What is the proper way to tell calibre to use the system theme?

capidamonte · 01-14-2015, 02:53 PM

Arch Linux using XFCE. Calibre is installed to /opt using the download command from calibre-ebook.com.

I prefer dark themes (light text on dark backgrounds.)
I've tried setting environment variables in my .bash_profile (QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE), tried using qtconfig, tried exploring the preferences...

I cannot seem to tell calibre to use the GTK (either 2 or 3) themes I prefer. It is definitely possible that I have the wrong value (gtk) for the above environment variable...

I would settle for a workaround that told calibre to use some sort of dark QT theme. Is this related to calibre installing its own version of QT5?

I've always used XFCE, so the QT stuff tends to trip me up.

Aloha.

DaltonST · 01-14-2015, 05:05 PM

Is this a trick question? Calibre > Preferences > Look & Feel > User Interface Style. You can choose between Calibre and System.

capidamonte · 01-14-2015, 05:35 PM

Neither affects the look at all. That preference is for something else, I think -- something about rounded corners is all I remember for the moment.

Also, it was already set to 'System Default'.

I'm looking for a way to tell the qt5 static libraries that calibre installs to use the system theme.

Thanks for answering; I assume that changing that does indeed work on your linux system?

EDIT: just tried this:

Code:

export QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE=GTK+ ; calibre

Got this back:

Code:

/opt/calibre/bin/calibre: symbol lookup error: /usr/lib/libgtk-x11-2.0.so.0: undefined symbol: g_type_check_instance_is_fundamentally_a

I get the exact same result if I use gtk instead of GTK+ Something about this error suggests to me that it's related to the QT5 installation that comes with calibre vs. the QT5 installation that comes with the system.

kovidgoyal · 01-14-2015, 10:58 PM

You will need to compile calibre yourself (or use your system calibre package) for that. The Qt 5 GTK plugin was causing crashes on many systems I tested with, so it is left out of the calibre bundle.

capidamonte · 01-15-2015, 05:09 PM

Ah.

Is there any way to choose a QT theme? I'm sure I could find a dark one somewhere.

Aloha.

kovidgoyal · 01-15-2015, 09:49 PM

Qt should automatically use your system color scheme.

capidamonte · 01-17-2015, 05:22 PM

I uninstalled the version from calibre-ebook.com, and installed the version in the AUR. All working now -- it looks like the packager took care of enabling GTK themes already.

Unfortunately, using the downloadable version from calibre-ebook.com didn't allow any changes to the look whatsoever; if anyone reading this is on Arch it seems the packager is staying fairly well caught up -- the AUR has version 2.16.

As always Kovid, respect for your time and attention, and a great application.

Aloha.

eschwartz · 01-22-2015, 08:47 PM

ArchLinux, as a bleeding-edge distribution, tends to be fairly-well caught up.

I would recommend you install the distro package (which is kept up-to-date) over the AUR package (which is calibre-git) but this bug has still not been fixed -- I am rather disappointed.

Hey, cool -- the AUR package does not have this problem...

Anyway, yeah -- there are instances where calibre will not do what it is supposed to do, if using the official calibre package.

kovidgoyal · 01-22-2015, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I would recommend you install the distro package (which is kept up-to-date) over the AUR package (which is calibre-git) but this bug has still not been fixed -- I am rather disappointed.

That bug is symptomatic of the general problem with linux distros. Their maintainers all have this crazy, completely non-scalable, attitude that they can maintain their own personal modifications to tens of thousands of upstream packages without breaking anything. It's why I stopped working with distro maintainers a long time ago.

Linux desktop distributions all need restrict themselves to base system software and let all "end-user" software be distributed by the software vendors, as happens on every other sane operating system on the planet, including the most successful variant of linux, Android.

Unfortunately, for that to happen, the distro maintainers need to get their acts together long enough to agree on a common package format for binaries, which is about as likely to happen as hell freezing over.

eschwartz · 01-23-2015, 12:03 AM

Oh, I think it would work out as long as they were willing to submit to the developer's opinions about what dependencies are needed.

In this case, a bunch of people who pride themselves on not patching software willy-nilly, decided to, um, patch software willy-nilly in order to "fix" the "travesty" of a -- cue heartburn -- "Windows developer with a Windows mentality" (

WTF) patching software instead of fixing it the "proper way".

Their amazingly high standards, meanwhile, break software in new and inventive ways. The irony factor beats debian's patch-happy attitude hands-down.

Oh, well -- at least they make it easy to roll your own.

Perhaps we will have a common packaging format in The Year of the Linux Desktop.

Perhaps the two are not unrelated...

Michael Rose · 07-09-2015, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Qt should automatically use your system color scheme.

This is imaginary at best on 2 different linux distros. Can you force it to use a different qt theme?

seanos · 09-29-2016, 06:23 AM

OK, I know this is a necro post but I’ve been researching this for a few Qt (4 & 5) programs so I’d appreciate finding this in a search.

What definitely works (at least in Ubuntu 16.04):

Install Qt5 style plugins—sudo apt install qt5-style-plugins
Copy /usr/share/applications/calibre.desktop to ~/.local/share/applications/calibre.desktop
Edit the copy and change the Exec= line to Exec=env QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE='gtk' calibre
Use this to launch calibre, i.e. either drag it to the launcher or make it executable and double-click it.

You should also be able to put QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE='gtk' into your /etc/environment file to do it for all Qt5 programs, but I haven‘t tested this.

More info:

Igor Engelen · 04-10-2017, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanos

OK, I know this is a necro post but I’ve been researching this for a few Qt (4 & 5) programs so I’d appreciate finding this in a search.

What definitely works (at least in Ubuntu 16.04):

Install Qt5 style plugins—sudo apt install qt5-style-plugins
Copy /usr/share/applications/calibre.desktop to ~/.local/share/applications/calibre.desktop
Edit the copy and change the Exec= line to Exec=env QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE='gtk' calibre
Use this to launch calibre, i.e. either drag it to the launcher or make it executable and double-click it.

You should also be able to put QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE='gtk' into your /etc/environment file to do it for all Qt5 programs, but I haven‘t tested this.

More info:

Thanks man, you made my day. My Calibre is in black now like the rest of my apps. Finally I can rest

01-14-2015, 02:53 PM	#1
capidamonte Not who you think I am... Posts: 374 Karma: 30283 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Honolulu Device: PocketBook 360 -- Ivory	What is the proper way to tell calibre to use the system theme? Arch Linux using XFCE. Calibre is installed to /opt using the download command from calibre-ebook.com. I prefer dark themes (light text on dark backgrounds.) I've tried setting environment variables in my .bash_profile (QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE), tried using qtconfig, tried exploring the preferences... I cannot seem to tell calibre to use the GTK (either 2 or 3) themes I prefer. It is definitely possible that I have the wrong value (gtk) for the above environment variable... I would settle for a workaround that told calibre to use some sort of dark QT theme. Is this related to calibre installing its own version of QT5? I've always used XFCE, so the QT stuff tends to trip me up. Aloha.

01-14-2015, 05:35 PM	#3
capidamonte Not who you think I am... Posts: 374 Karma: 30283 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Honolulu Device: PocketBook 360 -- Ivory	Neither affects the look at all. That preference is for something else, I think -- something about rounded corners is all I remember for the moment. Also, it was already set to 'System Default'. I'm looking for a way to tell the qt5 static libraries that calibre installs to use the system theme. Thanks for answering; I assume that changing that does indeed work on your linux system? EDIT: just tried this: Code: export QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE=GTK+ ; calibre Got this back: Code: /opt/calibre/bin/calibre: symbol lookup error: /usr/lib/libgtk-x11-2.0.so.0: undefined symbol: g_type_check_instance_is_fundamentally_a I get the exact same result if I use gtk instead of GTK+ Something about this error suggests to me that it's related to the QT5 installation that comes with calibre vs. the QT5 installation that comes with the system. Last edited by capidamonte; 01-14-2015 at 05:45 PM.

09-29-2016, 06:23 AM	#12
seanos Zealot Posts: 101 Karma: 12 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Aura H2O, LG V20	OK, I know this is a necro post but I’ve been researching this for a few Qt (4 & 5) programs so I’d appreciate finding this in a search. What definitely works (at least in Ubuntu 16.04): Install Qt5 style plugins—sudo apt install qt5-style-plugins Copy /usr/share/applications/calibre.desktop to ~/.local/share/applications/calibre.desktop Edit the copy and change the Exec= line to Exec=env QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE='gtk' calibre Use this to launch calibre, i.e. either drag it to the launcher or make it executable and double-click it. You should also be able to put QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE='gtk' into your /etc/environment file to do it for all Qt5 programs, but I haven‘t tested this. More info: Details at the Arch Wiki StackExchange: Qt5 applications don't use gtk style on Liux Mint

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01-14-2015, 05:05 PM	#2
DaltonST Deviser Posts: 2,265 Karma: 2090983 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Texas Device: none	Is this a trick question? Calibre > Preferences > Look & Feel > User Interface Style. You can choose between Calibre and System.

01-14-2015, 10:58 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You will need to compile calibre yourself (or use your system calibre package) for that. The Qt 5 GTK plugin was causing crashes on many systems I tested with, so it is left out of the calibre bundle.

01-15-2015, 05:09 PM	#5
capidamonte Not who you think I am... Posts: 374 Karma: 30283 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Honolulu Device: PocketBook 360 -- Ivory	Ah. Is there any way to choose a QT theme? I'm sure I could find a dark one somewhere. Aloha.

01-15-2015, 09:49 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Qt should automatically use your system color scheme.

01-17-2015, 05:22 PM	#7
capidamonte Not who you think I am... Posts: 374 Karma: 30283 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Honolulu Device: PocketBook 360 -- Ivory	I uninstalled the version from calibre-ebook.com, and installed the version in the AUR. All working now -- it looks like the packager took care of enabling GTK themes already. Unfortunately, using the downloadable version from calibre-ebook.com didn't allow any changes to the look whatsoever; if anyone reading this is on Arch it seems the packager is staying fairly well caught up -- the AUR has version 2.16. As always Kovid, respect for your time and attention, and a great application. Aloha.

01-22-2015, 08:47 PM	#8
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	ArchLinux, as a bleeding-edge distribution, tends to be fairly-well caught up. I would recommend you install the distro package (which is kept up-to-date) over the AUR package (which is calibre-git) but this bug has still not been fixed -- I am rather disappointed. Hey, cool -- the AUR package does not have this problem... Anyway, yeah -- there are instances where calibre will not do what it is supposed to do, if using the official calibre package.

01-23-2015, 12:03 AM	#10
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Oh, I think it would work out as long as they were willing to submit to the developer's opinions about what dependencies are needed. In this case, a bunch of people who pride themselves on not patching software willy-nilly, decided to, um, patch software willy-nilly in order to "fix" the "travesty" of a -- cue heartburn -- "Windows developer with a Windows mentality" ( WTF) patching software instead of fixing it the "proper way". Their amazingly high standards, meanwhile, break software in new and inventive ways. The irony factor beats debian's patch-happy attitude hands-down. Oh, well -- at least they make it easy to roll your own. Perhaps we will have a common packaging format in The Year of the Linux Desktop. Perhaps the two are not unrelated...