Customize the Notification Bubble in Ubuntu 13.04 (Using Patched NotifyOSD)

Back in Ubuntu Lucid, we have shown you how you can customize the notification bubble (also known as NotifyOSD) using a patched NotifyOSD and NotifyOSD Config. The good news is that the patched NotifyOSD has been upgraded to work in Ubuntu 13.04, so you will be able to customize it to your liking again.

The installation is very easy. Open a terminal and run the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:leolik/leolik
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y upgrade

Instead of installing an additional GUI application just to customize the settings, you can open a text editor and paste the following settings. Save it as “.notify-osd” in your Home folder.

slot-allocation = dynamic
bubble-expire-timeout = 10sec
bubble-vertical-gap = 5px
bubble-horizontal-gap = 5px
bubble-corner-radius = 37,5%
bubble-icon-size = 30px
bubble-gauge-size = 6px
bubble-width = 240px
bubble-background-color = 131313
bubble-background-opacity = 90%
text-margin-size = 10px
text-title-size = 100%
text-title-weight = bold
text-title-color = ffffff
text-title-opacity = 100%
text-body-size = 90%
text-body-weight = normal
text-body-color = eaeaea
text-body-opacity = 100%
text-shadow-opacity = 100%
bubble-prevent-fade = 0
bubble-close-on-click = 1
bubble-as-desktop-bg = 0

The configuration options are self-explanatory. You can change the bubble width, gap, color and opacity and even set it to close on click.

One thing that is not covered in the settings is the position of the notification bubble. For that, you can issue the following command in the terminal:

gsettings set com.canonical.notify-osd gravity [number]

where [number] is any of the following:

1 - top-right corner
2 - middle-right
3 - bottom-right corner
4 - bottom-left corner
5 - middle-left
6 - top-left corner

Once you have done the configuration, restart the notifyosd:

pkill notify-osd

and to test it:

notify-send "custom message"

Here is a video of the customized NotifyOSD in action.

Enjoy!

Damien

Damien Oh started writing tech articles since 2007 and has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry. He is proficient in Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iOS, and worked as a part time WordPress Developer. He is currently the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Make Tech Easier.