but with a NO at the end like this:Β
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO
.
After that, type inΒ killall Finder
Β into Terminal for the command to restart the Finder and have the hidden files be revealed in your Finder.
Now that you have your Finder revealing all the hidden files – in the folder where you have all your icons properly named, copy and paste the folderΒ set_icons
Β from theΒ ZIP
Β fileΒ mentioned inΒ Step 1, and rename it toΒ .set_icons
. Adding a period in front of the folder name makes it hidden and you will therefore not be able to see it anymore.
It looks exactly like theΒ .set_icons
Β folder already included within the folder calledΒ Utilities
Β that can be found in theΒ ZIP
Β file.
So if you want to change your Utility icons as well, theΒ .set_icons
Β folder located in the sub-folderΒ Utilities
Β already has theΒ json
Β file with all the necessary modifications.
The only difference between theΒ
ChangeIcons.command
Β within theΒAll The Icons
Β folder and theΒChangeUtilityIcons.command located within the
Utilities folderis that on Line 36, the app path is listed as
app_path = β/Applications/Utilities/#{key}”`.
A special thanks toΒ James Moore, who created theΒ ChangeIcons.command
Β to replace all the icons and Damien Bobillot who created theΒ setfileicon
Β UNIX Executable File.
Step 3 – Execute Command
otherwise known asΒ
TLDR
Now you probably have something like the following:
- a folder calledΒ
All The Icons
Β with – all the icons you want to replace your old ones (inΒicns
Β format) – theΒChangeIcons.command
Β that was included in thisΒZIP
Β fileΒ – aΒ hiddenΒ sub-folder calledΒ.set_icons
Β with – a modifiedΒicon-data.json
Β file to include your own personal apps – theΒsetfileicon
Β UNIX executable file
At this point, if youβve done everything right, you can βhideβ your hidden files again in your Finder by executing the commandΒ defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO
Β inΒ Terminal
. Make sure to executeΒ killall Finder
Β as well so that your Finder restarts and shows the changes.
Now go ahead and click theΒ ChangeIcons.command
Β to change all your icons simultaneously.
You will be prompted to enter your password andΒ wallaΒ you have all your snazzy new icons in place in seconds!
If you want to change your Utility icons as well, go ahead and clickΒ
ChangeUtilityIcons.command
Β too within the sub-folder calledΒUtilities
, assuming you properly named all the icons so that it works with theΒjson
Β file that is shown inΒ Step 2.
Possible Errors You May Encounter
- You tried to edit the command files and now have a syntax error, like in the form of quotes – just make sure to useΒ straight quotes. – You have a syntax error in yourΒ
icon-data.json
Β file, like a comma on the last line. – You forgot to include a certain app in yourΒicon-data.json
Β file and so the icon does not change when you execute the command. – An app is locked and, therefore, the icon cannot be changed. To unlock an app, go to the app, right click,ΒGet Info
. Uncheck theΒLocked
Β button.