Firefox 46 update causes theme errors

[Firas Kraïem]

With the new Firefox 46 package, Firefox looks very bad when used on KDE with the oxygen-gtk theme. Most notably, tooltips are now displayed in black text on black background, but other elements such as form items (text areas or buttons) also look bad. This is not GTK3-specific, as other GTK3 apps such as GEdit look fine.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: firefox 46.0+build5-0ubuntu0.14.04.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-22.38~14.04.1-generic 4.4.8
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-22-generic x86_64
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.20
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: firas 2450 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20160425115534
Channel: Unavailable
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Thu Apr 28 14:47:14 2016
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-04-06 (387 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20150219.1)
IpRoute:
 default via 172.16.200.1 dev eth0 proto static
 172.16.200.0/24 dev eth0 proto kernel scope link src 172.16.200.141 metric 1
Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Plugins:
 Skype Buttons for Kopete - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/skypebuttons.so (kopete)
 Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/adobe-flashplugin/libflashplayer.so (adobe-flashplugin)
PrefSources:
 prefs.js
 [Profile]/extensions/{0AA9101C-D3C1-4129-A9B7-D778C6A17F82}/defaults/preferences/rikaichan.js
Profiles: Profile0 (Default) - LastVersion=46.0/20160425115534 (In use)
RelatedPackageVersions:
 kopete 4:4.13.3-0ubuntu0.1
 adobe-flashplugin 1:20160407.1-0ubuntu0.14.04.1
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
RunningIncompatibleAddons: False
SourcePackage: firefox
Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
WifiSyslog:

dmi.bios.date: 11/23/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A08
dmi.board.name: 0XR1GT
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA08:bd11/23/2012:svnDellInc.:pnInspiron660:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0XR1GT:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: Inspiron 660
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Ruslan (b7-10110111)]

I'd say the problematic package is Firefox, not oxygen-gtk. Since the former has changed to use GTK3, it might just not be picking all the correct settings. Namely, tooltips text and window text are different things. Windows text color is taken correctly (seen with e.g. Obsidian Coast color scheme), but tooltip text color is not (with Oxygen color scheme), instead appearing the same as window text color.

[Martin Ruthenberg (martinruthenberg)]

Websites in Firefox look terrible now (see attached file). Opening the same sites in chrome everything is fine.

[m.eik (m-reaktanz)]

i just compiled gtk3-engines-oxygen 1.4.1 (wiley sources) and replaced the stock 1.3.* package on my trusty system. that fixed the problem with firefox.

so backporting that package might be a good idea.

[Firas Kraïem (firas)]

Indeed compiling the Wily package on Trusty solves the problem. Sadly, it cannot be installed on Trusty directly due to trusty not having the required dpendencies...

[Firas Kraïem (firas)]

I made a backport request, which is Bug #1593210.

[Firas Kraïem (firas)]

Since it doesn't seem that the backports will be done any time soon, here's how to compile it yourself.

1. Download and extract http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/o/oxygen-gtk3/oxygen-gtk3_1.4.1-2ubuntu1.debian.tar.xz. Do not remove the tarball.
2. cd to oxygen-gtk3-1.4.1.
3. Download and extract http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/universe/o/oxygen-gtk3/oxygen-gtk3_1.4.1-2ubuntu1.debian.tar.xz. Remove the tarball.
4. Run debuild. Of course, install it if you don't have it already (the "command not found" error message should tell you which package to install). Likewise, if you get an an error message about a missing dependency during compilation, install that package and run debuild again.
5. At the end of the compilation, you will see an error message when GPG fails to sign the package with the maintainer's key (of course, you are not the maintainer, so you do not have the correct GPG private key). This is not a problem, the package is still created normally, it is just not signed.
6. The .deb package is in the parent directory, you can now install it.

[Bas Roufs (basroufs)]

At Firefox 47 along with Kubuntu 14.04 and KDE 4.13.3, the unreadable tooltip problem persists.

This blog points at some seemingly effective workaround:
https://ashonit.blogspot.nl/2016/06/fix-kde-unreadable-tooltip.html?showComment=1467471107634#c4584050345359460771

However, I do not yet manage to find the so-called "Colors - KDE Control Panel" - the dialogue needed to invoke this workaround.

Yours.

Bas G. Roufs.

[Bas Roufs (basroufs)]

In the mean time, someone at the Kubuntu users mailing list has pointed me at a simple, but effective workaround for users of Kubuntu 14.04:
SYSTEM SETTINGS > Application Appearance > GTK > Select a GTK 3 theme > switch from from "Ogygen-GTK" to "default". After this, close and restart Firefox. Now, the tooltips have a yellow background and black fonts - not the utmost beautiful solution, but it works for now.

[noric (riccardo-ric)]

I've successfully compiled gtk3-engines-oxygen 1.4.1 but it couldn't solve my issue. Since Firefox 46 I have black borders around the navigation bar and search bar, in the bookmarks menu, and so on.
Unfortunately, they are not fixed for me even with 1.4.1. Is that normal?

By the way, I'd like to correct the precious information Firas Kraïem gave us in his last comment about compiling from source. In step 1) you want to download this file https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+files/oxygen-gtk3_1.4.1.orig.tar.bz2 instead of the one mentioned in his post.

[Firas Kraïem (firas)]

Thanks for the correction, I just noticed I pasted the same link twice... I do not have the problem you mention, however.

[noric (riccardo-ric)]

Don't you have the graphical glitches as in the attached image? I do have them in Kubuntu 14.04.2.

[Firas Kraïem (firas)]

14.04.2? The current point release is .5, and also the current Firefox is 48. My Firefox doesn't look like either of your screenshots.

[noric (riccardo-ric)]

I tried 14.04.2 in a VM because that's the release reported in the first post. In my screenshot there's Firefox 48 on the left side.

In my opinion your screenshot does show the same glitches as my Firefox 48. There is the black border. And I guess that if you try the bookmarks button, it will be affected too. The File/Edit/View menus aren't affected for me either.

[Firas Kraïem (firas)]

You should always keep your system fully up to date. As for the fact that some borders are black, it does not look like a bug to me. It does not render Firefox unusable, and in fact I prefer it that way.

[Firas Kraïem (firas)]

Well, it looks like Firefox 51 brought up this issue again, and now there is no newer gtk3-engines-oxygen to install... Time to uograde to Xenial?

[noric (riccardo-ric)]

Everything's well on Mint KDE 17. Only the same minor graphical glitches as I mentioned above.

By the way, I discovered that you can solve those if you compile Firefox against gtk2, but I don't bother.