Arch Linux

benm

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 90

[SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

I am getting a black rectangle roughly an inch wide around at least some GTK apps.

My suspicion is that this may have something to do with the desktop environment not properly handling transparency, since in other apps there are black corners where there should be transparency around rounded rectangles. The GTK app I am primarily seeing this behavior is Elementary Planner from the AUR, but I have seen it on others as well.

Thanks in advance.

Solution: My compositor had been automatically disabled after a crash.

System Settings > Display and Monitor > Compositor to reenable it.

Last edited by benm (2021-07-19 20:42:00)

benm

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 90

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

It looks like a similar topic was discussed here, but apparently the solution was to disable the shadow feature itself rather than determine the cause of the lack of transparency.

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=196061

benm

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 90

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

Another similar question, same situation:

https://unix.stackexchange.com/question … -in-plasma

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 77,527

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

Please don't bump, edit your post unless somebody has replied.

On topic: do you have and active compositor?

qdbus org.kde.KWin /KWin supportInformation

Please wrap the output in code tags, https://bbs.archlinux.org/help.php#bbcode

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

benm

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 90

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

Result of qdbus org.kde.KWin /KWin supportInformation:

KWin Support Information:
The following information should be used when requesting support on e.g. https://forum.kde.org.
It provides information about the currently running instance, which options are used,
what OpenGL driver and which effects are running.
Please post the information provided underneath this introductory text to a paste bin service
like https://paste.kde.org instead of pasting into support threads.

==========================

Version
=======
KWin version: 5.22.3
Qt Version: 5.15.2
Qt compile version: 5.15.2
XCB compile version: 1.14

Operation Mode: X11 only

Build Options
=============
KWIN_BUILD_DECORATIONS: yes
KWIN_BUILD_TABBOX: yes
KWIN_BUILD_ACTIVITIES: yes
HAVE_DRM: yes
HAVE_GBM: yes
HAVE_EGL_STREAMS: yes
HAVE_X11_XCB: yes
HAVE_EPOXY_GLX: yes
HAVE_WAYLAND_EGL: yes

X11
===
Vendor: The X.Org Foundation
Vendor Release: 12012000
Protocol Version/Revision: 11/0
SHAPE: yes; Version: 0x11
RANDR: yes; Version: 0x14
DAMAGE: yes; Version: 0x11
Composite: yes; Version: 0x4
RENDER: yes; Version: 0xb
XFIXES: yes; Version: 0x50
SYNC: yes; Version: 0x31
GLX: yes; Version: 0x0

Decoration
==========
Plugin: org.kde.kwin.aurorae
Theme: __aurorae__svg__McMojave
Plugin recommends border size: No
Blur: 1
onAllDesktopsAvailable: false
alphaChannelSupported: false
closeOnDoubleClickOnMenu: false
decorationButtonsLeft: 0, 2
decorationButtonsRight: 6, 3, 4, 5
borderSize: 3
gridUnit: 10
font: Noto Sans,10,-1,0,50,0,0,0,0,0
smallSpacing: 2
largeSpacing: 10

Platform
==========
Name: KWin::X11StandalonePlatform

Cursor
======
themeName: macOSBigSur
themeSize: 32

Options
=======
focusPolicy: 0
xwaylandCrashPolicy: 
xwaylandMaxCrashCount: 3
nextFocusPrefersMouse: false
clickRaise: true
autoRaise: false
autoRaiseInterval: 0
delayFocusInterval: 0
shadeHover: false
shadeHoverInterval: 250
separateScreenFocus: false
placement: 4
focusPolicyIsReasonable: true
borderSnapZone: 10
windowSnapZone: 10
centerSnapZone: 0
snapOnlyWhenOverlapping: false
rollOverDesktops: true
focusStealingPreventionLevel: 1
operationTitlebarDblClick: 5000
operationMaxButtonLeftClick: 5000
operationMaxButtonMiddleClick: 5015
operationMaxButtonRightClick: 5014
commandActiveTitlebar1: 0
commandActiveTitlebar2: 28
commandActiveTitlebar3: 2
commandInactiveTitlebar1: 4
commandInactiveTitlebar2: 28
commandInactiveTitlebar3: 2
commandWindow1: 7
commandWindow2: 8
commandWindow3: 8
commandWindowWheel: 28
commandAll1: 10
commandAll2: 3
commandAll3: 14
keyCmdAllModKey: 16777250
showGeometryTip: false
condensedTitle: false
electricBorderMaximize: true
electricBorderTiling: true
electricBorderCornerRatio: 0.25
borderlessMaximizedWindows: false
killPingTimeout: 5000
hideUtilityWindowsForInactive: true
compositingMode: 1
useCompositing: true
hiddenPreviews: 1
glSmoothScale: 2
xrenderSmoothScale: false
glStrictBinding: true
glStrictBindingFollowsDriver: true
glCoreProfile: false
glPreferBufferSwap: 97
glPlatformInterface: 1
windowsBlockCompositing: true
latencyPolicy: 
renderTimeEstimator: 

Screen Edges
============
desktopSwitching: false
desktopSwitchingMovingClients: false
cursorPushBackDistance: 1x1
timeThreshold: 150
reActivateThreshold: 350
actionTopLeft: 0
actionTop: 0
actionTopRight: 0
actionRight: 0
actionBottomRight: 0
actionBottom: 0
actionBottomLeft: 0
actionLeft: 0

Screens
=======
Multi-Head: no
Active screen follows mouse:  yes
Number of Screens: 1

Screen 0:
---------
Name: HDMI-0
Geometry: 0,0,1920x1080
Scale: 1
Refresh Rate: 60

Compositing
===========
Compositing is not active

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 77,527

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

Did you look at it?

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

benm

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 90

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

Yes

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 77,527

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

And?

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

benm

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 90

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

If you don't want to help then do not help. Don't be patronizing about it.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 77,527

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

On topic: do you have an active compositor?

If you>'re not willing to use your brain, then arch is the wrong distro for you.

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

benm

Member

Registered: 2021-03-28

Posts: 90

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

I figured it out. I am willing to use my brain but I do not have an encyclopedic knowledge of desktop environments and where to look for things.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 77,527

Re: [SOLVED] Letterbox behavior around GTK apps in KDE Plasma

That is why I told you where to look - and what for.

---

How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc