How to get rounded bottom corners of windows in Mint-Y theme

[senjoz]

In the Mint-Y theme only both top window corners are rounded. Is it possible to also get rounded bottom corners?

I edited the file /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/metacity-1/metacity-theme-3.xml, added rounded_bottom_left="8" in the GEOMETRY section and rebooted.

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<!-- ::: GEOMETRY ::: -->

<frame_geometry name="normal" title_scale="medium" rounded_top_left="8" rounded_top_right="8" rounded_bottom_left="8">
	<distance name="left_width" value="1" />
	<distance name="right_width" value="1" />
	<distance name="bottom_height" value="1" />
	<distance name="left_titlebar_edge" value="0"/>
	<distance name="right_titlebar_edge" value="0"/>
	<distance name="title_vertical_pad" value="0"/>
	<border name="title_border" left="12" right="8" top="3" bottom="3"/>
	<border name="button_border" left="0" right="0" top="0" bottom="0"/>
	<distance name="button_width" value="32"/>
  	<distance name="button_height" value="30"/>
</frame_geometry>

That had no effect on the bottom left corner.

Regards, Jože

[AndyMH]

I noticed that as well, decided that rounded top and square bottom corners looked odd. Changed to mint-x borders where the top borders are less rounded so it doesn't look as odd.

[sebastjava]

Yes. I agree. I would like having four rounded corners. Not only two. It really looks odd with this round top and square bottom. But there are currently some reasons that will lead me into trying to make them all square instead.

First, there is a subtle little bug with those new top corners: https://github.com/linuxmint/mint20.3-beta/issues/26

Second, i really don't like seeing nice round corners when the window is in the middle of the screen, and then, oops, design gets changed to square when I push tile left (Super+Left) or right (Super+Right). Yes, I understand this is probably because the window should be square when maximized. But it should always have round corners in all other conditions, IMHO.

So, I will try some tweaks to make all four corners square at all times. Sometime later...

It would have been nice to make them all round, but making it all square sounds easier, and it also avoids at least two other issues.

[sebastjava]

I guess all I have to do is to revert this commit https://github.com/linuxmint/mint-theme ... 42a7528f33 to get square corners ? Not exactly, I don't want to go back to 3px, I want 0px. But, just looking at this commit, it will probably be easy. I'll try this later.

[AndyMH]

Thanks for the info

[senjoz]

I believe that files /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/gtk-3.0/gtk.css and /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/gtk-3.0/gtk-dark.css control only gtk3 applications like Calculator or Archive Manager. Other applications are controlled through the file /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/metacity-1/metacity-theme-3.xml and maybe files in /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/gtk-2.0.

If I change file metacity-theme-3.xml as below (from rounded_top_left="8" to rounded_top_left="0"),

Code: Select all

<!-- ::: GEOMETRY ::: -->

<frame_geometry name="normal" title_scale="medium" rounded_top_left="0" rounded_top_right="8">

I get next window

If I change rounded_top_left="8" to rounded_top_left="16", I get next window

But, I cannot find a way to make the bottom corners rounded.

Regards, Jože

[trytip]

so cinnamon developers have nothing better to do but change things around that users are familiar with, and then users waste their time undoing their work. maybe they should take a lesson from Deepin Desktop where a user has ability to select in themes very rounded, mostly rounded or not at all and move on with their life.

i do not endorse Deepin it's got lots of issues and security flaws, but at least you don't need to become a rocket scientist to make your system look and feel to your basic liking.

[senjoz]

so cinnamon developers have nothing better to do but change things around that users are familiar with, and then users waste their time undoing their work.

I like rounded window corners, but only if all four corners are rounded. Two rounded window corners and two rectangular window corners look unpleasant to me. I do not understand what developers had in mind.

Regards, Jože

[sebastjava]

I believe that files /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/gtk-3.0/gtk.css and /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/gtk-3.0/gtk-dark.css control only gtk3 applications like Calculator or Archive Manager. Other applications are controlled through the file /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/metacity-1/metacity-theme-3.xml and maybe files in /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/gtk-2.0.

That's right. And sometimes it gets worst.





Example: In Menu > Preferences > Themes, Set "Controls" to Mint-Y and "Window borders" to Mint-Y-Legacy. Now open Xed. The bottom is square and the top is... almost square. So it doesn't look so bad. Now, in this same Xed, go to Help > Keyboard Shortcuts... This Keyboard Shortcuts window is made with those GTK big round corners ! EDIT: I like round corners. I like square corners too. The problem here is that you get a strange mix of both types in the same application.

But the developers want to make all windows with GTK. No more Metacity. That's planned for... sometime later. Mint 21 if I remember correctly. So, I guess this will be solved, one day.

● ● ●

Code: Select all

<!-- ::: GEOMETRY ::: -->

<frame_geometry name="normal" title_scale="medium" rounded_top_left="0" rounded_top_right="8">

This screenshot of yours still shows a tiny round corner, on the left side ? Or should I get new glasses ?

● ● ●

So cinnamon developers have nothing better to do but change things around that users are familiar with, and then users waste their time undoing their work.

You can easily get the old Mint-Y: apt install mint-themes-legacy. But I guess this old one will not get any updates and bug fixes anymore. And there are a few things made better on the new Mint-Y. So, that's why some people, including me, are struggling to make a better new Mint-Y. For a new and better world. ...Or just to go through winter and then take a break from rocket science.

[trytip]

I like rounded window corners, but only if all four corners are rounded. Two rounded window corners and two rectangular window corners look unpleasant to me. I do not understand what developers had in mind.

Regards, Jože

download the manajaro deepin and try test it out, if you love rounded corners, it has lots of potential provided developers don't go crazy. https://youtu.be/XxLjmwXucLw?t=276 <<< see how it looks.
it would be something to see a Mint version of the Deepin Desktop

[pinguino58]

I find the rounded corners to be frustrating as resizing a window requires you to grab the true corner of the window which is outside the rounded corner. More times than not, I end up xing out the window.

[senjoz]

Code: Select all

<!-- ::: GEOMETRY ::: -->

<frame_geometry name="normal" title_scale="medium" rounded_top_left="0" rounded_top_right="8">

This screenshot of yours still shows a tiny round corner, on the left side ? Or should I get new glasses ?

It looks to me like the window border is rectangular but the titlebar corner is rounded. Here is magnified top-left corner:

Regards, Jože

[sebastjava]

I edited the file /usr/share/themes/Mint-Y/metacity-1/metacity-theme-3.xml, added rounded_bottom_left="8" in the GEOMETRY section and rebooted.

No need to reboot. No need to logout/login.

Just open Menu > Preferences > Themes. From there, change to Mint-X and then back to Mint-Y. This is a simple and quick way to force refresh.

Or try this:

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# Force refresh
gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'Mint-Y-Blue'
gsettings set org.cinnamon.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'Mint-Y'

gsettings set org.cinnamon.theme name 'Mint-Y-Blue'
gsettings set org.cinnamon.theme name 'Mint-Y-Dark'

As found on https://github.com/linuxmint/mint-theme ... est-mint-y. (I haven't tested this, yet.)

[senjoz]

No need to reboot. No need to logout/login.

Just open Menu > Preferences > Themes. From there, change to Mint-X and then back to Mint-Y. This is a simple and quick way to force refresh.

I have noticed that before. Thank you anyway for your information!

New Mint-Y theme is not to my taste. I prefer Mint-X theme. I have managed to get rounded bottom corners in the Mint-X theme editing file /usr/share/themes/Mint-X/metacity-1/metacity-theme-3.xml. But, a new problem arose, a dark area at the bottom. That dark area was added to the window area after editing metacity-theme-3.xml.

Regards, Jože

[sebastjava]

Just something I found worth saying. You probably already know this. You have seen it before. I don't know if it will help or not. Probably not, since you are looking at Metacity, not GTK.

For GTK 3, there is this nice Widget Factory. It let's you see and test all elements in GTK 3. It is a part of the gtk-3-examples package. I think there is also another one, somewhere, for GTK 2. There is an Inspector in there that shows lots of information for each element you click on. Check this screenshot.

P.S.: I like your colored C_title_focused. That's a bold and sober way to clearly distinguish between focused and unfocused.

[senjoz]

I modified the Mint-X theme (file /usr/share/themes/Mint-X/metacity-1/metacity-theme-3.xml) to get all window corners rounded. As far as I can see, most applications, which use Metacity, look okay. I am quite satisfied despite the fact that arcs at window corners are not perfect.

Maybe my next step would be to adjust the Mint-X theme for gtk3 applications.

Regards, Jože

[fbachofner]

I also strongly dislike the only-top-corners-rounded default of Mint-Y. Hopefully Clem and co will reconsider.

This is the first time I have any real "gripe" with the (otherwise) elegance of Mint.

Thanks for pointing out a solution.

It all has me thinking of trying KDE again (which I have not done for some time!)

[senjoz]

P.S.: I like your colored C_title_focused. That's a bold and sober way to clearly distinguish between focused and unfocused.

Colored border lines can improve distinguishing.

Regards, Jože

[sebastjava]

Did you know ? You don't have to do sudo edits at every 30 seconds. Always entering your password, just for a quick instant test on /usr/share/themes ? No way !

Instead, you can duplicate the entire theme into ~/.themes. This ~/.themes overrides your /usr/share/themes, so you don't have to erase anything. Now, you can just do any quick edit, without going sudo because this is in your home directory. Just save the file and then force refresh the theme, example: choose Mint-Y and then choose Mint-X back again.

When all testings are okay, you can replace /usr/share/themes/<YourTheme> all at once, so <YourTheme> is available as root, on your login window, and for every user.

P.S.: I succeeded in getting perfect square corners in ~/.themes/Mint-Y/metacity-1/metacity-theme-3.xml...