Wayland build looks out of place due to Libdecor #101176

New Issue

Caden Mitchell · 2022-09-18T23:00:25+02:00

Caden Mitchell commented

2022-09-18 23:00:25 +02:00

System Information
Operating system: Fedora Linux (Gnome on Wayland)

Blender Version
Broken: 3.4.0 Alpha, 1f4dc51d09, master, 2022-09-10 23:06

Short description of error
The visual style of the application is facing a major regression from it's X11 counterpart. In Linux, applications that feature native visual designs are valued and expected. In X11, Blender would inherit a native window decoration system such as QT or GTK. This helped Blender to fit into the Linux desktop. In Wayland, Libdecor is used, and it does not look anything like a native application. It does not follow the system theme, it does not respect the titlebar button layout (ie. left or right), and looks more like a Windows application.

Pictured:
Top - Blender compiled for X11
Middle - Blender compiled for Walyand with Libdecor
Bottom - Native Wayland application

Please note how I have minimize and maximize hidden, have my window controls at the left, and have a theme applied. X11 and native applications will reflect any combination of these options, Libdecor sticks out and is not ideal.

Proposal: I am not sure what it would take, but I think it would be nice for Blender to use a library that automatically applies the appropriate window decorations depending on whether the desktop is QT or GTK. Otherwise, perhaps Blender could include both GTK and QT libraries and switch depending on desktops. It may also be possible to use system libraries rather than bake a window decoration system into Blender. Maybe as a workaround, users can select either Libdecor, GTK, or QT in the build system.

Exact steps for others to reproduce the error
Build Blender with the following flags: BUILD_CMAKE_ARGS="-DWITH_GHOST_WAYLAND=ON -DWITH_GHOST_WAYLAND_LIBDECOR=ON"

**System Information** Operating system: Fedora Linux (Gnome on Wayland) **Blender Version** Broken: 3.4.0 Alpha, 1f4dc51d09af, master, 2022-09-10 23:06 **Short description of error** The visual style of the application is facing a major regression from it's X11 counterpart. In Linux, applications that feature native visual designs are valued and expected. In X11, Blender would inherit a native window decoration system such as QT or GTK. This helped Blender to fit into the Linux desktop. In Wayland, Libdecor is used, and it does not look anything like a native application. It does not follow the system theme, it does not respect the titlebar button layout (ie. left or right), and looks more like a Windows application. ![Screenshot from 2022-09-18 14-54-52.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F13508357/Screenshot_from_2022-09-18_14-54-52.png) Pictured: Top - Blender compiled for X11 Middle - Blender compiled for Walyand with Libdecor Bottom - Native Wayland application Please note how I have minimize and maximize hidden, have my window controls at the left, and have a theme applied. X11 and native applications will reflect any combination of these options, Libdecor sticks out and is not ideal. Proposal: I am not sure what it would take, but I think it would be nice for Blender to use a library that automatically applies the appropriate window decorations depending on whether the desktop is QT or GTK. Otherwise, perhaps Blender could include both GTK and QT libraries and switch depending on desktops. It may also be possible to use system libraries rather than bake a window decoration system into Blender. Maybe as a workaround, users can select either Libdecor, GTK, or QT in the build system. **Exact steps for others to reproduce the error** Build Blender with the following flags: `BUILD_CMAKE_ARGS="-DWITH_GHOST_WAYLAND=ON -DWITH_GHOST_WAYLAND_LIBDECOR=ON"`

Caden Mitchell commented

2022-09-18 23:00:25 +02:00

Added subscriber: @Caden-Mitchell

Pratik Borhade commented

2022-09-19 03:52:26 +02:00

Added subscriber: @ideasman42

Campbell Barton commented

2022-09-19 08:06:56 +02:00

The purpose of using Libdecor was to avoid having to implement this ourselves.

Ideally Libdecor would integrate with the underlying desktop environment.

Blender doing it's own client-side decorations is a possibility too, but a fairly large project.

The purpose of using Libdecor was to avoid having to implement this ourselves. Ideally Libdecor would integrate with the underlying desktop environment. Blender doing it's own client-side decorations is a possibility too, but a fairly large project.

Christian Rauch commented

2022-09-19 08:22:11 +02:00

Added subscriber: @christian.rauch

Christian Rauch commented

2022-09-19 08:22:11 +02:00

Please do some research on this topic to understand what libdecor is and how it works. Libdecor itself does not have a visual style. It uses plugins to do the actual rendering. There is a GTK plugin in the works: https://gitlab.gnome.org/jadahl/libdecor/-/merge_requests/43

The toolkits that I used do not allow you to just apply window decorations to arbitrary surfaces. If you find one that integrates well and does allow this, then purpose a new libdecor plugin.

You are also free to propose a working counterexample.

Please do some research on this topic to understand what libdecor is and how it works. Libdecor itself does not have a visual style. It uses plugins to do the actual rendering. There is a GTK plugin in the works: https://gitlab.gnome.org/jadahl/libdecor/-/merge_requests/43 The toolkits that I used do not allow you to just apply window decorations to arbitrary surfaces. If you find one that integrates well and does allow this, then purpose a new libdecor plugin. You are also free to propose a working counterexample.

Germano Cavalcante commented

2022-09-19 21:31:38 +02:00

Changed status from 'Needs Triage' to: 'Needs Developer To Reproduce'

Campbell Barton commented

2022-09-20 02:32:48 +02:00

Changed status from 'Needs Developer To Reproduce' to: 'Archived'

Campbell Barton closed this issue

2022-09-20 02:32:48 +02:00

Campbell Barton commented

2022-09-20 02:32:48 +02:00

@christian.rauch thanks for the information, since this likely needs to be handled by libdecor I don't think it makes sense to keep the Blender task open, I'll link to your merge-request from the main wayland task and close this one.

Campbell Barton referenced this issue

2023-03-16 03:47:11 +01:00

GHOST/Wayland Support #76428

Campbell Barton commented

2023-10-03 08:04:35 +02:00

Setting as resolved since libdecor now supported since libdecor v0.2.0.
On my system, running Blender in Gnome 44.5 uses native (GTK) decor.

Setting as resolved since libdecor now supported since libdecor v0.2.0. On my system, running Blender in Gnome 44.5 uses native (GTK) decor.

Campbell Barton added