Bug 166979 - Playing with appearance settings "messes up" dark theme to be half-light
Summary: Playing with appearance settings "messes up" dark theme to be half-light
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: UI (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
26.2.0.0 alpha0+ master
Hardware: All All
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: Options-Dialog UI-Theming LibreOffice-Themes Linux-Dark-Mode
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Reported: 2025-06-12 20:05 UTC by Eyal Rozenberg
Modified: 2025-06-25 20:01 UTC (History)
5 users (show)

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Crash report or crash signature:


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Description Eyal Rozenberg 2025-06-12 20:05:23 UTC
I just played around with the first-startup dialog in safe mode. After some changes back and forth in the appearance pane, including going dark and light, background tiles etc. - at some point, setting "dark mode" no longer makes the UI have dark color, except for the window title bar; it's still all the light gray background, but the text and countours get this emphasis or shadow. It's weird.


Version: 26.2.0.0.alpha0+ (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: faab5ca6174e3e581661784216410e2bc88da081
CPU threads: 4; OS: Linux 6.12; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3
Locale: en-IL (en_IL); UI: en-US
Comment 1 Eyal Rozenberg 2025-06-12 20:10:48 UTC
Ok, so - I guess it may not have actually been the Dark Mode - it is a theme named "Dark". But it's just one of several Themes. Or is it? I'm not sure how things are supposed to work these days.
Comment 2 m_a_riosv 2025-06-24 22:24:23 UTC

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 166942 ***
Comment 3 Eyal Rozenberg 2025-06-24 22:44:07 UTC
(In reply to m_a_riosv from comment #2)
> *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 166942 ***

I'll take your word for it, although it's not obvious to me that it's the same problem.
Comment 4 V Stuart Foote 2025-06-24 23:32:57 UTC
Yep, not really a dupe.

Rather, the two rendering modes os/DE (the System,Light,Dark settings) or the Extension based Appearance themes.

The Extension themes for 25.2 got a Light/Dark theme sense. With the 'Light Appearance Theme' intended to support folks working in an os/DE 'Dark' color sense. With a couple of 'Light' extension themes also published.

The juxtaposition of following the os/DE system color, or overriding with the light/dark theme, or applying a dual color mode Light/Dark appearance theme proved a bit too complicated/inconsistent.

The appearance theme extension format was simplified and made single color sense--either light or dark at the theme author's discretion.  The extensions for 25.2 won't work on 25.8.0b1 or 26.2a0+ builds.

Additionally, at 25.8.0b1 the choice between os/DE provided UI colors or Appearance theme extension were made explicit on the Tools -> Options -> Appearance theme panel with checkbox selection. And, the os/DE toggles between System or Dark/Light override was made more robust.

A restart on change between mode is being enforced to ensure UI is fully recast.

Issue of bug 166942 will require Extension authors to edit meta for their 25.2 themes, and submit new 25.8 compliant themes.

So, with the rework already in for 25.8 and onwar, the best way to clear a jumbled UI theme issue at 25.2 is to clear user profile and use the System, Light or Dark os/DE values in Automatic. And if Light document background is needed use the 'Light Appearance Theme'.
Comment 5 Eyal Rozenberg 2025-06-25 07:18:55 UTC
(In reply to V Stuart Foote from comment #4)

Stuart, this bug report was about 26.2 nightlies. I'll ask you too if you are absolutely sure we're talking about the same situation.

I don't mind how this bug is closed, if it's closed; and frankly I'm not much of a themer. I just want to make sure we're not missing a different kind of theme application gaffe.
Comment 6 V Stuart Foote 2025-06-25 11:36:14 UTC
OK very sorry, missed you'd submitted against 26.2--but left the version field unspecified.

I guess keep an eye on the 26.2 nightlys. 

Track if actually applying a >= 25.8 Appearance theme extension, using the 'Enable application theming' checkbox, and then making selections using the LibreOffice Themes listbox along with os/DE color scheme (Dark | Light) changes.

On Windows at 26.2 it has gotten more robust cycling through options--though still most reliable across the UI with a restart on any change made (i.e. bug 166870) is unresolvable.
Comment 7 Eyal Rozenberg 2025-06-25 20:01:35 UTC
(In reply to V Stuart Foote from comment #6)
> Track if actually applying a >= 25.8 Appearance theme extension, using the
> 'Enable application theming' checkbox, and then making selections using the
> LibreOffice Themes listbox along with os/DE color scheme (Dark | Light)
> changes.

Well, if I do that, and see the same behavior, I'll reopen; for now I'll change the resolution to WFM.