gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

jssilva · 2017-10-07 00:00:21

Hello,

I've been using XFCE since a long time and I love it, thank you for letting me use it. Nevertheless this is my first post on this forum because, frankly, I never had any troubles with it.

But now I've migrated my system from Manjaro-openrc (now Artix) to Gentoo (also openrc), both using v4.12. Although the migration is now completed, there is this slight detail I've not been able to solve: the new Gentoo system apparently ignores my ~/gtkrc-2.0 which works perfectly on the old Manjaro system:

style "xfdesktop-icon-view" {
    XfdesktopIconView::label-alpha = 10
    base[NORMAL] = "#000000"
    base[SELECTED] = "#71B9FF"
    base[ACTIVE] = "#71B9FF"
    fg[NORMAL] = "#fcfcfc"
    fg[SELECTED] = "#ffffff"
    fg[ACTIVE] = "#ffffff"
    XfdesktopIconView::ellipsize-icon-labels = 0
}
widget_class "*XfdesktopIconView*" style "xfdesktop-icon-view"

The most notorious being the opacity of the icon labels background, which should be almost transparent. But, if I change it to red, for example, it also doesn't work, it's still white background with black text.

The theme I use, OS-X-El-Capitan (my laptop is a MacBook pro 8.2; I don't like the policy, but I like the hardware and the looks), has entries for everything: xfwm4, GTK2, GTK3, GTK3.2, cinnamon, ...

But, for my despair, I can't make the file being read by Xfce4. I already tried placing the path in GTK2_RC_FILES, including it in the theme file, changing the theme file, almost everything, to no avail.

Can somebody help a faithful longtime user, please?

Thank you in advance.

ToZ · 2017-10-07 02:46:18

Hello and welcome.

the new Gentoo system apparently ignores my ~/gtkrc-2.0

The file should be called ~/.gtkrc-2.0 (a hidden file). However, doesn't gentoo ship the newer GTK3 versions of the Xfce components like xxfdesktop? In which case you need to make your changes to ~/.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css, something like (from the Greybird theme):

XfdesktopIconView.view {
  background: transparent;
  color: $panel_fg_color;
  border-radius: 3px;
  &:active {
    background: rgba(darken($selected_bg_color, 15%), 0.5);
    text-shadow: 0 1px 1px black;
  }
  .label { text-shadow: 1px 1px 2px black; }
  .rubberband {
    background: rgba($selected_bg_color, 0.2);
    border: 1px solid shade($selected_bg_color, 0.7);
  }
}

...edit the colours to suit (replace $panel_fg_color and $selected_bg_colour with colour codes).

It's all css now with the GTK3 migration.

jssilva · 2017-10-07 14:19:19

Thank you for your fast reply and welcoming.

Yes, that was a typo, it's really ~/.gtkrc-2.0

I quickly tried and it works, thank you. I just have to make some more adjustments to the settings.

However, I find this migration very confusing. As much as I understand, on my Gentoo system, Xfce4 itself is using gtk3 and does not care anymore about gtk2 theme folder, is this correct?

But applications which are based on gtk2 are governed by the gtk2 theme folder, correct? Or is Xfce translating the settings on gtk3 folder to gtk2 and handling the translation to those apps?

To finalize, I don't know much about css, although I use the canned bootstrap package which is based on it, for my webpages design; but I guess it's just another language. So, please, could you tell me where could I learn more about css particularly targeted to gtk3?

Thank you.

ToZ · 2017-10-07 15:39:36

jssilva wrote:

However, I find this migration very confusing. As much as I understand, on my Gentoo system, Xfce4 itself is using gtk3 and does not care anymore about gtk2 theme folder, is this correct?

For the most part, yes. Some components have not yet been migrated (xfwm4, and some panel plugins) so those will still use the GTK2 settings.

But applications which are based on gtk2 are governed by the gtk2 theme folder, correct?

Correct.

Or is Xfce translating the settings on gtk3 folder to gtk2 and handling the translation to those apps?

No. Xfce is using the GTK3 toolkit only to display it's components. (exception: xfce4-panel still support gtk2-based plugins)

To finalize, I don't know much about css, although I use the canned bootstrap package which is based on it, for my webpages design; but I guess it's just another language. So, please, could you tell me where could I learn more about css particularly targeted to gtk3?

It uses the basic css syntax. More information can be found at these sites:
- https://developer.gnome.org/gtk3/stable/theming.html
- https://developer.gnome.org/gtk3/stable … t-css.html
- https://www.w3schools.com/css/

jssilva · 2017-10-07 16:46:15

Thank you for the knowledgeable and invaluable help. I would give you a Like (in fact more, if possible) but I can't find the button to do it.

Keep well

MountainDewManiac · 2017-10-07 19:24:25

I can see where this kind of issue could be confusing even to those who know a little bit about GTK+. And I find myself wondering why the Xfce developers didn't wait to release the upgrades that use version 3.x until they could have released them for all of the components that are directly related to Xfce - such as Xfwm, the panel, et cetera. I suppose they had their reasons. Perhaps it was to appease those who clamor for updates to "something Xfce," and who type in posts with titles like "Is Xfce Dead? There Have Been No Major Version Changes This Week!" roll . Or maybe it was done this way so that they could get the early beta-testing team (IOW, all of us users) to begin submitting bug reports on Xfce's Bugzilla page. If so, i suppose that makes sense; however... I'd think that there might be a lot of things that are not really bugs, per se, but, instead, misunderstandings when the users try to change one thing, learn that the reason their changes are not working is because that particular component has been migrated to GTK+ 3.x - and then try to change a different thing by following the 3.x instructions and have those changes fail to take effect because that component is still using 2.x.

jssilva wrote:

I would give you a Like (in fact more, if possible) but I can't find the button to do it.

This isn't one of those so-called "social" websites, lol. OtOH, as it takes just a tiny little bit more effort to type in a thank you note in reply to help, it might be appreciated more than if we could just click our mouse cursor on a button.

There are a couple other members who are always glad to help. But I've always had the impression that ToZ goes above and beyond the call of duty, so to speak, in that regard. I know he isn't on the Xfce development team. But if I was in charge of that team, I'd be thinking about giving him some kind of mention, somehow, right there beside the listing of the development team members. I am guessing that his posts here have helped far more people than just those who he has replied to in the threads. It is probable that not everyone who comes here because of an issue ends up posting about it, because people have the option to read old threads where various issues have already been dealt with. IMHO, we are lucky to have him here (along with the other helpful members, of course).

Regards,
MDM

alcornoqui · 2017-10-07 19:29:04

"ToZ" would be a very nice codename for any new, polished, stable Xfce version!

jssilva · 2017-10-07 20:36:06

MountainDewManiac wrote:

This isn't one of those so-called "social" websites, lol. OtOH, as it takes just a tiny little bit more effort to type in a thank you note in reply to help, it might be appreciated more than if we could just click our mouse cursor on a button.

I feel compelled to reply.

For your information, I am proud of not being a subscriber to any of the "social" websites you meant. No offence intended, neither criticism, to the vast majority that is.

Furthermore, I've never pressed a Like button in my whole life, and I don't intend to, unless on tech forums that expressly ask the members to not post thank you's and provide those buttons. I fully agree with you on that regard. Again, no offence intended.

It was just an elegant and light way, forgive the immodesty, to state how much I appreciated Toz's help. For what I've read on this forum, he dedicates long hours to help people here. That's what I call a good human being, and that means immensely coming from me (again being immodest).

Finally, I fully agree with everything else you wrote.

Keep well.

ToZ · 2017-10-08 01:21:30

Thanks for the kind words. I am glad that I can be of assistance. I have been using Xfce for a number of years, have learned alot about Xfce in that time and enjoy passing this information on. That being said, there are a number of knowledgeable and helpful people (IRC, forums, bugzilla, etc) that also deserve the accolades.

BTW, I am the current maintainer of the xfce4-genmon-plugin.

Shameless plug incoming: try the xfce4-genmon-plugin. It's really cool!

MountainDewManiac · 2017-10-08 02:03:41

jssilva wrote:

For your information, I am proud of not being a subscriber to any of the "social" websites you meant. No offence intended, neither criticism, to the vast majority that is.

I think we are members of a quickly-shrinking minority. I placed the word social in quotation marks because... it seems like, more and more, people end up spending hours per day staring at a computer/cell phone/tablet screen instead of actually meeting and spending time with their fellow human beings. But this is no place for my "sermons."

jssilva wrote:

Again, no offence intended.

None received, by me at least, and I assume by anyone else, either (for there was none to give).

jssilva wrote:

It was just an elegant and light way, forgive the immodesty, to state how much I appreciated Toz's help. For what I've read on this forum, he dedicates long hours to help people here. That's what I call a good human being, and that means immensely coming from me (again being immodest).

Yes, I agree fully. I was wishing to share my own (general) appreciation of what he does for all of us "regular Xfce users," which was my motivation for posting a reply.

ToZ wrote:

Thanks for the kind words. I am glad that I can be of assistance.

I suppose we'd get along without that assistance - but we'd undoubtedly have to work a lot harder in order to do so, lol.

ToZ wrote:

I have been using Xfce for a number of years, have learned alot about Xfce in that time and enjoy passing this information on.

And it is definitely appreciated! Your unfailingly positive attitude, combined with your willingness to not only help, but to go that extra mile when doing so... I realize there may be no correlation between one's online persona and their offline activities - but I have found myself wondering if you are some sort of teacher (in whichever field of employment you happen to be involved in).

ToZ wrote:

That being said, there are a number of knowledgeable and helpful people (IRC, forums, bugzilla, etc) that also deserve the accolades.

Yes. I am just terrible at remembering names, so I chose not to mention any of them, for fear of giving offense by inadvertently leaving one off the list.

Regards,
MDM

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#1 2017-10-07 00:00:21

gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#2 2017-10-07 02:46:18

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#3 2017-10-07 14:19:19

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#4 2017-10-07 15:39:36

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#5 2017-10-07 16:46:15

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#6 2017-10-07 19:24:25

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#7 2017-10-07 19:29:04

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#8 2017-10-07 20:36:06

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#9 2017-10-08 01:21:30

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

#10 2017-10-08 02:03:41

Re: gtkrc-2.0 ignored?

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