Scrollbars are tiny in Firefox (since FF 52)

[Jan Rathmann]

== Update 2018-02-27: While this report was created for Firefox 52 under Ubuntu 16.10, it is still valid for all newer Firefox version/Ubuntu releases. ==

In Firefox 52, the size of scrollbars has become smaller so that it is really tiny and hard to grab by the mouse. For me, this is a usability issue.

The scrollbars were considerably bigger in Firefox 51 and previous releases. To illustrate this, I have attached two screeenshots for comparision between Firefox 51 and 52.

While other GTK3-applications (e.g. Gedit) also have very slim scrollbars, they on the other hand have a mechanismn that makes their scrollbars broaden automatically when you move the mouse over them, so grabbing them isn't an issue. If the same would be possible in Firefox, this would of course be also an acceptable resolution.

Kind regards,
Jan

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.10
Package: firefox 52.0.1+build2-0ubuntu0.16.10.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.8.0-43.46-generic 4.8.17
Uname: Linux 4.8.0-43-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
ApportVersion: 2.20.3-0ubuntu8.2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: jan 2427 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: jan 2427 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20170317212642
Channel: Unavailable
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Mar 23 17:48:02 2017
DefaultProfileExtensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
DefaultProfileIncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
DefaultProfileLocales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
DefaultProfilePlugins: Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
DefaultProfilePrefSources: prefs.js
DefaultProfileThemes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IfupdownConfig:
 # interfaces(5) file used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8)
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-10-11 (163 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.10 "Yakkety Yak" - Alpha amd64 (20161008)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.2.1 dev enp4s0 proto static metric 100
 192.168.2.0/24 dev enp4s0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.2.110 metric 100
IwConfig:
 enp4s0 no wireless extensions.

 vboxnet0 no wireless extensions.

 lo no wireless extensions.
MostRecentCrashID: bp-fd3ffe0d-b587-4fd6-9f51-0e92e2161201
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Profile0Plugins: Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
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Profile2Plugins: Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
Profile2PrefSources: prefs.js
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Profile3Plugins: Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
Profile3PrefSources: prefs.js
Profile4Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
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Profile4Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile4Plugins: Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
Profile4PrefSources: prefs.js
Profile4Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile6Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile6IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
Profile6Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile6Plugins: Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
Profile6PrefSources: prefs.js
Profile6Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
RfKill:

RunningIncompatibleAddons: True
SourcePackage: firefox
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/18/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F14
dmi.board.name: P35-DS3
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: x.x
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftwareInternational,Inc.:bvrF14:bd06/18/2009:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnP35-DS3:pvr:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnP35-DS3:rvrx.x:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: P35-DS3
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.

[madbiologist (me-again)]

In Gedit the scrollbars broaden automatically when you move the mouse over any part of them. In Firefox they only broaden if you move the mouse over the slider. Inconsistency is not good, but this is probably an acceptable solution. What do you think?

[Jan Rathmann (kaiserclaudius)]

@madbiologist
Yes, this would be an acceptable solution, but on my system (Yakkety) the scrollbars in Firefox always stay slim and never broaden, regardless if I move the mouse over the slider or some other place on the scrollbar. Is this different on your installation?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[dino99 (9d9)]

This is an unsupported release now. Please think to install the next LTS 'Bionic 18.04'

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-next/daily-live/current/
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/02/ubuntu-18-04-minimal-install-option

[Jan Rathmann (kaiserclaudius)]

The described issue with the scrollbar size still exists on Bionic (and all newer Firefox versions).

[Plurtu (plurtu)]

The Snap package of Firefox 59 has wider scrollbars for me on Ubuntu 17.10. Might be worth checking out if you struggle to interact with the narrow scrollbars.

> sudo snap install firefox

[Igor Wojnicki (wojnicki)]

The snap package works fine. Both, current ubuntu 17.10 and snap, are the same ff version: 59.0.2 !!!

[Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987)]

Most probably the Firefox snap package is built with the GTK3 version (3.18.9) found in Xenial, regardless where the snap is run, because also the deb package of Firefox in Xenial has normal scrollbars. So I think the problem is with the GTK3 version newer than 3.18.9.

However, even in newer GTK3, in Adwaita theme, Firefox still has normal scrollbars.

[Brian K. White (bkw777)]

I am seeing the same scrollbars in other apps but not all other apps.
I get the same small scrollbars in Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, and Evince, as a few examples. There are others.

Meanwhile at the same time, other apps respect the desktop theme and get a different scrollbar. Gimp, Leafpad, and gFTP are examples. These are the purple ones in the attached pic.

[Steve Cohen (scohen)]

still an issue with Ubuntu 18.04/FF 59.2