gtk-window-decorator using outdated specifications

[quequotion]

I was unable to apply the elementary window decoration theme in Unity.
It seems there are a number of specifications gtk-window-decorator is unaware of or incompatible with.

Log with comments:

:~$ gtk-window-decorator --replace
Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Failed to find a valid file for theme elementary

#The filename must be "metacity-theme-1.xml" not "metacity-theme-3.xml"
#Solved by renaming the file.

Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Line 18 character 1: Boolean values must be "true" or "false" not "4"

#Corner rounding is apparently boolean.
#Worked around by changing values (on line 17) to "true"

Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Line 64 character 101: Could not parse color "C_border_focused"

#This constant does not work; constants may not work.
#Worked around by replacing all instances with the value

Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Line 378 character 61: Unknown function "shade" for button
Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Line 380 character 63: Unknown function "unshade" for button
Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Line 383 character 43: Unknown function "above" for button
Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Line 387 character 43: Unknown function "stick" for button

#All of these functions are unknown....
#Worked around by commenting all instances of these functions.

Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Line 952 character 74: Attribute "version" is invalid on <window> element in this context
Window manager warning: Failed to load theme "elementary": Line 953 character 57: Unknown type "attached" on <window> element

#Neither "version" nor "attached" are acceptable...
#Worked around by commenting this line.

Relevant software versions:

gtk-window-decorator (compiz-gnome) 0.9.8+bzr3319
elementary-theme 3.2~r597+pkg289~precise1

I've also attached my modified version of the theme file.

[Sergey "Shnatsel" Davidoff (shnatsel)]

Compatibility with outdated decorator implementations is not a priority.

[Sergey "Shnatsel" Davidoff (shnatsel)]

Although supplying an older theme version along with the current one can be discussed, because the file names are versioned.

[quequotion (quequotion)]

>>Sergey

Indeed, it is possible to have both "metacity-theme-1.xml" and "metacity-theme-3.xml" in the same directory.
Furthermore, the changes needed to get the theme working in gtk-window-decorator are trivial.

There are a few things missing--some indicator icons (also missing in pantheon, indicator-cpufreq for example) and a unity panel theme.

To fill in missing icons, I copied the elementary theme file into a new icon theme that inherits elementary and ubuntu-mono-dark. (file attached)

Theming Unity is obviously not one of the project goals, nor would I suggest it should be. Nonetheless, this has been done already:

NanaBluku's "Redux" includes a Unity panel theme based on elementary artwork. Primarily, this provides elementary-styled close/restore/etc buttons for maximized windows in Unity.

I simply copied the "unity" directory from this theme package into elementary's.

Redux: http://nanabuluku.deviantart.com/art/Redux-288881077

[Danielle Foré (danrabbit)]

This is 100% a Compiz window decorator bug. They need to update their decorator to comply with the latest metacity spec. It's not really our fault if Unity uses a legacy window decorator spec. Please file a bug with them instead.

[quequotion (quequotion)]

>>Daniel

I'll see if they are interested. This may have been handled in versions of compiz more recent than mine (0.9.8+bzr3319-0ubuntu1).

[Sam Spilsbury (smspillaz)]

gtk-window-decorator uses libmetacity in order to load themes. If it cant handle a theme, its libmetacity's problem, and probably a problem with the version we ship in ubuntu.

(Note, gtk-window-decorator won't be ported to use libmutter. Substantial API required in order to use it has been removed from libmutter, and it would also require that gtk-window-decorator would be ported to use the gtk+3.0 api, something which is not a trivial task because we're quite heavily dependent on the GdkX11 stuff).

[quequotion (quequotion)]

It's not necessary (at the moment / as far as I can tell / for my purposes at least) to port gtk-window-decorator to libmutter, unless you mean that the unsupported theme parameters in the bug report are mutter-exclusive?

It would be nice to know if there's a version of libmetacity that supports those parameters. Any thoughts?