Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

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jjprzy
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Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by jjprzy »

Hi, I'm a "long time" Linux Mint user. It's one of my favorites and the first OS that I would recommend to a Linux newbie. I also run 5 other operating systems simultaneously (Win11, Linux Lite, Ubuntu Budgie, Ubuntu MATE, Linux MX21). So, I'm not a noob, but far from being an expert. I'm itching to upgrade from 20.3 to LM 21.1 (I've heard lots of good things about it), so I downloaded an ISO, burned it to a USB stick, and tried it out. It looks REALLY great. Just one sticking point. Under "Themes" the "Window border" section is gone (and I happen to like a light theme with a dark titlebar). Are we now forced into only one titlebar in 21.1?

I went through some of the topics in this forum, and while it appears that changing the titlebar appearance MAY be possible, I didn't find anything definitive on how to do it properly (and definitely not step-by-step). Frankly, I hate to go through the process of installing Linux Mint 21.1 only to find out that I CAN'T change the window borders, and then have to revert back to 20.3 and spend another 8-12 hours customizing it the way I like (installing MY particular favorite programs, etc).

Bottom line: a) Will you ever consider bringing back "Window borders" to the "Themes" settings?, b) Is there an "easy" way to change window borders in LM 21.1, and c) If so, how do you do it "step-by-step"? (Sorry, but I have been an engineer throughout my entire career and we happen to like things such as "Insert Tab A into Slot B"... LOL.)
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billyswong
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by billyswong »

There are discussion of titlebar customization in the form of writing one's own CSS file or downloading works done by others in this forum. But the fastest way to achieve something closest to light theme with dark titlebar in latest Cinnamon desktop is to choose the Mint-Y-Legacy-Darker(-Color) themes.
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PhilippeH
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by PhilippeH »

I like a light theme with dark titlebar too, so with Cinnamon I chose Mint-Y-Legacy-Aqua theme and modified the CSS file gtk.css located in /home/philippe/.config/gtk-3.0 (hidden files) with the following content:

Code: Select all

headerbar.default-decoration {
    background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);
    color: #ffffff;
    box-shadow: none;
}

headerbar {
    background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);
    color: #ffffff;
    box-shadow: none;
}

headerbar:backdrop {
    background-color: rgb(95, 95, 95);
    color: #ffffff;
    box-shadow: none;
}

headerbar.titlebar button.titlebutton.close,
headerbar.titlebar button.titlebutton.maximize,
headerbar.titlebar button.titlebutton.minimize {
    color: #ffffff;
}
Works for me, you might want to give it a try...

Edit: you will have to reload Cinnamon (Alt + F2 and then type r) for the change to take effect
jjprzy
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by jjprzy »

billyswong wrote: Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:36 pm There are discussion of titlebar customization in the form of writing one's own CSS file or downloading works done by others in this forum. But the fastest way to achieve something closest to light theme with dark titlebar in latest Cinnamon desktop is to choose the Mint-Y-Legacy-Darker(-Color) themes.
Thanks billyswong, but that didn't work for me. :( I'm running my tests on a live ISO file using a USB stick. Don't know if that has anything to do with it, but I've tried virtually ALL the different themes and the titlebar NEVER changes color (just the bottom panel and start menu change color). Guess I might have to try my hand at CSS files. Never did that before. Don't know if that will work on a live ISO file either. :?
jjprzy
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by jjprzy »

PhilippeH wrote: Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:59 pm I like a light theme with dark titlebar too, so with Cinnamon I chose Mint-Y-Legacy-Aqua theme and modified the CSS file gtk.css located in /home/philippe/.config/gtk-3.0 (hidden files) with the following content...
Hello Philippe, Thanks for your suggestion, but that's not working for me as I had hoped. In fact, when I first tried it, I got almost the exact opposite effect of what I was looking for (active window had no titlebar color change, inactive window had desired change). But after playing around with other theme elements (buttons, icons, etc) I was able to get something closer to what I want.

After a dozen or more trials, I still haven't figured out how to change the inactive titlebar color. Also, apparently different combinations of theme elements yield different CSS results. That was surprising to me, but it probably shouldn't be. Different creators come up with different ways of doing things, so it should be obvious that sometimes mixing and matching produces "mixed" results. It's kind of disappointing that with all the different theme elements offered, you can't just pick and choose which ones you want and come out with a uniform result (the way it used to be in earlier versions). But I appreciate your suggestion, and may continue to play around with the CSS testing.
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by billyswong »

jjprzy wrote: Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:45 pm Thanks billyswong, but that didn't work for me. :( I'm running my tests on a live ISO file using a USB stick. Don't know if that has anything to do with it, but I've tried virtually ALL the different themes and the titlebar NEVER changes color (just the bottom panel and start menu change color). Guess I might have to try my hand at CSS files. Never did that before. Don't know if that will work on a live ISO file either. :?
No way. I am testing the live Cinnamon ISO in VM and it always works. (I am running Mate Desktop myself.) The bottom panel and start menu is controlled by Themes > Desktop while the window border is now controlled by Themes > Applications
jjprzy
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by jjprzy »

billyswong wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:24 am No way. I am testing the live Cinnamon ISO in VM and it always works. (I am running Mate Desktop myself.) The bottom panel and start menu is controlled by Themes > Desktop while the window border is now controlled by Themes > Applications
billyswong, OK, thanks. Did a little deeper dive this time and you're right. Don't know how I missed that. It's not exactly the same as Uma or Una, but I can probably live with it. (In Uma and Una only the titlebar was dark and not the menubar, etc). Thanks for your help.

However, it makes me wish that LTS versions didn't come out every 2 years or that LTS versions would be supported for 10 years. When you finally get it just the way you like it... here comes a new LTS version and your favorite aspects of the distro are suddenly gone. Sigh!
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by JosephM »

Will you ever consider bringing back "Window borders" to the "Themes" settings?
To answer this question, I highly doubt it. The way window borders are themed and drawn in Cinnamon has changed and I doubt it's going back.
When I give opinions, they are my own. Not necessarily those of any other Linux Mint developer or the Linux Mint project as a whole.
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by otadmin »

The way window borders are themed and drawn in Cinnamon has changed
How can the window borders be themed/changed now?
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by rossdv8 »

Basically, how easy or difficult Theming is to change, especially things like Title Bars and Borders, depends on whether you use Cinnamon, Mate or Xfce. You certainly can change most things in Cinnamon or Mate - if you can find where to look and what to do.

On the other hand, you can make anything look like almost anything you want in Mint Xfce. It is just a matter of adding a couple of tools and making some clicks.
Mint 21.1 Xfce with Mint 21.1 Xfce (Red Panels) on another computer viewed via VNC:
Image

It is just a matter of preferences. I hate the constraints forced on me by most Desktop Environments. KDE and Xfce are themable. With Xfce almost infinitely themable by the average person, relatively easily. - while they are around, and while Mint releases an Xfce Desktop, I'll use Mint.
Current main OS: MInt 21.3 with KDE Plasma 5.27 (using Compiz as WM) - Kernel: 6.5.0-15 on Lenovo m900 Tiny, i5-6400T (intel HD 530 graphics) 16GB RAM.
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otadmin
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by otadmin »

I use Cinnamon.
if you can find where to look and what to do
That is exactly my question. Can somebody tell where to look?
billyswong
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by billyswong »

otadmin wrote: Sun Apr 30, 2023 7:11 am That is exactly my question. Can somebody tell where to look?
If you don't mind the window border being themed together with other UI controls in windows, it is right in the Feb 02 post I wrote in this thread.
billyswong wrote: Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:24 am The bottom panel and start menu is controlled by Themes > Desktop while the window border is now controlled by Themes > Applications
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by rossdv8 »

When I didn't realise I could easily modify Xfce themes, I used to find some interesting stuff here:

https://www.gnome-look.org/find?search= ... %20borders

I takes a bit of time to work out how to refine the Searches, but with a bit of thought, you can find some interesting tings others have done.

Something I discovered accidentally, was that on Xfce, when the Window borders suddenly became almost nonexistent, adding a drop shadow suddenly added that much 'Grab Room' room to the right and bottom of the Window. It immediately gave my poor old mouse a quick way to resize a window without having to use one hand for the Alt key.

But learning to use Gnome-look.org, then learning where to drag the Theme files to make the themes work 'everywhere' was worthwhile.

Learning to modify, customise or make themes is a bit harder, but for someone with enough time on their hands, it is just like any other hobby. Worth the time!
Current main OS: MInt 21.3 with KDE Plasma 5.27 (using Compiz as WM) - Kernel: 6.5.0-15 on Lenovo m900 Tiny, i5-6400T (intel HD 530 graphics) 16GB RAM.
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Re: Can I change window borders in LM 21.1?

Post by azalea4va »

PhilippeH wrote: Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:59 pm I like a light theme with dark titlebar too, so with Cinnamon I chose Mint-Y-Legacy-Aqua theme and modified the CSS file gtk.css located in /home/philippe/.config/gtk-3.0 (hidden files) with the following content:

...
Thank you so much for this Philippe. I also had created a window panel theme that I preferred. For all the variety in colors in existing themes, I am disappointed in the lack of variety in some other characteristics. I like the title bar background color to be different then the background for the rest of the window, I like the background color of the active window's title bar to be a color while the inactive wondows have a grey title bar. And I like the maximize icon to be different (and easily seen that it is different), then the midimize icon. I also prefer the old Mint-X icons.

Using your gtk.css as a model, I now have an active title bar that is blue and an inactive title bar that is dark grey, different then the normal light grey background for a window. And by copying /usr/share/icons/Mint-X-Yellow into a new icons/Mint-X-Yello-Alt, then adding some icons (window-maximize-symbolic.svg, window-minimize-symbolic.svg, window-restore-symbolic.svg) from ePapirus into icons/Mint-X-Yello-Alt/actions/16, and editing index.theme with the adjust name and the specification of the new files and directories, I now have the adjusted icons.

I have been working with unix and linux for over 45 years (started with unix V6). One of benefits of living in that world is being part of a helpful community. Philippe, your willingness to take the time to share saved me much frustration and time.

But I will get on my soapbox a little here. More than once over the years, I have been concerned that those with less exerpience with the history of the unix/linux environment sometimes may not have enough appreciation for the core design principle that has made it such a success. And that is to have a design with a bunch of tools and connection mechanisms that allow for creating complex structures through the linking of existing tools. (The question should never be "what do you want that for", but instead give others flexible tools and be amazed at how the creative of others can take advantage of those tools.) So what appears to me to be a chnage that combines the windows border theme with the applications theme into a single theme concerns me. I do not know the internals and realize their may be a very good reason to do so, but on its face, it seems like a loss of flexibility that has negatively impacted at least two of us.
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