[Resolved] KDE Taskbar font/contrast

[tovian]

Hello, folks. I am new to Linux Mint - I installed it 3 weeks ago. I consider myself a Linux newbie even though I've been using it for over four years. Mint is the third distro I've loaded for real (I did previews/liveCD boots on a few others). So far I really like Mint and have been able to solve all the significant problems I've had - except one. I DO NOT want to be a complainer, but I'm having an issue that may end up being a "show-stopper" for me/Mint...

I am running the latest Mint distro (which I think is 17.2 but I don't know how to check that). I am running the 32-bit version with the KDE desktop. I have installed ALL maintenance along with just a couple of extra applications (like ClamAV). I have changed my desktop to a solid-color background but left everything else as default.

The problem I am having is that all the current running applications on the task bar are shown as a light-gray against a two-tone light background. They do not stand out at a glance. In fact, I have a hard time reading them when I look directly at them. I cannot tell you how many times I have started a second instance of Firefox because I did not see that it was already running. That is costing me time, effort, resources (memory&CPUcycles), etc. AND, it is just aggravating the heck out of me.

I would think this is a KDE issue since KDE is the DE. But, I have not experienced this behavior on any other distro that is running KDE or any other DE.

Is there any way to alter the font color or background color ONLY ON THE TASKBAR ?

I hope my example appears below:

Desktop.jpg

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP !!!

[pacho37]

This one should be simple: go to System Settings then Workspace Appearance and choose Desktop Theme. There you can choose one of the pre-installed themes but also install other, high contrast, themes. (one of my favourites is Elegance)
To change taskbar font also go to System Settings then choose Application Appearance, then Fonts and Taskbar. Enjoy the power of KDE

[tovian]

@pacho37 - Thank you for your suggestions. I tried a different font on the taskbar and tried making it BOLD. It helps a little bit, but the font color against the background color is still such a low contrast that this is not very close to what I am looking for. As far as desktop themes I have only the default themes that came in the default install. I guess I could load/install some others, but all I want is a very simple desktop theme (like Oxygen). And, again, I have used KDE/Oxygen on two other distros and I have never experienced this contrast issue. I know there are high-contrast themes available, but if they are anything like the high-contrast themes in Windows then they will affect the entire desktop (not just the taskbar), and they are so severe they are "overkill".

Maybe this is just one of those "you can't please all of the people all of the time" situations.

Nevermind...Nevermind...Nevermind... I found the setting (which I have never used - or even seen - before); and my prayer is answered.

Turns out if you navigate:
System Settings > Desktop Effects > Advanced...
Under General Options: I changed Keep window thumbnails to Always
and changed Scale method to Crisp

One or both of these settings changed my taskbar so that all applications stand out nicely.

Check out the example now...

Desktop2.jpg

Again, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your time and help.

[phd21]

Hi "tovian",

Welcome to the wonderful world Linux Mint and its wonderful forum!

I absolutely love Linux Mint KDE because you can practically change anything the way you want to, and it is fast and powerful. There are a lot of options.

Some KDE "Windows Decorations", certain themes, and anything related to those will automatically respond to your background's color which can at times make this more difficult to see for some people. It would help to have a screen shot of your entire desktop. Depending on which solid color you chose as your background, or whether you have a lighter or darker background, then you will want to choose a desktop theme, and or window decoration, that provides the best conditions for you. The default oxygen theme has some "transparency" (see thru) in various aspects of your desktop, including the system tray panel. You can always change the background image and most other things, even after changing a desktop theme, or window decoration. Icons, taskbar, and many other things will change depending on which of these you pick, and sometimes you will have more options and other times less. You can try this out for yourself. And, you can add new themes as well.

To just change the taskbar active tasks icons, go to "System Settings", "Workspace Appearance", you will have 4 categories "Window Decorations", "Cursor themes", "Desktop Theme", and "Splash screen".

Select the "Desktop theme", you will then see two tabs, "Theme" and "Details", click the "Details" tab, below you will have "Theme Items" on the left, and "Source" on the right. Look for "Task Items", click the list box on the right under "sources", then pick one, click "apply" on the lower right, wait a few seconds to see how your task bar active tasks changes, if you like it, great, your done. If it is not good for you, then try each one until you find one that you do like that works for you, click apply, exit System Settings. Try the "Panel Background" options in this as well.

Keep in mind, that you can change Themes and or Window Decorations to have varying effects, then go back to this section, if need be to change the "task items" again.

Hope this helps ...

KDE_TaskbarItemDisplay.jpg

[phd21]

Hi "tovian", and everyone else,

I forgot to mention, in the same section as the "Task Items" is the "Panel Background" options too. Using a combination of these and the fonts (per "pacho37"), you can pretty much configure it any way you want.

KDE_Panel_Background1.jpg

[tovian]

Thanks for all the really good info. I've played around with all the options noted above and now have exactly what I was looking for.
FYI: The real key was...

System Settings > Desktop Effects > Advanced...

Under General Options:
change Keep window thumbnails to Always

Regardless of the contrast and/or taskbar background that single setting keeps the application icons on the taskbar visible so I can see with the briefest glance if Firefox (and others) are already running.

Thanks again !!