MX-17/18 - How to fix KDE from MXPI - a work in progress

[dreamer]

IT'S NOT AS EASY AS I THOUGHT. READ WHOLE THREAD BEFORE DOING ANYTHING!

I installed it on two different occasions. Theming was broken both times. What's wrong? Missing recommended packages? No, I found the answer on the forum.

You need to modify /etc/X11/Xsession.d/98qtconfig so that KDE isn't affected by Qt theming in Xfce.

Forum user baldyeti has provided a modified 98qtconfig that will not modify Xfce, but allow independence for KDE and LXQt. Your 98qtconfig should look like this:

Code: Select all

case "$XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP" in 
        KDE|LXQt)       ;;      # no-op
        *)
                export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2
                export QT_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2
                export QT_PLATFORM_PLUGIN=gtk2
                ;;
esac

viewtopic.php?f=127&t=45040&start=10#p446075

This has been tested with KDE and it will give you working themes and icons. If you still have graphical problems you can go to Settings > Display > Compositor and try some things:

1. Enable compositor at start-up
2. Set Vsync to Never
3. Uncheck "Allow programs to disable compositor" (this gave me working compositor)

[dolphin_oracle]

I would have thought our base file would have prevented that from happening in the first place. Here's the current version:

Code: Select all

# Set QT variables to only pass to gtk2 Xfce environment
# /etc/X11/Xsession.d/98qtconfig
#
BASESTARTUP=$(basename "$STARTUP" | cut -d\  -f1)
if [ "$BASESTARTUP" = x-session-manager ]; then
    BASESTARTUP=$(basename $(readlink /etc/alternatives/x-session-manager))
fi
case "$BASESTARTUP" in
  xfce4-session|startxfce4)
      #set qt environment variables to follow gtk2
      export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2
      export QT_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2
      export QT_PLATFORM_PLUGIN=gtk2
    ;;
esac

[dreamer]

No, both times theming completely broken (fully up to date with MX repo).

Unfortunately I just checked Xfce and the solution I posted does seem to affect Xfce (fonts and theming slightly).

I always said don't mix KDE with other desktops. I think I stick to that statement.

(If you don't theme KDE and the GTK module in KDE you can use Dolphin etc. in Xfce without problems - but then you are not using KDE just KDE applications).

[dolphin_oracle]

No, both times theming completely broken (fully up to date with MX repo).

Unfortunately I just checked Xfce and the solution I posted does seem to affect Xfce (fonts and theming slightly).

I always said don't mix KDE with other desktops. I think I stick to that statement.

(If you don't theme KDE and the GTK module in KDE you can use Dolphin etc. in Xfce without problems - but then you are not using KDE just KDE applications).

ok, we may need to look at that script again. your "XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP" might be more appropriate.

[dreamer]

No, both times theming completely broken (fully up to date with MX repo).

Unfortunately I just checked Xfce and the solution I posted does seem to affect Xfce (fonts and theming slightly).

I always said don't mix KDE with other desktops. I think I stick to that statement.

(If you don't theme KDE and the GTK module in KDE you can use Dolphin etc. in Xfce without problems - but then you are not using KDE just KDE applications).

ok, we may need to look at that script again. your "XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP" might be more appropriate.

Do you know which package I can find /etc/X11/Xsession.d/98qtconfig in? I went to the grocery store and then remembered that I had some pinned packages. Now I have updated everything that can possibly contain your version but I don't have it.

Maybe your script works. I can try it. It would be nice to know which package it is supposed to be in, because it's kind of strange that I don't have it.

What might be a bigger problem is that it's only a Qt config file so GTK theming is a separate problem? I had everything set up in KDE but that tweaked GTK theming and fonts in Xfce (I wrote my how-to before I knew that - I play with too many snapshots) so adjustments have to be made for GTK too.

[dolphin_oracle]

No, both times theming completely broken (fully up to date with MX repo).

Unfortunately I just checked Xfce and the solution I posted does seem to affect Xfce (fonts and theming slightly).

I always said don't mix KDE with other desktops. I think I stick to that statement.

(If you don't theme KDE and the GTK module in KDE you can use Dolphin etc. in Xfce without problems - but then you are not using KDE just KDE applications).

ok, we may need to look at that script again. your "XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP" might be more appropriate.

Do you know which package I can find /etc/X11/Xsession.d/98qtconfig in? I went to the grocery store and then remembered that I had some pinned packages. Now I have updated everything that can possibly contain your version but I don't have it.

Maybe your script works. I can try it. It would be nice to know which package it is supposed to be in, because it's kind of strange that I don't have it.

What might be a bigger problem is that it's only a Qt config file so GTK theming is a separate problem? I had everything set up in KDE but that tweaked GTK theming and fonts in Xfce (I wrote my how-to before I knew that - I play with too many snapshots) so adjustments have to be made for GTK too.

desktop-defaults-xfce-mx17

[dreamer]

desktop-defaults-xfce-mx17

The script you posted is supposed to be in 56xfce4-qtconfig. I have that one, but I recently updated desktop-defaults-xfce-mx17 and didn't think it would matter because I was looking for 98qtconfig

I will run with default config files and see how that goes. But it's also a GTK problem, right? because there is no GTK config and KDE and Xfce clearly interfere in GTK theming.

[dolphin_oracle]

desktop-defaults-xfce-mx17

The script you posted is supposed to be in 56xfce4-qtconfig. I have that one, but I recently updated desktop-defaults-xfce-mx17 and didn't think it would matter because I was looking for 98qtconfig

I will run with default config files and see how that goes. But it's also a GTK problem, right? because there is no GTK config and KDE and Xfce clearly interfere in GTK theming.

the environment variables

Code: Select all

export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2
export QT_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2
export QT_PLATFORM_PLUGIN=gtk2

are only supposed to go into affect when xfce is in use. for any other session, whatever that default is should be used. I have no idea how to theme gtk apps in KDE.

[dreamer]

Code: Select all

export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2
export QT_PLATFORMTHEME=gtk2
export QT_PLATFORM_PLUGIN=gtk2

Is that what the 98qtconfig file is supposed to look like? I think it looked like that before I changed it.

I have no idea how to theme gtk apps in KDE.

KDE has a GTK module in Settings that themes GTK 2 and 3. It will affect GTK theming in KDE but also in Xfce. What you set in KDE will be displayed in Xfce but it's actually more of a mix between GTK settings in KDE and Xfce.

Anyway, this is unnecessary complicated. Adrian has made a fine MX KDE spin.

[dolphin_oracle]

I don't think we ever actually packaged the /etc/X11/Xsession.d/98qtconfig file. desktop-defaults-xfce-mx17 actually removes it if its found to match the default file we were working with at the time.

the new file is here: https://github.com/MX-Linux/desktop-def ... 4-qtconfig but you should get it automatically with desktop-defaultx-xfce-mx17.

one thing...on mx19 the desktop-defaults packages will be removable independent of each other, so you won't need the xfce one for a kde spin, for instance.