How to install and use the Linux Designer

Tiny layout for GTK2 based desktops

well aware that modern DE will default to GTK3 this answer is not of interest for many users. But as GTK2 was enforced and recommended up Designer 7.2.0 this answer might still provide insights for some ...

If you have a low resolution you might do not like the large buttons and tree margins. I made the controls look tiny in my environment:

You could get this settings by adding a .gtkrc-2.0 file to your user home directory. The content is as follows:

style "gtkcompact" { 
    font_name="Liberation 8"
    GtkButton::defaultborder={0,0,0,0} 
    GtkButton::defaultoutsideborder={0,0,0,0} 
    GtkButtonBox::childminwidth=0 
    GtkButtonBox::childminheigth=0 
    GtkButtonBox::childinternalpadx=0 
    GtkButtonBox::childinternalpady=0 
    GtkMenu::vertical-padding=0 
    GtkMenuBar::internalpadding=0 
    GtkMenuItem::horizontalpadding=2 
    GtkToolbar::internal-padding=1 
    GtkToolbar::space-size=0 
    GtkOptionMenu::indicatorsize=0 
    GtkOptionMenu::indicatorspacing=0 
    GtkPaned::handlesize=4 
    GtkRange::troughborder=0 
    GtkRange::stepperspacing=0 
    GtkScale::valuespacing=0 
    GtkScrolledWindow::scrollbarspacing=0 
    GtkExpander::expandersize=10 
    GtkExpander::expanderspacing=0 
    GtkTreeView::vertical-separator=0 
    GtkTreeView::horizontal-separator=0 
    GtkTreeView::expander-size=8 
    GtkTreeView::fixed-height-mode=TRUE 
    GtkWidget::focuspadding=1 
    xthickness=2 
    ythickness=2
}

style "null"
{
    engine "pixmap"
    {
        image
        {
            function = BOX
            file = "Null/null.png"
            stretch = TRUE
        }
    }
}

class "GtkWidget" style "gtkcompact"

style "gtkcompactextra" { 
    xthickness=1
    ythickness=1
} 
class "GtkButton" style "gtkcompactextra"
class "GtkToolbar" style "gtkcompactextra"
class "GtkPaned" style "gtkcompactextra"
widget "*swt*toolbar-flat" style "null"