Request for GTK theme support in Zed editor

[millan242]

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Describe the feature

It would be beneficial if the Zed editor could support GTK themes to provide a consistent user experience across the desktop environment.

Current Behavior: Zed editor uses its default theme regardless of the GTK theme applied to the system.

Desired Behavior: The Zed editor should automatically adopt the system-wide GTK theme, including font settings, window decorations, and color schemes, to ensure visual consistency with other GTK applications.

Use Case: Many users prefer a unified look and feel for their applications, especially those using GTK-based desktop environments like GNOME and XFCE.

Additional Information: Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS x86_64 GTK Theme: WhieSur GTK theme Zed Editor Version: 0.144.4

If applicable, add mockups / screenshots to help present your vision of the feature

[apricotbucket28]

Implementing GTK theming would be a difficult task and probably not a good idea (mainly on the technical side). However, adding Freedesktop accent color support would be quite nice.

Here's a good article on the matter: https://cassidyjames.com/blog/freedesktop-accent-colors-gnome-proposal/

From https://flatpak.github.io/xdg-desktop-portal/docs/doc-org.freedesktop.portal.Settings.html:

org.freedesktop.appearance accent-color ((ddd)) Indicates the system’s preferred accent color as a tuple of RGB values in the sRGB color space, in the range [0,1]. Out-of-range RGB values should be treated as an unset accent color.

Also want to clarify:

font settings, window decorations

Those are not related to the GTK theme. I'm not sure what you mean by the latter, but the former can be fixed separately.

[LSeelig]

Those are not related to the GTK theme. I'm not sure what you mean by the latter, but the former can be fixed separately.

This refers to the bar at the top of the window, which has different close/minimize/maximize icons and layout from all GTK apps (and soon, QT apps as well). GNOME doesn't even support server-side decorations, so libdecor might be the only solution.

[adityainduraj]

Just saying, having a Gnome-GTK-ish top bar will go a long way in making Zed feeling much more integrated in the UI.

[olumolu]

And make sure use gtk4

[searge]

Hello :wave:

Any progress/solution?

[searge]

Related issue: https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/issues/14120

[s-kiser]

Really looking forward to this, I use custom button themes (WhiteSur-dark-solid) and so it really throws me off that I don't have those. I figured out how to do it with jetbrains which really helped but I am mainly using zed now.

For anyone possibly using jetbrains: https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IJPL-43747/2023.2-IDE-Window-frame-does-not-respect-GTK-Theme

[rcarmo]

I came here just for this. I too use WhiteSur-dark-solid and need the window close/minimize/maximize buttons to be on the left side of the window, so the lack of system window decorations turns into a usability issue.

[s-kiser]

I came here just for this. I too use WhiteSur-dark-solid and need the window close/minimize/maximize buttons to be on the left side of the window, so the lack of system window decorations turns into a usability issue.

I have mine on the left side too!

[xidsyed]

i was wondering if gtk theme-ing is required for system theme detection. zed for me doesnt switch between light and dark mode as it should.

i use hyprland. and i use gtk settings (nwg-look) to toggle themes, it works in vscode, chrome etc but no in zed. i wonder if it works