2.4.2 breaks the no-skin skin

[cboylan]

When etherpad is configured with "skinName": "no-skin" the layout of the main etherpad page is broken. Then on pads if more than one browser joins the pad an exception is raised for TypeError: can't access property "find", w is null.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Configure etherpad with "skinName": "no-skin"
2. Go to the root of the server and notice the broken layout
3. Visit a pad
4. In a second browser visit the same pad.
5. Notice the exception pop up for TypeError: can't access property "find", w is null which seems to happen when attempting to update the pad user count.

Expected behavior
The root page should render properly without problems and pads should be able to update user counts when using the "no-skin" skin.

Screenshots

Server (please complete the following information):

• Etherpad version: 2.4.2
• OS: Debian Bookworm
• Node.js version (node --version): v22.18.0
• npm version (npm --version): 10.9.3
• Is the server free of plugins: No ep_headings2 is installed

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• OS: OpenSUSE Tumbleweed
• Browser: Firefox 141.0.2 and Chrome 138.0.7204.183

Additional context
I believe that both problems originate in the work to handle recent pad lists. The colibris skin was updated to handle recent pad data but no-skin doesn't appear to have been. The TypeError appears to originate on this line: https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/blob/v2.4.2/src/static/js/pad_userlist.ts#L495. Then in 341691d we see that recentPadList appears to only be implemented for colibris. The related commits also update colibris css files but not no-skin. I assume this is why the main root page doesn't render properly anymore as well.

[cboylan]

I should also note that switching to colibris makes both problems go away.

[aribn]

Noting that this same issue also broke custom skins.

[SamTV12345]

Thanks for the report and sorry for the issues. Are you really using the no-skin template? I thought it would be like a starting point for custom skins etc.

[cboylan]

Yes, the no-skin skin is what etherpad-lite looked like before colibris existed. Our installation is old and that interface is what our users are familiar with so we've kept it.

In testing the breakage here I enabled colibris to confirm it fixed the issue, but also used it to test the alternative skin. Colibris significantly limits horizontal space. This may provide better readability for some use cases, but I can hit return and limit horizontal line length within the no-skin skin. I guess I see the colibris skin as limiting what was possible with etherpad before colibris existed and we'd prefer to avoid those limitations if possible.

[SamTV12345]

It's fixed and you have now also better css without absolute positioning. So should look now better even on mobile. The fix is included in release 2.5.0 which should arrive in 1-2 hours.