Since 2018 text in combo boxes is dark and unreadable

[buggycub]

Since 2018 all dropdown menus in my Ubuntu 16.04 LTS have a black background and the text, i.e., file-save-as options are unreadable. After a fresh install the menus are ok, but after the first necessary updates, same problem! The menus if firefox and thunderbird are readable, but e.g., Libreoffice writer, Gimp,,,, you name it, are not. I have described this in detail in
https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2382505&p=13730458#post13730458
and also my workaround to solve it,
changing the file /usr/share/themes/Ambiance/gtk-2.0/gtkrc
But I am afraid, with the next bigger Ubuntu update the error will be back again?

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

Sorry, of course it is "Since 2018" 8not 23018)

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I'm using 16.04 and can't see the problem.

Please run this command to help us understand more about your system:

  apport-collect 1743710

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

~$ sudo apport-collect 1743710
The authorization page:
 (https://launchpad.net/+authorize-token?oauth_token=BpjJ3SZmqmXmDCGqBNPv&allow_permission=DESKTOP_INTEGRATION)
should be opening in your browser. Use your browser to authorize
this program to access Launchpad on your behalf.
Waiting to hear from Launchpad about your decision...

I authorized but nothing happens?

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

ÖK, I tried it again, this way, without sudo:

~$ apport-collect 1743710
The authorization page:
 (https://launchpad.net/+authorize-token?oauth_token=DFwrbzxC41Qb6zZkmRbQ&allow_permission=DESKTOP_INTEGRATION)
should be opening in your browser. Use your browser to authorize
this program to access Launchpad on your behalf.
Waiting to hear from Launchpad about your decision...
ERROR: connecting to Launchpad failed: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/home/michael/.cache/apport/launchpad.credentials'
You can reset the credentials by removing the file "/home/michael/.cache/apport/launchpad.credentials"
~$

An error again! Despite my authorization was successful. Could you please show me what I should do exactly? Thank you

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

It sounds like running 'sudo' first was your mistake, which may then break the permissions for you as non-sudo.

To work around that problem, try:

1. Fix what just happened: sudo chown -R michael ~/.cache
2. Try again, avoiding 'sudo': apport-collect 1743710

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

apport-collect 1743710
The authorization page:
 (https://launchpad.net/+authorize-token?oauth_token=5znsX4RCzKNZfFS3qzK3&allow_permission=DESKTOP_INTEGRATION)
should be opening in your browser. Use your browser to authorize
this program to access Launchpad on your behalf.
Waiting to hear from Launchpad about your decision...
Package ubuntu-themes not installed and no hook available, ignoring
Gtk-Message: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged.

Was this ok now?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please follow that link in your web browser. Or copy and paste it into your web browser.

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

If I follow this link, I get to https://launchpad.net/~smusnmr/+oauth-tokens and read

"
Authorized applications

These applications have been authorized to access Launchpad on your behalf. If you revoke an authorization, that application will not be allowed to do anything in Launchpad on your behalf.
Claimed tokens:
None

Unclaimed tokens:
None
"
Does it mean I should authorize again and leave the authorization on indefinetly? Should I leave my notebook on and not logout out of launchpad?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

If it's been too long since you ran "apport-collect 1743710" then the link probably won't work any more.

Please run "apport-collect 1743710" again and follow the links it gives you.

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

I did this again and waited for 10 minutes:

"Application name: System-wide: Ubuntu (michael)

Authorized, 10 minutes ago, to integrate an entire system"

10 minutes should be enough to learn about my system?

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

There was a strange message in my terminal after I had finished:

"Package ubuntu-themes not installed and no hook available, ignoring
Gtk-Message: GtkDialog mapped without a transient parent. This is discouraged."

I do not understand it :-(

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I think you can ignore that message. The binary package 'ubuntu-themes' doesn't really exist as it is replaced by 'light-themes'.

That said, the file you said you changed (/usr/share/themes/Ambiance/gtk-2.0/gtkrc) belongs to the light-themes package. Please try:

1. Forcefully reinstalling that package:
   sudo apt-get install --reinstall light-themes
2. Reboot
3. If the bug still isn't solved then take a photo of the problem for us and attach it here.

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

Thanks, but the bug is not solved. This reinstall just turned the menu black again. For your convenience, I copy relevant lines from my https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2382505&p=13730458#post13730458

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

The previous MenuAfter.jpg shows the "normal" behaviour, even after the "--reinstall".

This MenuBefore.jpg shows how it looks like when I did my correction:

"1. Opened /usr/share/themes/Ambiance/gtk-2.0/gtkrc with sudo nano
2. Searched for line containing: style "menu"
3. This line looked like this: style "menu" = "dark" {
4. Now changed it to: 5. style "menu" = "white" {
5. Saved the changes and rebooted "

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

When I remove folder gtkrc from /usr/share/themes/Ambiance/gtk-2.0/ altogether, it also results in clearly readable menus!

What good then is /gtk-2.0/ then, except blackening my menus ? ;-)

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I can reproduce the bug in 16.04 using LibreOffice, same as your screenshots show. But I can't seem to reproduce the bug in Firefox, Thunderbird or GIMP that you mention. Can you provide screenshots of those with the bug?

[Brendan McCarthy (brendan.oddsoftware.net)]

Here's gimp showing the issue - bottom left.

[Brendan McCarthy (brendan.oddsoftware.net)]

Changing this works for me:

In /usr/share/themes/Ambiance/gtk-2.0/gtkrc line 346

Change:
style "menu" = "dark" {

To:
style "menu" = "white" {

And run gtk-theme-switch2 to apply the style change.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The same bug exists in Ubuntu 18.04. And it appears to affect only (some) combo boxes.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

WORKAROUND (for 16.04):

Reinstall the original theme, from before the regression occurred:

1. wget https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+files/light-themes_14.04+16.04.20160415-0ubuntu1_all.deb
2. sudo dpkg -i light-themes_14.04+16.04.20160415-0ubuntu1_all.deb

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

"Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt) wrote 5 hours ago: #16

I can reproduce the bug in 16.04 using LibreOffice, same as your screenshots show. But I can't seem to reproduce the bug in Firefox, Thunderbird or GIMP that you mention. Can you provide screenshots of those with the bug?"

Firefox and Thunderbird were fine with me, too (black menu background but clearly visible white menu items), as I said in my first entry. All other programs seem to be affected, however, LibreOffice, Gimp, Pinta, Tupi, you name it. Sorry, I am running presently without the folder /gtk-2.0/, see my https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubuntu-themes/+bug/1743710/comments/15, so I cannot show you the Gimp issue. But it looked exactly like LibreOffice.

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

Sorry, removing /gtk-2.0/ was not a good idea! A few apps were missing then. Restored it and keep my 'style "menu" = "white" {' solution.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The workaround we recommend is to just install:
https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+archive/primary/+files/light-themes_14.04+16.04.20160415-0ubuntu1_all.deb

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

I tried this workaround. It works! Thanks.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

That said, that workaround will probably get automatically undone every time your system updates :(

[buggycub (smusnmr)]

Installed daily build Ubuntu 18.04 yesterday. No problem with the menus yet :)