[SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

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crobar
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[SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by crobar »

Hi,

Can anyone tell me how I can get up and down arrows on scroll bars in Mint Linux 17?

I find them generally very useful (particularly in a terminal), and do not care about their asthetics.

Thanks!
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
highwind

Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by highwind »

crobar
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Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by crobar »

Indeed, let's hope someone can help us. I do miss those arrows.
Tootler
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Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by Tootler »

I just discovered a solution by accident. You don't actually need the up and down arrows.

On a three button mouse:

Centre click sends the scroll bar to the top or bottom
Click left and right buttons together acts like the up and down arrows though not as precise. For more precise movement probably best to drag the scroll bar.

I'm on Mint 17 Mate but I assume it will work with Cinnamon.
Geoff Walker
Middlesbrough, UK
Mint 21.3
eanfrid

Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by eanfrid »

crobar wrote:Can anyone tell me how I can get up and down arrows on scroll bars in Mint Linux 17?
Install another Cinnamon theme that put arrows on scroll bars :) ...
I Know Nothing

Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by I Know Nothing »

Likewise, no idea why someone thought it was a good idea to remove them between Mint 16 and Mint 17. The easy way is to use a different theme to the default Mint-X one. Some still use scroll arrows.

The slightly harder way which works in Mate at least is to edit the /usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-2.0/gtkrc file to change the Mint-X theme itself if you want to carry on using that. I think the 3 lines I changed were as follows...

GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1 (changed value from 0 to 1)
GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1 (changed value from 0 to 1)
GtkRange::stepper-size = 11 (can't remember what the original value of that was... 0?)

I also changed the line GtkScrollbar::slider-width = 15 but that was to make the sheet tabs in Libre Office Calc a sensible size.
crobar
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Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by crobar »

eanfrid wrote:
crobar wrote:Can anyone tell me how I can get up and down arrows on scroll bars in Mint Linux 17?
Install another Cinnamon theme that put arrows on scroll bars :) ...
Could you suggest one that looks pretty much the same as the default one, but which has the arrows?
crobar
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Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by crobar »

Tootler wrote:I just discovered a solution by accident. You don't actually need the up and down arrows.
I would prefer to have the arrows, but thanks.
crobar
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Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by crobar »

I Know Nothing wrote:Likewise, no idea why someone thought it was a good idea to remove them between Mint 16 and Mint 17. The easy way is to use a different theme to the default Mint-X one. Some still use scroll arrows.

The slightly harder way which works in Mate at least is to edit the /usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-2.0/gtkrc file to change the Mint-X theme itself if you want to carry on using that. I think the 3 lines I changed were as follows...

GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1 (changed value from 0 to 1)
GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1 (changed value from 0 to 1)
GtkRange::stepper-size = 11 (can't remember what the original value of that was... 0?)

I also changed the line GtkScrollbar::slider-width = 15 but that was to make the sheet tabs in Libre Office Calc a sensible size.

Thanks for this! This worke for most programs, but not where I want it most of all, in my terminal emulator. Perhaps this uses GTK 3.0, is there anagagous settings for this?
crobar
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Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by crobar »

crobar wrote: is there anagagous settings for this?
I've found it, you need to edit

/usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-3.0/gtk-widgets.css

change

Code: Select all

    -GtkScrollbar-has-backward-stepper: 0;
    -GtkScrollbar-has-forward-stepper: 0;

Code: Select all

    -GtkScrollbar-has-backward-stepper: 1;
    -GtkScrollbar-has-forward-stepper: 1;

don't immediately see how to change the size though.
Dirkoir
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Re: [SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by Dirkoir »

This worked on Cinnamon (of Mint 17), as well. :) I did it in both the 32-bit version and the 64-bit* version. I found that the gtk-widgets.css edits only fix the terminal and nemo windows, whereas the gtkrc edits (with some additional edits figured out by me) fix other types of windows such as those of gedit (with slight cosmetic imperfection remaining). Here's a summary of the edits which ALMOST give me back a CORRECTLY designed scrollbar, wide enough to easily click on (except for terminal and nemo), and with only (hmpf) the top, right, and bottom border visuals broken:

/usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-3.0/gtk-widgets.css
needs:

Code: Select all

    -GtkScrollbar-has-backward-stepper: 1;
    -GtkScrollbar-has-forward-stepper: 1;
/usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-2.0/gtkrc
needs:

Code: Select all

    GtkRange::stepper-size = 16
    GtkRange::trough-under-steppers	= 1
    GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1  
    GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1
    GtkScrollbar::slider-width = 16
    GtkScrollbar::trough-border	= 2
# GtkRange::stepper-size = 0 --> 16 is the vertical size of arrow buttons, a value of zero nixes them (at least in some apps?))
# GtkRange::trough-under-steppers = 0 --> 1 (extends the left scrollbar border over the arrows for a neater look)
# GtkScrollbar::has-*-stepper = 0 --> 1 turns on scroll arrows (if stepper-size isn't 0)
# GtkScrollbar::slider-width = 14 --> 16 changes width of scroll bar AND slider, apparently, although the lack of a right border makes the slider look off-center and non-flush in width
# GtkScrollbar::trough-border = 0 --> 2 is a partial requirement for getting a (left) border

:D


* Specs:
System: Kernel: 3.13.0-24-generic x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.8.2)
Desktop: Gnome Distro: Linux Mint 17 Qiana
______
I say, as I get older, I ever more wish for a code of honour among developers to mess with long established features only if they also provide an easy toggle to revert back to normal, i.e. useful
______
Linux Mint 17 Cinnamon 64-bit | LM19 Cinnamon | LM20.1 MATE | LM20.3 Cinnamon
tj-el

Re: [SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by tj-el »

Thanks for this post!
Just what I was looking for! Whoo-hoo!!!
shelleyfrank

Re: [SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by shelleyfrank »

Solved as well.. I would like to add that I have been looking for a solution to this issue for months. I am using Mint 17 XFCE and the Adwaita theme that doesn't give you scrollbar arrows. I installed gnome-color-chooser from the repository to tweak some colours, and found that there is an option in the Specific tab to set Scrollbar width and button size. I ticked the boxes next to these two entries, set some values, and eureka! All my applications, including terminal, have scrollbar arrows now.This is certainly an easier way to get to the same goal. Hope this helps.
iceapps

Re: [SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by iceapps »

Thank you shellyfrank. That solution is easiest, and works on applications that fiddling the settings does not change. Great job!
mistofeles

Re: [SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by mistofeles »

shelleyfrank wrote:Solved as well.. I am using Mint 17 XFCE and the Adwaita theme that doesn't give you scrollbar arrows. I installed gnome-color-chooser from the repository to tweak some colours, and found that there is an option in the Specific tab to set Scrollbar width and button size. I ticked the boxes next to these two entries, set some values, and eureka! All my applications, including terminal, have scrollbar arrows now..
This is not the solution.
I have similar installation and tested your quide with no help.

I'm still searching some solution. The default scrollbars are just totally annoying !
Shunjoss

Re: [SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by Shunjoss »

hey ! this is not totally related beside i never used these buttons i scroll with the "scroll" of the mouse or laptop pad.
But i miss the middle click scrolling way back in windows. Your mouse transform into a circle with four arrows then you can scroll by moving the pointer that was pretty cool unfortunately this is not in mint 17.1 cinnamon(or i can't find it?).
Do you think there is a way to find it or call back?
mistofeles

Re: how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by mistofeles »

eanfrid wrote:
crobar wrote:Can anyone tell me how I can get up and down arrows on scroll bars in Mint Linux 17?
Install another Cinnamon theme that put arrows on scroll bars :) ...
If you have an solution, please tell it !
If you have found some theme, which works, name it !
Otherwiase I think this was only some kind of troll,

If there is some possibility to make it by changing thees, there should be some way to make it editing some conf.
mistofeles

[Not so SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars

Post by mistofeles »

Dirkoir wrote: /usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-3.0/gtk-widgets.css
needs:

Code: Select all

    -GtkScrollbar-has-backward-stepper: 1;
    -GtkScrollbar-has-forward-stepper: 1;
/usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-2.0/gtkrc
needs:

Code: Select all

    GtkRange::stepper-size = 16
    GtkRange::trough-under-steppers	= 1
    GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1  
    GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1
    GtkScrollbar::slider-width = 16
    GtkScrollbar::trough-border	= 2
It seems that the upper code is for some programs (gtk-3.0) and the lower code for some others (gtk-2.0).
If you use Adwait, there is not '0' or '1' in the first chunk of code but 'false' and 'true'
In adwait, there is no 'gtk-3.0/gtk-widgets.css' but gtk-3.0/gtk.gresource, which is a conglomerat of binary parts and text conf files found in other themes separated.
(shame to the buildder !). When you are going to edit it, MAKE A BACKUP FIRST !!!!. Making changes to that file makes wery odd but not funny side effects to the themes.
I managed to mess the themes in my laptop and I got to copy all the file from another similar. My desktop is now a theme in itself but not very nice looking.
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kyphi
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Re: [SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by kyphi »

If you mean the up/down arrows that are hidden but will appear on the right of the screen when moving the cursor then all you have to do is

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install overlay-scrollbar
which will also install the GTK2 and GTK3 versions. After that log out and back in.
Linux Mint 21.3 Cinnamon
lapaul

Re: [SOLVED] how to get up and down arrows on scroll bars?

Post by lapaul »

How do I edit the gtk-widgets.css? When I open it, it won't let me type anything.
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