From 614aef7fc79f1fa2866ca86b89d0be66e1b8b5fa Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Fristi Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2022 23:48:24 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Blog update, added new article. --- .../2022-06-12_please_do_theme_your_distro.md | 170 ++++++++++++++++++ index.html | 18 +- 2 files changed, 181 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) create mode 100644 blogs/2022/2022-06-12_please_do_theme_your_distro.md diff --git a/blogs/2022/2022-06-12_please_do_theme_your_distro.md b/blogs/2022/2022-06-12_please_do_theme_your_distro.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3da613c --- /dev/null +++ b/blogs/2022/2022-06-12_please_do_theme_your_distro.md @@ -0,0 +1,170 @@ +# Please do theme your distro + +--- + +This article is mainly written as a complaint against a number of GNOME +application developers, who had decided to complain against distro maintainers +that install non-standard themes in their distributions. One such notable example +is https://stopthemingmy.app/, but there exist more such movements out there. In +short, these devs want distro maintainers to always ship the GNOME desktop in +its default theme. + +Now this might not sounds like a lot. Admittedly it's not. It's one of those +things where I just think someone is straight up wrong, and trying to push their +wrong deeper into the world. + +## The argument + +GNOME devs are currently expressing a desire to remove theming support from +the GNOME desktop, which arguably already is half-removed. As it currently +stands, using themes (better known as GTK stylesheets) already requires +installing some tools just to access the feature. But it's there, and can be +used if desired. Some linux distributions, like Ubuntu, by default ship with a +custom theme. + +However, GNOME devs argue that custom themes break their applications. Well, +some of them do anyway, largely depending on the theme even. Yet it's enough +to set some over the edge and complain about it. Quoting from the +before-mentioned webpage, "GTK Stylesheets can make applications look broken, +and even unusable." They continue to argue even about icon themes as well, noting +that "Icon Themes can change icon metaphors" and "Changing an app's icon denies +the developer the possibility to control their brand." + +In a way, what they argue for is complete control of the visual representation +of their applications. Including icons and all. + +## What I think they got right + +While there's a lot wrong with their arguments, let's first focus on what I do +agree with; a dev needs a certain amount of guarantee that their app is going +to at least look properly and functional in the system where it's distributed on. +That means certain visual components should have a predictable look. Icons should +be what you predict them to be. + +There's also something to be said about their argument regarding programs like +Blender, Atom and Telegram. + +> We are tired of having to do extra work for setups we never intended to +> support, just to have that used against us when people tell us the breakage +> from theming is “not that bad”. You are not doing this to Blender, Atom, +> Telegram, or other third party apps. Just because our apps use GTK that does +> not mean we’re ok with them being changed from under us. + +It is indeed unjust if the platform tools you use leave you at a particular +disadvantage, in contrast to those not even using platform-specific tools. +However, wanting the design-freedom of an electron app is an entirely different +topic. + +## Where they dropped the ball + +What I do not agree with however, is their demand for total control. While the +argument is aimed at distro maintainers, what I wonder is how much that even +would do; in the end, users most often will do a little theming of their own +if it suits them. And icon theme here, a little gtk stylesheet there, are not +difficult to install. Which leads me to my first counter argument: + +*If your application relies so heavily on a particular look, why use platform +tools like GTK?* + +GTK (formerly the GIMP ToolKit) is a toolkit made for designing graphical +applications. It provides you with standardized controls and widgets, that +adhere to the system theme coloring and other styling properties. That's the +job of the toolkit; to provide a standard-compliant set of tools for you. +However, that also binds you to such standards and the limitations they have. +If you want your application to fit in with GNOME, you use GTK. If you want +you application to live its own life, make an electron app. + +This is also why such mentioned apps like Telegram and Atom have an "edge". +These are basically web applications, styled by their own CSS stylesheet, +ignoring the desktop theming completely. This isn't because GTK devs or distro +maintainers are purposely making things difficult, it's the inate difference +between GTK and electron. Speaking of electron and CSS: + +*Your application won't break if you set your style classes correctly.* + +Yes, the things that so often break are in fact custom controls, made with +custom CSS styling that does not adhere to the system styling. To complain +that a different theme breaks them is more an admittance of shoddy programming. +Such custom controls are often added "to set the application apart from others" +which in and by itself isn't a bad thing to do, but it's more often done for +the visual "wow factor", rather than functional ingenuity. Which also brings me +to: + +*Your application is a tool, not a brand.* + +Computer programs have a fundamental purpose on a computer. It's to make the +computer do *thing*. The purpose of a program should be to perform a particular +task, to help the user do something. Billboards were made to promote brands. +Besides, I'm a firm believer that a good program will promote itself. People +will always come back to an application that does exactly what they want, as +easy as possible. + +Adding to that, I would argue it's not the right of the developer to tell a +user (or distro maintainer for that matter) how to use their system. If they +want the authentic Hot Dog Stand experience, that's their prerogative. The +user controls their system, and distro maintainers control their distro. This +brings me to my next point: + +*Distro maintainers have the right to make their distro anything they want.* + +After all, the distro maintainers already have a fairly involved job. Theirs is +to compile a large sum of software in order to create a linux distribution, a +system suitable for daily use with all the tools people would want. It's not +far-fetched to consider that it is therefore also the duty of the maintainers +to cater to the presentation of their distro, not merely to promote their image, +but to provide a pleasant, convenient and consistent desktop experience for +users. After all, a distro that looks like a cluttered mess is not very nice +to use. + +Regarding convenience and a consistent desktop, let's also consider another +particular group of users: those that require accessibility tools. No doubt +the bane of these devs, because they need things like *custom high contrast +themes*, *enlarged icons*, and perhaps even more particular things that no doubt +would make an application look hideous. But for these people, it is a must. + +*People with physical limitations need accessibility options.* + +While it is fair to state that this is strictly about end-users and not the +distro maintainers, I do still think this is a fair counter point to make. +Maintainers should have a way of adding options to help people with limitations +use their distro. And that could very well be implemented in the form of modified +looks meant to increase contrast and readability, which would naturally conflict +with all sorts of custom GUIs, worst offenders being electron apps, which +straight up don't listen to such settings most of the time. This also really +boils back to the "your application is a tool" argument, if your program is not +usable for these people, there's little point to whatever fancy look it might have. + +## What they can do about it + +Frankly, much of what the GNOME application developers say is just straight up +bonkers. As said before, what they want is a form of control, over both the +distro maintainers and users, basically telling them "your system should look +like we tell you to". This however flies straight in the face of what open-source +development is supposed to entail. It's about being open and collaborative, not +about being closed and dictating. + +*If you don't want users tinkering with your application, consider not developing +open source software.* + +Now that line I should not need to say considering GNOME devs are supposed to be +GNU people. But GNOME has been so anti-open in the recent times that I would think +it's needed now. + +Another suggestion I can give to application developers is to not rely on hacky +toolkit exploits and Adwaita-specific quirks to build your programs, as that +quite locks you into being a full-blown quirk-program, entirely dependent on +those exploits. This naturally does not carry over well to anything that isn't +an Adwaita theme, so doing things that way, you kinda set yourself up to fail. + +*Do not rely on quirks. Keep it simple, and compliant.* + +Lastly, I would wholeheartedly invite the GNOME devs to open their minds to what +the linux community has to say. We don't complain because we like to bash. We do +so because we're fed up with the dictative abuse. The same things that made us +run from Windows and OSX, are now the very things seeping into GNOME. Such would +be a shame, given how much the GNOME desktop meant to people in older times. + +As to the other readers, I would say "please continue theming your system". It's +your system, you do with it what you want, and nobody can tell you otherwise. +The same goes for distro maintainers; please provide us with a consistent, good +looking desktop right out of the box. Give us a system we can *use*. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/index.html b/index.html index 35f21c3..692a889 100644 --- a/index.html +++ b/index.html @@ -103,9 +103,13 @@

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