It is possible but it would be much better if you create a child theme: https://codex.buddypress.org/theme-development/building-a-buddypress-child-theme/
In this situation, you just create a new directory (via ftp or cpanel etc) and a new style.css file See here for what to put at the top of the file.
To find out what needs changing most people use firefox with firebug addon ( then press f12 ) , or developer tools in internet explorer 8 or 9 ( press f12 ) or similar in other browsers. You should also be able to test different colours etc using these tools…..
So, having looked at your site, in your style.css you would put something like
`#container {
background-color:#666;
}
#footer-widgets {
background-color:#666;
}`
for a grey background – if that’s what you wanted…
That should overwrite the bp-default colour but leave the orginal file intact so your edits are not lost on buddypress / bp-default updates…
Then you activate your new theme….
I tried to make my own child theme months ago and (a) found it too complicated, and (b) didn’t work….in other words; I screwed it all up. I actually have a folder on my desktop labeled “attempted buddypress theme.” lol………I’m sure there are many people out there that can look at it and say to themselves “how can she screw it up”? But I did and it doesn’t work…..I would like to keep the top white, I am fine with that, but the footer color needs to be darker, definitely…..my footer widgets look silly with the white background. I’m trying to change it to #778899……light slate gray. Not too dark, not too light…..just right.
All it needs at this stage is a new folder under /wp-content/themes/ with a style.css simple text file in it. Then replace #666 (see above) with #778899 ….
You should be able to preview any changes in the themes section, before activating…
If the file being looked for isn’t in your child theme, wordpress will look for it in the parent theme so you don’t need to worry about anything else for this task.
ok…..I’m going to do that right now……
grrrr……….nope……I made custom-style.css with the following code and uploaded it to wp-content/themes and it didn’t work……still white…….I don’t know, but I think I’m getting ready to go the “funny farm”…….lol
#container {
background-color:#778899;
}
#footer-widgets {
background-color:#778899;
}
The file should be called exactly style.css and the name is important . What is put at the top of the file is also important – see previous link to codex…..
It needs to go in it’s own directory, such as in wp-content/themes/my-theme/
NB: Please use backticks in this forum to make sure any code you quote is precise…..
I changed the name to style.css, and put it in it’s own folder “my-theme”……..still white……..what’s a “backtick?”
A backtick is a “` symbol, which is normally below the Esc key and above the Tab key on a standard querty english keyboard
Did you put the text (including `Template: bp-default` and `Theme Name: Whatever` on different lines ) at the top of the style.css file?
Did you Activate the child theme (or even preview) on the wordpres themes page?
I did it all…..I read the article from the link……I added the code and changed the “example.org” and such to my own “hiresphere.net.” I checked, and it does not appear in “my themes” in my dashboard, so I can’t enable it for multisite…….or I can enable it for multisite through my ftp, but I’m not sure how…..I’m lost……tried everything
ACES…….MARRY ME!!!!!! YOU ARE MY HERO FOREVER!!!!!!!!
Just 1 more small problem to fix and I’m going to launch her………gotta get rid of the search button/option at the top of my page that’s blocking the full name of my site……and that’s all!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I added something to your other topic about bp search: https://buddypress.org/community/groups/how-to-and-troubleshooting/forum/topic/remove-the-default-search-in-bp-default/
I had a look at your site and wonder if the border colour could better match the main widget footer area.
In /bp default/ default.css there is the following in `#footer-widgets`
`
border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
border-right: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
`
`#e0e0e0` was to go with a white area… It could be overridden, in the child theme, to better match your new colour for that area
I have looked all over and can’t find the piece of code you’re referring to……I don’t seem to have default.css……everything seems to be in functions.php and I can’t find that piece of code…….grrrrrr
It is in bp-default theme. But that was not the point ( I was trying to be helpful…. ) .
What I was suggesting is that in your child theme style.css in the `#footer-widgets` section that you should already have, you could also add those (edited!) lines – between the `{` and `}`
Ohhhhhh……..got it. I know you’re trying to be helpful Aces……you are definitely the MAN!!!! I am very grateful to you!
