New design for the Linux Mint Forums: UserCSS ready to use! Try this FreshMint!

[sebastjava]

Minty versus FreshMint.user.css and FreshMint-dark.user.css




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Installation

Userstyle manager

First, you need a userstyle manager that supports installing UserCSS.

Get Stylus for Firefox (recommended by the Firefox staff) or Stylus for Chrome (recommended by Chrome).

UserCSS file

Next, open FreshMint.user.css or FreshMint-dark.user.css here in your web browser.

Stylus will then open a new tab showing some basic information & options:

• Click on the "Install style" button.
• Click on the "Check for updates" checkbox.

Once installed, you will be redirected to Stylus editor page with the newly installed/updated UserCSS loaded. Close this if you don't want or need to modify the style.

Now you can see and feel your new Linux Mint Forums!

Experiment with your own colors in a mouse click:




Everything got redesigned
README and learn all about it. Or check the source code.

Also available on:
https://userstyles.world/style/14785/freshmint
https://userstyles.world/style/15109/freshmint-dark

A new theme? But why?

After all, this Minty theme is basically just a Prosilver theme, with some color changes. And this Prosilver theme is "only" 20 years old. So, why should it be replaced by this FreshMint here? Read Whats-Wrong-With-Minty.

If you put a little more emphasis on design, there would definitely be more users, and therefore more money, and therefore more programmers, and therefore fewer bugs. Otherwise, too bad, I'll stop "bugging" you with these things...

[Kory]

That looks awesome! Really well done. I just wish it was implemented in the forums because I'm reluctant to install a browser addon only for one website.

[dave0808]

Agreed on both points.

If it were a phpBB style that the forum admins added as an option for all users. I'd certainly give it a go. Sorry @sebastjava, you've clearly put the work in.

[sebastjava]

...I'm reluctant to install a browser addon only for one website.

I understand your point of view. I myself am always hesitant to install an unknown extension in Firefox. But this Stylus is an extension that has received the “recommended” badge.

Recommended extensions differ from other extensions that are regularly reviewed by Firefox staff in that they are curated extensions that meet the highest standards of security, functionality, and user experience. Firefox staff thoroughly evaluate each extension before it receives Recommended status.
—https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/re ... ns-program

Furthermore, I don't see how someone could do malicious things with a UserCSS.

Will it slow down page loading?

On the other hand, you could be hesitant in the face of additional heaviness. The Prosilver theme is already big, with its 17 CSS files totaling 127.2 kB. This FreshMint adds an eighteenth CSS file, weighing 35.6 kB.

This FreshMint.user.css is a bit heavy because it contains a modified copy of all the big colors.css from Prosilver. But all this could be optimized if the Linux Mint team decided to make room for FreshMint on their servers. Prosilver's colors.css could thus simply be replaced. And then this FreshMint would only weight a tiny additional 4.0 kB.

Two mouse clicks to switch this on or off

And above all, it only takes two mouse clicks to switch this FreshMint on or off. Or switch off the entire Stylus extension, if you prefer. This way, every time something seems suspicious to me, I just have to do two mouse clicks to go back to the standard Minty and compare...

Stylus-on-off.png (30.76 KiB) Viewed 707 times

...I just wish it was implemented in the forums...

That's the ultimate goal. Try it, star it on GitHub, and tell the Linux Mint team we really need this.

Yes, I know, someone could probably find about a dozen members here who would say "if it ain't broken don't fix it." But I have the feeling that there are a thousand times more people who see this forum, and who do not register, do not comment, and just move on, going elsewhere...

[Infidelus]

Very impressive, and I really would like to be using a dark theme. Like others though I have trust issues with add-ons especially when they say they want access to all your data from all websites (as Stylus does), even if it does further state it's just for adding the style elements to the website and not to access any of your data.

Hopefully some people, who are braver than me, will install and start plugging it to the team!

I may just set up a VM to test and see what it looks like in the real world, and where the add-on can't do any damage, not that I particularly distrust it (any more than any other add-ons ).

[Kory]

I am not worried that it's a malicious addon, I just want to keep Firefox as clean as possible.

Thank you for your great work and explanations. I have starred it on Github.

[sebastjava]

Post Scriptum

I'm on vacation right now. Thank you for your positive comments. It is much appreciated and it is always a pleasure to answer you. Do not hesitate if you have any other questions or comments. I will respond promptly, if needed. But, if you have issues or feature requests, it won't be done right away. I am taking at least 30 days of vacation...

[Infidelus]

I have now had a quick look at this in a VM. Very nice indeed. I have also starred it on GitHub. Let's hope the LM team sees the value in your effort .

[MikeNovember]

[...]
Furthermore, I don't see how someone could do malicious things with a UserCSS.

Hi,

CSS, like javascript, can be used for attacks.

There is an attack, identified by Gualtieri, that allows an attacker to get private data using a specially malformed CSS. It is called "data exfiltration attack".

In Microsoft Edge Addons Store, you can even find an extension to be protected against this attack, see https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/add ... cffpfkjdcm

Let's suppose you are an attacker (I don't say you are!), you create a CSS code to beautify Linux Mint forum; in this CSS code you include the attack, and you could get username and password when the user logs in.

So, UserCSS code should be reviewed, before to be used.

Like many users, I would prefer that your two CSS sheets were reviewed by Linux Mint forum team, and added as choices like Minty or Prosilver.

Adding a dedicated extension like Stylus, one of the tens of extensions allowing to load User CSS, might increase the attack surface, and I would not add it. Note that, theoretically, it is possible with Chrome family browsers to use developers tools to enable user CSS, without any extension.

Finally, if you want that Linux Mint team takes into account your two CSS, you should use "Chat / Suggestions and feedback" and not "Chat / Open chat" sub forum.


Regards,

MN

[Kory]

I am taking at least 30 days of vacation...

Well deserved! Have a great time!

[Dan-cer]

Well done. I like it! Really fresh look! Thank you for your work.

[Cyberbleuet]

Hi, I like the black theme, great!

[Coggy]

I'm no fan of dark themes, but I really like the lighter theme. It's much easier on the eye than the relentless green of the current forum. I hope it gets adopted. Thanks for putting in the work.

[sebastjava]

Thank you everyone for your positive feedback. That's really appreciated. Good to know I am not alone into darkness. But yeah, I need to go walk into the sun now. Spring comes early this year, here in Montréal.

(...) Finally, if you want that Linux Mint team takes into account your two CSS, you should use "Chat / Suggestions and feedback" and not "Chat / Open chat" sub forum. (...)

This topic was originally really in the wrong place, in Customization > Themes, Icons & Wallpaper. Thanks to xenopeek for moving it to a better place. But yes, maybe it would make more sense to put it in "Chat / Suggestions & Feedback".

I didn't know it was possible to do bad things with CSS. Thanks for your precisions. Of course, this UserCSS was first created for testing purposes in a real, everyday experience. But the end goal would be to see this FreshMint uploaded onto the Linux Mint servers. A theme that will have been tested, inspected, and approved. And please, make it the default theme, it would be much more attractive to new visitors...

I'm no fan of dark themes, but I really like the lighter theme. It's much easier on the eye than the relentless green of the current forum. (...)

Yes. The light theme is my favorite too.

I like to call the dark theme "hybrid", but, in reality, you could say that there is still some work to be done on this dark theme.

The light theme is the most polished, complete and ready to use.

And I strongly agree on this FreshMint being easier on the eyes. Design is not just about aesthetics. It's about effective communication, comfort, attraction, and positive energies.

...And this UserCSS is well built, too. It looks as good under the hood as it does from the outside. But this CSS could still be made smaller and faster, if it was given a place on the Linux Mint servers.

[SMG]

What is the point of de-emphasizing the forum rules making them harder to notice and less likely to be read? To me, white on grey is something which blends into the background to not be noticed.

[sebastjava]

What is the point of de-emphasizing the forum rules making them harder to notice and less likely to be read?

I had some trouble with the style for these forum rules. I already had made an exception for the quotes and codes, using a light touch of blue colors for those, because otherwise there was too much of green colors. So, now, I had whites, blacks, grays, greens, and blues. I didn't want any other colors. No pink or red. Otherwise it would start looking like a Christmas tree.

To me, white on grey is something which blends into the background to not be noticed.

For the light theme, it could be white on (almost) black. #FFF on #333, for example. Making it stronger. It would stand out, being the only white on black in there.

If that still doesn't work, we could go back to some pink or red color. Everything is possible. I made this very easy to play with, there is a specific variable for this, in this UserCSS. Two mouse clicks is all it takes to try yours...

But please excuse me, I need to take a break. I won't be working much in the next 30 days... Remind me about this, later, if needed. Your comments are always welcomed, but I am not working much, at the moment... Just talking... I could make an exception for this, maybe, later...

[sebastjava]

To me, white on grey is something which blends into the background to not be noticed.

Or this ?

This could work ? It stands out, but it is not so out of the color range... That blue is the same as the current codebox border.

[Kory]

I always prefer the dark theme, it's easier on my eyes. But I agree with the idea that the forum rules could get a more noticeable colour. I like that pink you showed in the last post, it's really grabbing my attention.

Also let's make this a hot topic so more people notice it and add their thoughts/support

[Coggy]

Looking again and comparing sebastjava's suggestion with the current forum, I think that these 3 items are the ones that I feel are improvements:
- Use of a much paler green behind alternate posts is more subtle and less jarring.
- Use of grey instead of green for the backdrop surrounding the page.
- Use of a gradient green -> minty-blue on the header and the message-list border.

On the other hand, I think I dislike these changes:
- The dark grey clickable controls: the search box drop-down, clickable page numbers etc. I much prefer the original ones with rounded corners and distinct edges, although I'm not sure how the original controls would look on a grey background.

I think you could end up with a thousand differing opinions on this. I guess that the main impression for me is that the current relentless green feels rather overpowering, and something I simply endure because "that's what it is".

EDIT: Xenopeek kindly pointed out that in the user control panel, board preferences tab there is an option for a "prosilver" board style, which while somewhat blue-ish (I still prefer sebastjava's suggestion), feels more gentle than the heavily green default minty style. I wish I'd noticed that a while ago.

[sebastjava]

Looking again and comparing sebastjava's suggestion with the current forum, I think that these 3 items are the ones that I feel are improvements (...)

Please don't forget the page header, on top of every page. I don't know if you agree but that makes a big difference to me. I don't like that current generic font on the "Linux Mint Forums", next to the logo, on the current Minty theme. That "Welcome to the forums" is so small, I don't really see it. I just see the "Linux Mint Forums" floating on top of it. So it feels like it is placed too high. And please, don't tell me that "Welcome to the forums" was needed. There is a standard "name" and "description" box in the phpBB3, and it just had to be filled. That's all. Here in this FreshMint, I removed both of these "name" and "description", and replaced it with a custom typography made with the Exo2 font. That's precise, professional, custom-tailored typography.

But the fact that nobody mentioned my custom typography in the page header is a pretty good sign. You haven't noticed it because there is nothing wrong with it, and nothing too... "artistic". It just discretely contributes to your positive feelings about the whole thing.

In fact, there is a long list of things I didn't like in both the default Minty theme and the Prosilver theme. It is all hiding in there: Whats-Wrong-With-Minty. My FreshMint is an answer to all that.

(...) On the other hand, I think I dislike these changes: The dark grey clickable controls (...)

I must confess those buttons are not as nice as expected. I should look at these again. But here too, you forgot something. On the standard Minty and Prosilver themes, some buttons are square and some others have rounded corners. And there were also inconsistencies in the color gradients. Here at least, on this FreshMint, all the buttons share pretty much the same style. But yes, I admit these rounded corners don't come out as nice as expected. I will probably make a handful of small edits on the buttons. Coming soon...