TYPO3 14: The new default theme Camino is here

There is a new feature in TYPO3 14 that closes a long-standing gap: The default theme Camino. In this article, you can find out what this means, why it's important and what I thought about it.

What is Camino?

Camino (Spanish for "the way") is the new default theme for TYPO3 14. The name was chosen deliberately, because v14 marks the first step on the way to a bright future for TYPO3.

The theme pursues a clear goal: a new TYPO3 instance should be ready for use within a few minutes. Completely without external dependencies, without the old "Fluid styled content" extension and, above all, without error messages for beginners.

You can find all the details in the official TYPO3 Core ChangeLog.

The most important features

Four color schemes

You can choose between four different color schemes in the site settings.

Flexible structures

The main menu structure and the footer structure can be configured directly on the root page in the backend layout. The configuration is done via colPos positions.

Content elements for hero and regular content

Camino comes with the most important content elements. You can get started straight away.

Minimal TypoScript configuration

The basic configuration is kept lean and is done via TypoScript.

Site Sets integration

Camino uses and demonstrates the new Site Sets feature of TYPO3.

Why is this important?

For years, the TYPO3 community has been calling for a default theme. Other content management systems like WordPress had this long ago. TYPO3 did not.

The problem was simple: In a fresh TYPO3 instance, you only saw error messages in the frontend. Until you either integrated a template yourself or installed the Introduction Package or the Bootstrap Package.

Now we have a functional default theme that also shows what is possible and what is feasible in terms of code.

A look at the code

I took a look at the code. Almost exclusively new features are used here. That's good.

But there is one thing I don't quite understand: the old method with "lib.dynamicContent", which is also known from the Bootstrap Package, is used here. Instead of using the modern method with the Page Content Data Processor.

Of course, I have no background information on the decisions. Perhaps there is a good reason for this. But I have noticed it.

Installation: How to set up Camino

Camino is automatically activated for fresh installations. There are two ways for existing instances:

Classic Mode installation

For Classic Mode installations, the theme is activated by default. A new site and a first page are created automatically.

Composer mode installation

For Composer installations, you must manually request the package:

composer require typo3/theme-camino

A fresh installation also automatically creates the site and the first page.

For existing installations

For existing installations, you must first activate the theme. Depending on the setup, either via the Extension Manager or via Composer.

The following steps are then required:

1. Create a new root page under Content > Layout
2. Activate in the page properties under Behavior > "Use as Root Page"
3. Check the created site under Sites > Setup
4. Add the site set "Theme: Camino" as a dependency in the site properties under "General > Sets for this Site"
5. Empty the TYPO3 caches if necessary
6. Under Content > Layout for the root page, select the backend layout "Camino: Start page" under Appearance > Backend Layout
7. Done. Now you can add content in the specific columns

Two backend layouts are available for subpages:

• Camino: Content page (full-width)
• Camino: Content page (with sidebar)

You can set your own logo in the root page properties under Appearance. You can adjust the color scheme and other options under Sites > Setup in the Site Set Configuration.

My assessment

I think the decision is a good one. Very good, in fact.

A default theme was long overdue. It closes an important gap to other content management systems. And it significantly lowers the barrier to entry for new TYPO3 users.

Camino is not designed to evolve within TYPO3. In v15.0 it will be moved to a separate repository on TER/Packagist/GitHub. In v15.x a new theme with more modern features will be released.

The theme is completely optional and encapsulated. Existing setups will not be affected.

What you should do now

My recommendation: Just install Camino and take a look at the code. Here you can see modern practices in action. You're sure to get some inspiration for your own projects.

And if you want to learn TYPO3 14 from scratch: I'm currently working on the TYPO3 Complete Course, which will be updated with each new version. Camino, Site Sets, Fluid 5 and everything that goes with it. Join the waiting list to secure the discounted introductory price.

Conclusion

The Camino theme is an important step for TYPO3. It shows that the core team takes the needs of the community seriously. And it makes TYPO3 more accessible for beginners.

The decision to deliberately avoid external dependencies and to demonstrate modern TYPO3 features is the right one. Even if I can't quite understand some of the technical decisions.

Try it out. Take a look at the code. And use it as inspiration for your own projects.