XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

TheyForcedMe · 2021-07-11 14:48:33

=== MY PROBLEM ===

I use XFCE with xfwm4 as the display manager and I'm trying to install the Arc-Dark theme (arc-gtk-theme). It works good for the most part, but there's one exception: windows' title bar. Some apps' title bar looks just as Arc-Dark title bar should, like this (Pay attention to the top-right corner, minimize-restore-close buttons):

https://imgur.com/a/WWuhzkp

This is how I want apps to look, and some do; mostly system apps, like xfce4-settings.

Now let's take a look at Thunar (Again, pay attention to the top-right corner):

https://imgur.com/a/96BJMza

The minimize-restore-close buttons look completely different from what the Arc-Dark theme sets. Even the font in the window's title is different. In fact, most apps, like Inkscape, Sublime Text, Parole Media Player, etc demonstrate the same problem. I take it that the theme does not apply to most apps for some reason.

The most interesting case is Firefox. When the tittle bar is not disabled, it looks like this:

https://imgur.com/a/P7sOVUb

However when the tittle bar is disabled, the Arc theme works great!

https://imgur.com/a/qV4RgxK

=== WHAT I'VE DONE TO FIX IT ===

I suspect this issue is somehow related to xfwm4 or X and not to the theme itself since only the window decorations fail to change, all buttons, fonts, and context menus within the apps themselves seem to be decorated by the theme just fine. Also, when Firefox is switched to client side decoration (I assume this is what happens when I uncheck the Title Bar switch), the decorations miraculously start to work.

I'm admittedly a linux newbie, so I couldn't even diagnose the issue let alone fix it. Nonetheless, I've blindly tried a couple of things from the wiki and google:

I tried to reinstall the theme and even XFCE. No luck.
I tried to create a fresh user. Nope.
I tried to install some other themes that change windows' decorations, for instance adapta-gtk-theme. They show exactly the same problem, convincing me it's not the fault of Arc.

I tried to nail the themes in ~/.gtkrc-2.0 with

gtk-icon-theme-name = "Arc"
gtk-theme-name = "Arc-Dark"
gtk-font-name = "Sans Regular 10"

and in ~/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini with

[Settings]
gtk-icon-theme-name = Arc
gtk-theme-name = Ark-Dark
gtk-font-name = Sans Regular 10

Didn't change anything.

At this point I'm tired of stabbing at the dark, so could you please give me a cue in which direction to dig next? I'm not sure what tech details of my setup you need, so feel free to request further info.

$ xfwm4 --version
	This is xfwm4 version 4.16.1 (revision 5f61a84ad) for Xfce 4.16
	Released under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
	Compiled against GTK+-3.24.29, using GTK+-3.24.29.

	Build configuration and supported features:
	- Startup notification support:                 Yes
	- XSync support:                                Yes
	- Render support:                               Yes
	- Xrandr support:                               Yes
	- Xpresent support:                             Yes
	- X Input 2 support:                            No
	- Embedded compositor:                          Yes
	- Epoxy support:                                Yes
	- KDE systray proxy (deprecated):               No

Last edited by TheyForcedMe (2021-07-11 14:49:38)

seth · 2021-07-11 15:41:14

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xfce#R … ecorations ?

TheyForcedMe · 2021-07-11 16:51:24

seth wrote:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xfce#R … ecorations ?

Well, replacing libxfce4ui with libxfce4ui-nocsd and doing

 $ xfconf-query -c xsettings -p /Gtk/DialogsUseHeader -s false

did make all apps except Firefox ignore the Arc theme completely, but this is kind of the opposite of what I want. I want all apps - all GTK apps! - use the Arc theme.

It just kinda doesn't seem to apply unless the app forcibly switches to CSD for some reason... Looks like xfwm4 ignores the set theme unless it was forced to oblige by the app. This makes no sense.

TheyForcedMe · 2021-07-11 16:57:19

By "ignore the Arc theme completely" I mean the tittle bar ignores it completely; buttons inside an app obey the Ark style alright. https://i.imgur.com/CwXbdx5.png

TheyForcedMe · 2021-07-11 17:09:15

Solved it! This bizarre behaviour hinted me that the Settings -> Appearance -> Style somehow did not set the theme for xfwm4. After some googling I've found the way to set this theme manually

$ xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/theme -s Ark-Dark

I guess it's a bug in xfce-settings 'cause I do believe that the xfwm theme must be set automatically after the apps' style. I'll report the bug a bit later. Thanks for the help.

Last edited by TheyForcedMe (2021-07-11 17:09:51)

TheyForcedMe · 2021-07-11 17:20:47

For the record, it turns out that xfwm theme can - and must! - be set separately via Settings -> Window Manager -> Style. not a bug. I feel stupid now

toz · 2021-07-11 18:02:00

FWIW, in the next release of xfce4-settings, there will be an option to sync the xfwm4 theme from the appearance dialog.

seth · 2021-07-11 19:52:46

Please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

Arch Linux

#1 2021-07-11 14:48:33

XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

#2 2021-07-11 15:41:14

Re: XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

#3 2021-07-11 16:51:24

Re: XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

#4 2021-07-11 16:57:19

Re: XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

#5 2021-07-11 17:09:15

Re: XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

#6 2021-07-11 17:20:47

Re: XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

#7 2021-07-11 18:02:00

Re: XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

#8 2021-07-11 19:52:46

Re: XFCE window decorations do not apply to the tittle bar properly

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