[Users] Dark theme for Windows

[Thorsten Maerz]

On Wed, 28 Jul 2021 21:23:58 +0200
Thorsten Maerz <info at netztorte.de> wrote:

> On Tue, 27 Jul 2021 18:35:00 -0500
> Earl Hood <earlhood.eps at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > I am trying to set up Claws Mail 3.18.0 on a Windows 10 system.
> > I am having difficulty getting claws to use any gtk theme.
> 
> The gtk2 version of the mswin port used a hardcoded theme, so you
> cannot override it.

For the gtk2 version:
It is possible to "cheat in" a different theme by renaming the
theme folder that you want to use (e.g. "Raleigh") to "MS-Windows".
The theme folders reside in ".\share\themes\".

Most themes require additional engine files (*.dll), which have to be
put into ".\lib\gtk-2.0\2.10.0\engines\".
You'd have to look for precompiled theme engines on your own (which
aren't that easy to find nowadays and too old engines, e.g. from 2.2.x,
will not work).

Anyway, with those themes, gtk-apps won't look like mswin-apps at all.
Which is probably one of the reasons, why many gtk2-mswin apps don't
come with different gtk-themes (e.g. gimp, hexchat, inkscape, gpg4win,
claws): Too much hassle just for a weird look.


For the gtk3 version, the themes are customizable and don't use
additional engines, so they are the same for all systems.
But like in gtk2, the theme for native mswin looking widgets derive
its look directly from mswin via API calls (and don't support darkening
AFAIK), so that would require some knowledge about CSS and the widget
names they refer to, to tweak that theme.
The other themes don't look like mswin-apps at all (even the different
"Windows10" called themes don't look very convincing IMHO).

So better don't have too high expectations.

-- 
Best regards,
Thorsten