CSD minimize, maximize, close buttons exists despite unset GTK_CSD

[Flashwalker]

Bug Description

CSD minimize, maximize, close buttons exists despite GTK_CSD=0

UPD: despit unset GTK_CSD

Apps affected: eog, geary

Expected Behaviour

No CSD minimize, maximize, close buttons

Screenshots

Environment

• OS: Pop_Os! 22.04
• Desktop Environment: xfce
• gtk3-classic Version: 3.24.33-2classic22.04

[lah7]

That's expected. From the README:

You can enable CSDs by setting GTK_CSD=0 environment variable (or GTK_CSD=1 to force CSDs on each GTK3 window).

Despite the contrary, it's the presence of the GTK_CSD environment variable is what enables them. Setting it to 1 apparently forces them on every window.

You'll want to remove that variable like so:

unset GTK_CSD

That said, disabling CSD might be buggy with newer GNOME apps (#32). Personally, I downgraded/pinned them to their older version. Your mileage may vary. Consider alternate apps, like Eye of MATE instead of Eye of GNOME.

[Flashwalker]

Noup, unsetting doesn't helps.
And i found that almost all gnome apps affected: baobab, gnome-system-monitor, gnome-disks, gnome-calendar, gnome-calculator, gnome-logs, nautilus, org.gnome.Weather, celluloid

[mid-kid]

in .config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini:

gtk-decoration-layout = menu:

[Flashwalker]

gtk-decoration-layout = menu:

Noup, doesn't helps

[mid-kid]

works for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Flashwalker]

Recently GNOME gayvelopers changed theming. Ruining as always

[leuchtrakete666]

works for me also. its important to set the file to ro. otherwise its overwritten on new login.

[Flashwalker]

well, i still have gtk-decoration-layout=menu: line in file and it doesn't helps

[leuchtrakete666]

remove the :

[Flashwalker]

remove the :

just tested, no luck

[mid-kid]

I just switched to wayland, and I'm seeing exactly what you're saying. Maybe it's because of that?

[Flashwalker]

I just switched to wayland, and I'm seeing exactly what you're saying. Maybe it's because of that?

don't know, i'm on X

[exuvo]

Flashwalker if you are starting your programs from a graphical menu make sure you unset GTK_CSD somewhere early like .xinitrc or /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d so it applies globally. Wayland should have somewhere similar for you mid-kid.
In a terminal unset GTK_CSD followed by starting a gtk3 program in the same terminal session should work.

[Flashwalker]

@exuvo

In a terminal unset GTK_CSD followed by starting a gtk3 program in the same terminal session should work.

Noup, i tried it.

unset GTK_CSD && gnome-calendar

CSD buttons still exists

[dreirund]

For me it works that my window manager (xfwm4) does decorate the window, but for this I had to unset GTK_CSD.

[dreirund]

Noup, i tried it.

unset GTK_CSD && gnome-calendar

I think gnome now is at GTK4 (but I don't know how fast your distribution has catched up; I with Artix Linux have it catched up); can you check the dependencies to verify that this is really a GTK3 app and not a GTK4 app?

gtk3-classic of course does not work with GTK4.

[Flashwalker]

@dreirund
it is GTK3
GTK_DEBUG=interactive gnome-calendar

[lah7]

I just checked my Ubuntu VM and installed gtk3-classic via PPA. I'm not sure of the problem. By default, with an up-to-date Ubuntu MATE 22.04, under Xorg, gnome-calendar looks like this:

Yuck, double controls (#32), but at least the window border is working. Equivalent to unset GTK_CSD.

Then with CSDs enabled via export GTK_CSD=0, that works as expected:

I clarified the README as the way it was originally documented was starting to confuse me.

Please could you confirm the installed package versions and session type?

dpkg -l | grep '~classic' | awk '{print $2,$3}'
env | grep SESSION_TYPE

[Flashwalker]

@lah7

$ dpkg -l | grep '~classic' | awk '{print $2,$3}'
gir1.2-gtk-3.0:amd64 3.24.33-2~classic~22.04
gtk-update-icon-cache 3.24.33-2~classic~22.04
libgail-3-0:amd64 3.24.33-2~classic~22.04
libgtk-3-0:amd64 3.24.33-2~classic~22.04
libgtk-3-bin 3.24.33-2~classic~22.04
libgtk-3-common 3.24.33-2~classic~22.04
libgtk-3-dev:amd64 3.24.33-2~classic~22.04

$ env | grep SESSION_TYPE
XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11

[lah7]

I wonder if there is a "local" copy of GTK 3 installed that's overriding the system package. Check with this command:

ldd /usr/bin/gnome-calendar | grep gtk-3

The output should be something like:

libgtk-3.so.0 => /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgtk-3.so.0 (0x00007f5c52310000)

If the path starts with /usr/local (or something else), then that version of GTK 3 will need removing. This could happen if GTK was once compiled and installed with a command like make install.

[dreirund]

it is GTK3

I checked my Arch Linux dependencies, and it depends on gtk3 packages as well as on gtk4 packages. GTK4 example:

gnome-calendar → evolution-data-server geoclue geocode-glib-2 gsettings-desktop-schemas libadwaita libedataserverui4 libgweather-4 libsoup3
libadwaita → gtk4 libgtk-4.so=1-64

And ldd /usr/bin/gnome-calendar | grep gtk gives gtk4 as well (and no gtk3):

	libgtk-4.so.1 => /usr/lib/libgtk-4.so.1 (0x00007f6138600000)
	libwebkitgtk-6.0.so.4 => /usr/lib/libwebkitgtk-6.0.so.4 (0x00007f6133800000)
	libjavascriptcoregtk-6.0.so.1 => /usr/lib/libjavascriptcoregtk-6.0.so.1 (0x00007f6130e00000)

So it seems gtk4 in my case.

[lah7]

Ubuntu 22.04 ships with gnome-calendar 41.2, which is built with GTK+3. If I'm understanding this issue correctly, @Flashwalker expects to see the window border, but is seeing the CSD header instead. Almost like it's not using the patched GTK+3 library.

Arch Linux's gnome-calendar (currently 44.1) is built on GTK+4, so CSD headers is expected there.

[Flashwalker]

... If I'm understanding this issue correctly, @Flashwalker expects to see the window border, but is seeing the CSD header instead...

Actually i have the window border with unset GTK_CSD, but also have the CSD

[lah7]

Unfortunately, this is expected behaviour. See #32.

To summarize, there is a library (libhandy) that apps might use, and that library renders window controls into the app. GTK+3 alone can't patch this out.

Workarounds could be to:

• Downgrade/pin an older app version.
• Set GTK_CSD=0 for this app, so it displays as the developer intended.
• Accept defeat and find alternates
  • Especially GNOME apps, it makes sense for their apps to follow their design guidelines for use on their desktop.

[Flashwalker]

Oh, damn gnome vendorlock 😩