[GTK+3] Keyboard layout indicator text in the panel is always white [$10]

[GiedriusS]

As seen in this screenshot https://i.imgur.com/VRBC772.jpg the indicator text that shows the current layout is white. And it is always white regardless of the theme being used. This happens only on gtk3 builds. @raveit65 also confirmed this. libmatekbd version:
[*] libmatekbd-1.12.0_1 MATE keyboard library

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[monsta]

Workaround:

gsettings set org.mate.peripherals-keyboard-xkb.indicator foreground-color '0 0 0'

This will set the font to be always black. If you don't plan changing theme to dark this should be ok 😄

[raveit65]

nice finder, in a ideal world it should read theme fg color, but a gsettings key is sufficient :)

[raveit65]

possible fix
https://git.gnome.org/browse/libgnomekbd/commit/?id=ab411c5084e1816df56f97351132329aeb4123be

[monsta]

Yes, it might be. I've already seen it before but didn't like the "hack" word... but we can try it since there's no other fix around...

[monsta]

Nice, it's indeed fixed now, thanks @XRevan86 😄
The font has a bit weird rendering (somewhat blurred), but the color is correct for both light and dark themes.

[monsta]

So I saw this fixed in Debian Testing with GTK+ 3.20, but now I see it in Ubuntu MATE 16.10 with GTK+ 3.18... tried Menta, TraditionalGreen and other themes, the font is still white. 😕

[monsta]

@flexiondotorg: can you reproduce this in Ubuntu 16.10?

[monsta]

@flexiondotorg: I see it now in Ubuntu 16.10 - only with Radiant-MATE though. Seems to be fixed in other themes, at least for 3.20.

[oz123]

This bug still exists for me in mate-1.16 built on gentoo.

[oz123]

As a work around for this annoying issue, I can suggest the following remedy:

edit foreground-color in org->mate->desktop->peripherals->keyboard->indicator.

Change it to 0 0 0.

[monsta]

Which theme do you use?

[oz123]

This happened with GTK+3.18 and GTK+3.20, with the following themes:

Menta, TraditionalGreen, TraditionalOK, GreenSubmarine, BlueMenta and Adwaita.

[raveit65]

This happened with GTK+3.18 and GTK+3.20, with the following themes:

Menta, TraditionalGreen, TraditionalOK, GreenSubmarine, BlueMenta and Adwaita.

Not here in fedora with gtk+-3.20/22, Changing to a theme with another bg color for the panel change the font color like it should.

[monsta]

Using latest mate-themes is the key. Here I have GTK+ 3.18.9, and I use the latest 3.18 themes, and I don't see this issue.

[vkotovv]

Btw, issue is still present in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, because it uses GTK+ 3.18. Had to use this workaround with `foreground-color'

[monsta]

If you use the default MATE packages in 16.04, then it's GTK+2 build. I'm not sure we'll be able to fix this for GTK+2.

[vkotovv]

No, I'm using mate 1.18 ppa

[monsta]

Ok, then a theme fix is needed.

[raveit65]

No, I'm using mate 1.18 ppa

And which theme are you using?
I fixed that for Mate-Radiant theme flexiondotorg/ubuntu-mate-themes@61217fe
If you use another theme you need to add something like this

/* needed for keyboard layout indicator applet */
.mate-panel-menu-bar {
    color: @theme_fg_color;
}

Note, .mate-panel-menu-bar is the main style class for the panel.

[vkotovv]

I use Radiance (as it stated through Appearance Preferences), I guess Mate-Radiant is the other name for that. How can I make use of your fix @raveit65 ?

[raveit65]

No, Mate-Radiant is based on Radiance but adjusted for Mate.
Create ~.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css with that content.

/* needed for keyboard layout indicator applet */
.mate-panel-menu-bar {
    color: @fg_color;
}

and reload session for restarting mate-settings-daemon.
As you can see
/usr/share/themes/Radiance/gtk-3.20/gtk-main.css use another color definition as Radiant-Mate.

[monsta]

@flexiondotorg: I can confirm Radiant-MATE still has this issue, not only in 16.04, but also in 16.10 and 17.04. I see @raveit65 fixed it, but I'm not sure if an SRU would be allowed for this change...

[monsta]

Happens with GTK+ 3.14 as well, but with a weird effect: the indicator has light green + white colors (with a gradient), at least in my VM. This looks quite funny with BlackMATE theme. 🙂

Reopening, we need to get this fixed for any theme and any GTK+ version...

[N0rbert]

From my wrongly reported bug:

Steps to reproduce:

1. Install Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
2. Install ubuntu-mate-desktop
3. Set light theme from mate-control-center Appearance - for example darkroom:
   

Expected results:

• keyboard layout indicator is visible on light and dark themes

Actual results:

• keyboard layout indicator has low contrast on light themes

MATE general version

1.18.4

Linux Distribution

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

Link to downstream report of your Distribution

Issue filed to the launchpad as bug 1728711.

[raveit65]

Reopening, we need to get this fixed for any theme and any GTK+ version...

Any one working on that?
This is fixed in Mate themes an Ubuntu Mate themes.
I see no reason to let a report open if no one is working on that.

[tamplan]

I can't reproduce this bug on fedora 30 with libmatekbd 1.23 (master) with light theme:

Regards

[max-dw-i]

Still can reproduce with any non-standard light theme (which do not have the fix from #28 (comment)).
MATE v1.24.1.