Zotero 8 (Linux) Window Decoration Color Issue

abccccc
Dear Zotero-Team,
first of all, thanks for the continuous development of the Zotero - it is a valuable tool for me.
Since last upgrade to Zotero 8 I have however an issue with font color in the window title.
I have Kubuntu 24.04 with KDE Plasma 5.27.12 and a global Breeze Twilight theme.

Before the upgrade the window title was okay, for instance, like the one from Firefox:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u16470595/gp8cmbxa390wurp69665.png

After the upgrade the Zotero window title is the following (Zotero settings - Color Scheme - Automatic (looks the same as Light)):
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u16470595/yn48ymsscgkyfzc6fz2q.png

The font color doesn't correspond to the global desktop theme and there is no way to change it (I didn't find any option in the Config Editor).

The window title font color becomes only reasonable once Dark Color Scheme of the Zotero is chosen:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u16470595/bcp1feam6fa55hopu28i.png

I was not able to find any similar discussions in the forum for Zotero 8.

Thanks!
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    We'll investigate — thanks.
  • gnomaner
    edited 8 days ago
    Most probably not an issue with zotero.

    More info will be quite helpful:
    1. How did you install Zotero?
    2. pls supply your output from fastfetch
    3. Any funny scripts for KDE installed? :D

    although im on KDE 6.5.5 here are some possible solutions. due to version differences maybe the steps differ a bit

    Possible solutions:
    1. Try adjusting the Gtk theme for applications in:
    System Settings → Colors & themes → Application Style → Configure GNOME/GTK Application Style (in the top right corner, maybe in the hamburger menu)

    2. Zotero → Alt+F3 → More Actions → uncheck No Titlebar and Frame

    3. Zotero → Edit → Preferences → Settings → Advanced → Config Editor → adjust browser.tabs.inTitlebar (either 0 or 2 → make sure to click the checkmark)

    4. Have a look here: https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/117465/zotero-7-title-bar-on-linux

    5. Try installing gtk3-nocsd → https://github.com/PCMan/gtk3-nocsd

    6. If all of this doesnt work, maybe it is time to upgrade https://help.ubuntu.com/community/QuestingUpgrades/Kubuntu
  • dstillman Zotero Team
    edited 8 days ago
    I see this in stock Ubuntu 20.04, but it doesn't happen in current Ubuntu 24. So yes, upgrading is likely the solution here.
  • abccccc
    Thanks. Appreciate your quick replies.
    Yes, adjusting the Gtk theme can make the window title light so that black menu fonts become more visible. I was just thinking, if it was okay before why after the upgrade to Zotero 8 it becomes black font on dark window title...
    Sure, with the next LTS, system will be upgraded.
  • abccccc
    Just for info: system has been upgraded to Kubuntu 25.10 (KDE Plasma 6.4.5).
    Window title in Zotero is still black font on dark-grey background.
    This is due to the Breeze global theme. In particular, its Colors:
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u16470595/4l1cyfm49tvnsroca3ta.png
    It seems that Zotero disables the system titlebar, but the one that Zotero is using instead still gets the background color from the Breeze Colors scheme ("Active titlebar").
    The font color in the title of Zotero doesn't follow system settings (it seems to follow the Zotero's color scheme, which is Light and keeps the font black). In the end one gets black font on a dark background:
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u16470595/zvix1wt2njkl2r34xljv.png
    If one changes "Active titlebar" color in the system to white, the background in Zotero's titlebar changes too:
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u16470595/9r2wi4qbjkillwo7igxa.png
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u16470595/fu033s2hx0jsucrb0v85.png
    In Zotero the titlebar becomes readable, but for the rest of the system makes no sense (because it is white titlebar with white font).

    Interestingly, if Zotero's color scheme is set to Dark, there is no way to change titlebar color via system colors. Zotero's dark scheme seems to be hard coded. As the font color in the titlebar for Light color scheme...
    Since Zotero's titlebar follows the system's "Active/'Inactive Titlebar" colors (what concerns Zotero's Light color scheme), my suggestion would be to let Zotero's titlebar font (for Light color scheme) also follow the system's color scheme for "Active/Inactive Titlebar Text":
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u16470595/ys6gtl0qoi7achi1yw1i.png
    Thanks!
  • caviaporcellus
    I have this problem on Kubuntu 25.10 (Plasma 6.4.5), tested it on a liveUSB image to make sure it wasn't some config setting issue of mine.

    As abccccc noted, the problem is the title bar text color. Zotero works fine if the light theme has only light colors (i.e., the title bar is light), or with the dark theme if everything is dark. But traditionally Kubuntu used a light theme but with darker title bars (which, frankly, I do like the best). Therefore the current "Breeze Light" theme looks fine (all light title bars), but the "Breeze Classic" theme (light but with dark title bars) does not.

    Zotero in the Breeze Classic theme (messed up):
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u11997154/43p2nhjus4yqhsclpcuv.png

    Zotero in the Breeze Light theme (looks ok):
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u11997154/ovm74chfai7iema645pl.png

    Not sure why every other app I use follows this just fine, though it might have to do with the integration of menu bar into the title bar. Though using the gtk3-nocsd hack the menu bar (now thankfully separate) is still the same color as the title bar, when it should be separate.

    Zotero needs to just follow the active and inactive title bar text color. Really it should also support proper title bars and a separate menu bar that would then follow the system colors, like in Zotero 6. Though that's a separate issue, since something changed between Zotero 7 and 8 which caused this current color issue and even in 7 the title and menu bars were mushed together.

    Zotero with gtk3-nocsd compared to Dolphin: note the menu bar in Dolphin always stays light, as it should.
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u11997154/tpds877yom8653qc0jxu.png
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u11997154/4mh2uxr9ludx97k82vlr.png
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