Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

advice1010 · 2025-08-02 20:30:58

Version: 4.20.2

I was wondering if anyone knew if there was a way in the `gtk.css` file, to be able to choose the colors used for active and or inactive file pane when using `Split View`
mode?

As far as I know this is the only visual indicator that shows which pane is active and which pane is inactive.
To me with using darker themes, this is not always a clear indicator and can sometimes be confusing.
Some themes have the darker file pane background = active and others use the lighter file pane background = action.
I also sometimes change the file pane background in my `gtk.css` file which maybe in some cases overrides this visual indicator completely in some themes?

If anyone knows of any other visual indicators that Thunar uses in `Split View` mode, I would be interested in as `gtk.css` information shared about this topic.

Thank you to anyone who reads this and for any information provided.

Last edited by advice1010 (2025-09-04 20:07:42)

ToZ · 2025-08-02 21:01:04

What version of thunar are you running? In 4.20 or later:

/* set active pane colour */
.thunar notebook scrolledwindow {background-color: green}
/* set inactive (split-pane) color
.thunar .split-view-inactive-pane .view {background-color: yellow}

advice1010 · 2025-08-08 13:50:56

@ToZ
Thank you for providing this information.
Ahh yes sorry I forgot, I am using 4.20.x

Anyone, please correct me if I am wrong, but here are some things I noticed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPLIT VIEW - ACTIVE FILE PANE - BACKGROUND COLOR

/* set active pane colour */
.thunar notebook scrolledwindow {background-color: green}

This line for me did not change the active file panes background color.
At first I did not think it did anything, but then when I opened a different window and applied focus to that window, I noticed that in the non active Thunar window, the cursor/highlight background color turned "green".
So I think this is for the cursor/highlight background color when Thunar window does NOT have focus.

My assumption is that the active file pane background color is using the same background color as the single file pane mode, which I believe is this code

.thunar .standard-view .view { background-color: black; }

Unless you know of any other code that changes the active file panes background color when in "Split View"?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPLIT VIEW - INACTIVE FILE PANE - BACKGROUND COLOR

/* set inactive (split-pane) color */
.thunar .split-view-inactive-pane .view {background-color: yellow}

This is the line I was looking, this one works well, thank you for this.

SPLIT VIEW - INACTIVE FILE PANE - CURSOR HIGHLIGHT COLOR
Not sure if this one actually exists?
Do you or any other users by any chance know if there is a way to change the cursor highlight background color in the inactive file pane?
This is the only code I am aware of for the cursor highlight, which applies to both panes

.thunar .standard-view .view:selected {background-color: blue; }

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPLIT VIEW - OTHER VISUAL INDICATORS

Also curious if you or any other users know of any other visual indicators for "Split View" mode.
Maybe an outline around the active file pane (similar to if you drag an item from one file pane to another in "Split View" mode, the file pane you are dropping into will show an outline around that file pane).
Or anything else?

Thank You

Last edited by advice1010 (2025-08-08 13:56:14)

ToZ · 2025-08-08 14:58:10

Sorry, I had a typo in my code. Try this instead:

/* set active pane colour */
.thunar notebook .view {background-color: green}
/* set inactive (split-pane) color */
.thunar .split-view-inactive-pane .view {background-color: yellow}

Also curious if you or any other users know of any other visual indicators for "Split View" mode.

See: https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=17427

advice1010 · 2025-08-16 16:58:44

@ToZ
Thank you for your response.
Okay that worked.

So it appears that

/* set active pane colour */
.thunar notebook .view {background-color: green}

and

.thunar .standard-view .view { background-color: green; }

both do the same thing, which is change the background color of the "active" file pane.

Thank you again for your help

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Added later 03 min 26 s:
@ToZ or any other users familiar with CSS + XFCE

LINK RESPONSE
I also took a look at that link you provided.
Ahh okay so there is not really anything official other then the color of the background for "Split View". Would rather not use a 3rd party modification as seen on that page.

QUESTION - FILE PANE BORDER?
In the top thread post of that link, user "va9iff" mentions that there is a "slight 1px border but that's unnoticeable"
I do not see a border personally, does anyone know if there is one there? If there is,
Can the color / px count be increased to show thicker outline?

I tried the following two but neither worked for me

.thunar notebook .view {border-width: 10px; border-color: red}

and

.thunar .standard-view .view {border-width: 10px; border-color: red}

QUESTION - ACTIVE TAB BORDER
In reply #3 this CSS code was mentioned to outline the "active tab"

.thunar notebook {border-width: 10px; border-color: red}

this sounds interesting, I tried this out but did not work for me.
Using Thunar 4.20.2, not sure if maybe this no longer works?

Would also be interested in code for active tabs background color if anyone knows it. I tried the following but also did not work for me.

.thunar notebook {background-color: green}

Thank you to anyone who reads this

Last edited by advice1010 (2025-08-16 17:02:58)

advice1010 · 2025-08-29 18:52:27

I am still interested in the two questions I mention in the reply above this post
QUESTION - FILE PANE BORDER?
QUESTION - ACTIVE TAB BORDER?
if anyone has any information to share.

Thank You

ToZ · 2025-08-29 19:53:03

.thunar notebook  {border-width: 10px; border-color: red; border-style: solid}
.thunar .split-view-inactive-pane {border-width: 10px; border-color: blue; border-style: solid}

advice1010 · 2025-09-04 20:07:07

@ToZ
ToZ!!!!
I cannot believe you were able to find this!
Thank you so much for this.
I know I have said this before but have to keep mentioning.
Just thank you in general for all the help you have provided for me and other users. The effort and info you share is always so helpful.

Note about file pane outline:
Something to mention for any other users that come across this in the future and are thinking of trying this.
Just be aware that if this is used, the "active" file pane outline will still be visible in single file pane mode, does not just appear when using "Split View" mode.
Hope this helps

advice1010 · 2025-09-14 00:14:06

@ToZ / Anyone else with CSS knowledge
The more I think of it, do any of you guys know if there is a way to only show these outlines in split view mode, but NOT show the outline when in single file pane mode?
CSS for this probably cannot get that specific, but just figured I would ask just in case.

Thank you to anyone who reads this

ToZ · 2025-09-14 13:11:13

The way the css style classes are constructed means there is no "its not in split mode" designation. The best you can do is only style the split mode inactive pane differently from the rest of thunar:

/* set inactive (split-pane) color */
.thunar .split-view-inactive-pane .view {background-color: lightgrey}
.thunar .split-view-inactive-pane {border-width: 10px; border-color: gray; border-style: solid}

advice1010 · 2025-09-19 18:41:52

Ahh okay that is what I figured, just wanted to ask just in case.
Thank you again for everything shared in this thread.

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#1 2025-08-02 20:30:58

Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#2 2025-08-02 21:01:04

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#3 2025-08-08 13:50:56

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#4 2025-08-08 14:58:10

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#5 2025-08-16 16:58:44

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#6 2025-08-29 18:52:27

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#7 2025-08-29 19:53:03

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#8 2025-09-04 20:07:07

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#9 2025-09-14 00:14:06

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#10 2025-09-14 13:11:13

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

#11 2025-09-19 18:41:52

Re: Thunar - Split View - Active pane background color (SOLVED)

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