xterm (Linux) vs iTerm2 - vim background behaves inconsistently with solarized *light*

[lkraav]

iTerm2 uses "Solarized light" preset.

~/.Xresources on Linux, converted to solarized light according to instructions:

#define S_base03        #002b36
#define S_base02        #073642
#define S_base01        #586e75
#define S_base00        #657b83
#define S_base0         #839496
#define S_base1         #93a1a1
#define S_base2         #eee8d5
#define S_base3         #fdf6e3
#define S_yellow        #b58900
#define S_orange        #cb4b16
#define S_red           #dc322f
#define S_magenta       #d33682
#define S_violet        #6c71c4
#define S_blue          #268bd2
#define S_cyan          #2aa198
#define S_green         #859900

*background:            S_base3
*foreground:            S_base0
*fading:                40
*fadeColor:             S_base3
*cursorColor:           S_base01
*pointerColorBackground:S_base1
*pointerColorForeground:S_base01

!! black dark/light
*color0:                S_base2
*color8:                S_base3

!! red dark/light
*color1:                S_red
*color9:                S_orange

!! green dark/light
*color2:                S_green
*color10:               S_base1

!! yellow dark/light
*color3:                S_yellow
*color11:               S_base0

!! blue dark/light
*color4:                S_blue
*color12:               S_base00

!! magenta dark/light 
*color5:                S_magenta
*color13:               S_violet

!! cyan dark/light
*color6:                S_cyan
*color14:               S_base01

!! white dark/light
*color7:                S_base02
*color15:               S_base03

~/.vimrc everywhere:

call pathogen#runtime_append_all_bundles()
syntax enable
colorscheme solarized 

TERM=xterm-256color everywhere:

$ env | grep TERM
TERM=xterm-256color

On OS X locally, vim background autodetection works, background stays light.

On LinuxA locally, solarized light background is detected as dark, solarized.vim loads dark scheme.

• set background=light also loads dark scheme
• set background=dark loads light scheme
• let g:solarized_termtrans=1 makes backgrounds correct, but hilights like cursorline and line numbers column are still reversed

vim -D reveals this is where background changes to wrong color on LinuxA locally:

...
/home/leho/Documents/vim-colors-solarized.git/colors/solarized.vim
line 539: exe "hi! Normal"         .s:fmt_none   .s:fg_base0  .s:bg_back
>n
/home/leho/Documents/vim-colors-solarized.git/colors/solarized.vim
line 539: hi! Normal cterm=NONE term=NONE ctermfg=11 ctermbg=15
>n
... (now background is wrong)

When I ssh from this LinuxA into another box LinuxB, background works correctly:

...
/secure/home/leho/dev/workspace/solarized.git/vim-colors-solarized/colors/solarized.vim
line 539: exe "hi! Normal"         .s:fmt_none   .s:fg_base0  .s:bg_back
>
/secure/home/leho/dev/workspace/solarized.git/vim-colors-solarized/colors/solarized.vim
line 539: hi! Normal cterm=NONE term=NONE ctermfg=12 ctermbg=8
>
....(background is OK)

Yet when I ssh from this LinuxA to OS X, background fails:

...
/Volumes/leho/dev/workspace/solarized.git/vim-colors-solarized/colors/solarized.vim
line 539: exe "hi! Normal"         .s:fmt_none   .s:fg_base0  .s:bg_back
>```
/Volumes/leho/dev/workspace/solarized.git/vim-colors-solarized/colors/solarized.vim
line 539: hi! Normal cterm=NONE term=NONE ctermfg=11 ctermbg=15
>
... (now background is wrong)

sshing from OS X results are exactly in reverse. seems to play into the fact that LinuxA has dark=light and vice versa going on even just locally.

Recap:

• OS X iTerm2 local = success
• LinuxA xterm local = fail
• ssh LinuxA -> LinuxB = success
• ssh LinuxA -> OS X = fail
• ssh OS X -> LinuxA = fail
• ssh OS X -> LinuxB = success

Any thoughts what to do with this? How to fix background reversing on LinuxA and xterm, first of all?

EDIT: gvim background works correctly on LinuxA! no idea if that has anything to do with console vim sanity.

[lkraav]

executing

 :hi! Normal cterm=NONE term=NONE ctermfg=12 ctermbg=8

works for switching to light background.

i also noticed on my otherwise working LinuxA local configuration, sudo vim would also have incorrect background detection. visudo:

 Defaults env_keep += "COLORFGBG"

fixed that. i have a feeling forwarding this env variable through ssh is solution to my other woes as well.

http://www.sslug.dk/~chlor/vim-set-background-auto.html