Linux Mint 17?

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demarpaint

demarpaint

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I updated Mint 17 today and noticed a change in the behavior of Google Chrome. Take this site for example, when I move the mouse over the thread on top in the last post column a little rectangular box appears which lists the topic. Typically it was a black box with white letters. Now it is pale yellow with white letters and no contrast so I can't read it. I know there is a way to set it to get the contrast I want but I can't for the life of me figure it out. It is probably something simple. Can someone point me in the right direction to get better contrast for that box?
Thanks!
 
Install Chromium from the software center, and try that. I had the same thing happen to me and I switched to Chromium and it's working great. It looks just like Google Chrome (basically) and works the same. You can use all your plug ins and your sync account from Chrome as well.
 
I'll try that as a last resort, there has to be some setting for the contrast.
 
Version 35 of either Chrome or Chromium has replaced the old GTK interface with their own, called Aura. There will now be a few things that do not adhere to your desktop environment's theme settings. The developers have done this in order to get a consistent experience across all platforms.
 
Quote:

The developers have done this in order to get a consistent experience across all platforms.


That's funny. It goes to show how distorted perception can become to someone in a specialty. Important to them, i'm sure, but how many people (or what %age) actually use "all platforms?" and is breaking the standardized UI creating side problems worth the effort.

Of course I talk gigabytes to hoards of people who have no reason to know what it is.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
The developers have done this in order to get a consistent experience across all platforms.


in other words: they intentionally broke it.
 
Originally Posted By: yonyon
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
The developers have done this in order to get a consistent experience across all platforms.


in other words: they intentionally broke it.


This is certainly my opinion. I like when applications integrate as seamlessly as possible into the native GUI experience of the underlying OS. I realize this can be a nightmare for Linux but this change to the self-contained (rather than OS-specified) UI bothers me a bit, too; and affects all desktop OS's.

Having said that, I loathed deeply the scroll bar used on Chrome for Linux until Aura... So I guess there's that...
 
Linux Mint 17 final hasn't been released yet, what's out right now is Linux Mint 17 RC, (release candidate). So, there will be bugs.

I came across this earlier today on The Linux Mint Blog, while reading through the feedback on the release. Yeah, too much free time. :-) Chromium bug: Scroll down to post # 68 where a commenter is reporting a Chromium problem.
 
Ok then, so it isn't something I can tweak via the Control Center or in Chrome's settings. It must be something Google did, I just checked on my wife's PC running Mint 16 and she has the same issue.

I just reverted back to an image file I made of my Mint 17 PC a few days ago. Prior to the Chrome update everything was fine, after the update I have the lousy contrast.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Ok then, so it isn't something I can tweak via the Control Center or in Chrome's settings.


I expect not. I think it's a matter of the Devs finding it and fixing it.
 
Originally Posted By: bornconfuzd
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Ok then, so it isn't something I can tweak via the Control Center or in Chrome's settings.


I expect not. I think it's a matter of the Devs finding it and fixing it.


"Fixing it" used to entail writing a specific .gtkrc file just for Chrome or Chromium; but neither of those, as of version 35, pay much attention to .gtkrc configuration files any more in favour of their brand-new UI called Aura. Chrome 35 on my Ubuntu 14.04 is still using the correct (read: system-wide) fonts but the rest of the interface is all Google's, and I do not think that is going to go back any time soon as it is no longer a matter of adding bits and pieces to existing Gnome or GTK configurations *because Chrome and chromium no longer use GTK to draw the application on screen*.
 
This is strange. I just got the update to 35 last night on Google Chrome. After the update, it is now working great! The system theme works perfectly now.
 
I ended up uninstalling Chrome and installing Chromium as ClutchDisc suggested. It works fine, I did have to install flash player separately.

I read that Chromium doesn't automatically update. I'm not really sure about that though, if that's the case I'll probably remove it too.
 
As far as I know, it will get updates through the Update Manager, but I could be wrong. Also, if you want a pdf viewer in Chromium you have to get the plug in yourself. I'm using this: PDF Viewer
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I ended up uninstalling Chrome and installing Chromium as ClutchDisc suggested. It works fine, I did have to install flash player separately.


The .pdf reader and Flash player are closed-source, proprietary applications that cannot be re-distributed; so Chromium, which is entirely open-source, does not have them baked-in.

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I read that Chromium doesn't automatically update. I'm not really sure about that though, if that's the case I'll probably remove it too.


Anything and everything that you installed via Mint's software manager - either through a GUI application or with the command line - will get updates *as the Ubuntu and Mint developers see fit*. Sometimes with LTS releases, for example, for the sake of stability ("stability" meaning "not changing" as opposed to "not crashing") they will not update software versions, knowing that LTS releases are used by a lot of large institutions where they do not at all appreciate having to upgrade software all the time.

My experience with Ubuntu's LTS releases, though (and by extension, Mint's) is that browsers always remain abreast of their current released version. When Chromium 36 comes out, for example, the Ubuntu developers will get the source code, perform any modifications and/ patches to it they are supposed to, compile it, test it and finally, if it is up to snuff, place it in the software repository where your Update Manager (Mint uses Ubuntu's repositories) will detect it and prompt you to upgrade. These desktop-oriented distros honestly take care of pretty much everything for you in that regard: Compiling, testing and pushing updates through one channel.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I ended up uninstalling Chrome and installing Chromium as ClutchDisc suggested. It works fine, I did have to install flash player separately.


The .pdf reader and Flash player are closed-source, proprietary applications that cannot be re-distributed; so Chromium, which is entirely open-source, does not have them baked-in.

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
I read that Chromium doesn't automatically update. I'm not really sure about that though, if that's the case I'll probably remove it too.


Anything and everything that you installed via Mint's software manager - either through a GUI application or with the command line - will get updates *as the Ubuntu and Mint developers see fit*. Sometimes with LTS releases, for example, for the sake of stability ("stability" meaning "not changing" as opposed to "not crashing") they will not update software versions, knowing that LTS releases are used by a lot of large institutions where they do not at all appreciate having to upgrade software all the time.

My experience with Ubuntu's LTS releases, though (and by extension, Mint's) is that browsers always remain abreast of their current released version. When Chromium 36 comes out, for example, the Ubuntu developers will get the source code, perform any modifications and/ patches to it they are supposed to, compile it, test it and finally, if it is up to snuff, place it in the software repository where your Update Manager (Mint uses Ubuntu's repositories) will detect it and prompt you to upgrade. These desktop-oriented distros honestly take care of pretty much everything for you in that regard: Compiling, testing and pushing updates through one channel.


Thanks for the info. In your opinion which is better for Mint 17, Chrome or Chromium? I really can't tell having used both. I installed them through the Synaptic Package Manager.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Thanks for the info. In your opinion which is better for Mint 17, Chrome or Chromium? I really can't tell having used both. I installed them through the Synaptic Package Manager.


Chrome has these advantages:

1) It had built-in PDF and Flash capabilities. In Chromium these things must be installed separately and manually; and Linux development for Flash is halted except in Chrome.

2) It will be updated on your system a few days prior to when you would receive updates from Mint. (Having said that, if your Update Manager is set to check every week instead of daily, a new version of both may well appear at the "same time".) Because Chromium has to be examined and compiled from the source code by a volunteer working on his/ hew own time, then tested by that person as well as a community of other volunteers (all of whom are also users, just like you), then finally added to the Ubuntu software repositories, updates may be lagging by just a few days or a week or so. With Chrome you get it as soon as Google releases it.

---

There are some other things Chrome does like "phone home" to Google with some usage, performance and crash statistics (and there are some fuzzy concerns about privacy with proprietary software); but Chrome is the mainstream, more popular choice.
 
Are you guys installing the 32 or 64 bit version? I read in the past that the 32 bit version was recommended regardless of CPU. Is that still true? Sorry if it's a dumb question, still new to Linux.
 
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