Bug 460929

Summary:	Themes don't look like the screenshots
Product:	[I don't know] kde	Reporter:	josvanr <josvanr>
Component:	general	Assignee:	Unassigned bugs mailing-list <unassigned-bugs>
Status:	RESOLVED DOWNSTREAM
Severity:	normal	CC:	nate
Priority:	NOR
Version:	unspecified
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Kubuntu
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description josvanr 2022-10-24 09:17:18 UTC

Summary: various global themes don't look like the included screenshot when I try them. Eg the shape and positioning of the panel looks different, the background can't be found etc.

Yesterday I came back to KDE after 10 years, let's give it a go again :) So I decided to try a couple of themes. It was easy! Just click 'Get new themes', browse the screenshots, and click 'Install'. How nice! Theming built right in to KDE, no hassle with downloading a zip archive and figuring out what the random files in there are supposed to do. Yes I have distributed zip files like that myself :)

Unfortunately, it turned out that none of the themes I tried looked like the included screenshot. Eg a global theme screenshot shows some rounded panel in the bottom. But then I try the theme, and it looks square or whatever, even after fiddling with various settings. So.. what... how.. Why is this baked into KDE settings, when it obviously doesn't work properly.

Maybe this is not a technical issue: the designer of the theme could have included a screenshot of whatever button bar, not even a KDE program. And this would be fine if I'd be trying out a zip with all kinds of random files inside, that may or may not produce a certain theming result. But if the functionality is built in to KDE, the user expects it to work. Maybe it would be nice if there at least was a small section with themes that are verified to work as expected....

So all of this is more a matter of organization, not sure if this is the right place to post this remark, but I do experience it as a 'bug' :)

thnx!

Comment 1 Nate Graham 2022-10-24 15:33:18 UTC

Themes provide their own screenshots. If a theme has a screenshot that doesn't match what it actually looks like, that's a fairly embarrassing problem on the part of the theme author. It should be reported to them.

Third-party themes you get on store.kde.org are user-provided content, and you need to temper your expectations accordingly. That's why the downloader dialog has a message indicating this. :)

Comment 2 josvanr 2022-10-24 20:01:56 UTC

hi Graham,

hmmm yes I guess I missed that message. And it is kind if fine to have let's say, less structured contributions,  but I still think it would be a good idea to have a section with verified, 'official' themes.. Just my 2 cents.. 

cheers!

Comment 3 Nate Graham 2022-10-24 21:23:19 UTC

That's a great idea.

It's sort of out of KDE's hands, since this content here is not actually hosted by KDE, but rather the 3rd-party company https://www.pling.com/. We would have to request this functionality from them, coordinate to get it done, integrate a UI for this in the downloader dialog, set up an official process of verification, have a team to do the verification, decide who's on the team (KDE people? Pling people? Both? Someone else), and so on.

...None of which is impossible, of course, but hopefully outlining all of those steps makes it clear how huge of a project this would be. :)