Bug 26860

Summary:	Mageia 8 alpha1: Xfce 4.15 header-title-bar issue and default theme
Product:	Mageia	Reporter:	Chris B <shybluenight>
Component:	RPM Packages	Assignee:	Jani Välimaa <jani.valimaa>
Status:	REOPENED ---	QA Contact:
Severity:	normal
Priority:	Normal
Version:	Cauldron
Target Milestone:	---
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Source RPM:		CVE:
Status comment:

Description Chris B 2020-06-26 06:25:36 CEST

Three issues in the new Xfce version 4.15. 

1. When I open the Xfce settings manager, the new header/title bar (gnome 3, gtk3) has an integrated text field with a search icon, and in this main window it works. Starting the Appearance or other settings, it opens in the same window with the same header/title bar - this time it does not work, you can't click in it, can't type any text. It has no functions.
Starting the xfce terminal or File Manager settings from within the main settings window, a separate window opens, without the text field. No issues.
Starting one of the settings items from the Menu, in separate windows: no issues.

When I edit f.e. the corresponding .desktop file for a setting in /usr/share/application and delete the line: X-XfcePluggable=true, then it opens in a separate window  (from within the main settings) and has no issues.

I don't know how it is supposed to work.

2. The default theme which is Adwaita-xfce doesn't let us use the new option Settings-Panel-Appearance -> dark mode, using the slider does nothing. Changing the theme to ‘Adwaita’ solves this.

3. The new design of the header/title bar (so far only in the xfce settings): on a small screen with low resolution the title bar is huge, really huge, almost unusable while it's okay on displays with higher resolution. Installing a different gtk3 theme solves it. I used and tested Nextwaita 2.2 from gnome-look.org: https://www.pling.com/p/1289376. Both the normal and the dark version work very well. It is GPL. No package available for Mageia 8.

(Someone please assign to wally/Jani)

Comment 1 Lewis Smith 2020-06-26 18:36:27 CEST

Welcome back, Chris. Thank you for the detailed bugs.

Assigning to Jani, our Xfce wizard.

Assignee: bugsquad => jani.valimaa

Comment 2 Chris B 2020-06-27 10:11:47 CEST

ad 1: Just noticed that the old non-csd window decoration (title/header) xfce 4.14 had the same behaviour, with one difference, you hardly notice it because the text/input bar is grayed out and has a similiar colour. While on on the xfce settings manager window it has blue borders.
Now in 4.15 it is white and very prominent within the grey colour of the headerbar.
My conclusion: it is supposed to work this way, but the gtk3 theme/style we use is confusing for the user. I tried to look into the css file and gave up, I'm lost.

Comment 3 Jani Välimaa 2020-06-27 11:33:48 CEST

I think the search bar in settings manager is supposed to work like it's working. One can only search settings app in "main view". There is nothing to search when specific settings app is opened.

Comment 4 Jani Välimaa 2020-06-27 11:54:27 CEST

About the default theme. I can switch to some other default theme, if a good and OOTB working alternative is found. A big plus would be if this new theme is actively developed.

Personally my focus is to keep Xfce working as a whole and the eye candy is something I'm not so interested. The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Comment 5 Chris B 2020-06-27 12:40:47 CEST

The default theme  (in a fresh Cauldron install of xfce or in the Xfce Live alpha iso) is set to: Adwaita-Xfce
And this theme breaks the new option in the panel settings -> Appearance -> dark mode.
This is not about eye candy. It breaks a functionality.
Choosing the normal Adwaita theme (also included) does not have this issue.

ad 3: this too is not about eye candy.

But I understand that you don't care about this kind of usability. I will advise users (on a low budget) with small laptop screens and low resolution in the future to use a different distribution.

Comment 6 Chris B 2020-06-27 13:01:12 CEST

I'm closing to won't fix.

Resolution: (none) => WONTFIX
Status: NEW => RESOLVED

Comment 7 Jani Välimaa 2020-06-27 14:47:26 CEST

I didn't say this shouldn't fixed.

Proposals are welcome as, like I said, my focus is in somewhere else.

Resolution: WONTFIX => (none)
Status: RESOLVED => REOPENED

Comment 8 Chris B 2020-07-05 20:04:21 CEST

ad 1: fixed - with an update. The searchbox disappeared :)
ad 2: fixed - by Jani:) Now Adwaita is the default.
ad 3: still an issue, but only for users with a screensize of 11.6" & low resolution, f.e. 1366x768. Have to look for a theme, pref. on github, which is actively maintained. Nextwaita (see my description) is on github, but last changes were made 6 months ago: https://github.com/paullinuxthemer/Nextwaita

Thank you Jani!

Comment 9 Jani Välimaa 2020-07-05 20:43:24 CEST

BTW, I'm using a small laptop, high end though, with 1366x768 resolution as my main machine and I don't see 3. as an issue.