If a .gtkrc-2.0 file already exists (regardless of who created it, plasma or the user), changing the gtk2 theme through plasma settings doesn't work. If you look at plasma settings it will report the correct theme, however if you actually open the .gtkrc-2.0 file you'll see that it hasn't been changed Steps to reproduce: 1. Create .gtkrc-2.0 file either manually or by setting a gtk2 theme through plasma settings 2. Change the gtk2 theme from plasma settings Once done you can see that the "include "/path/to/theme/rc" hasn't actually been changed to the newly selected theme. SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS Linux/KDE Plasma: Arch Linux KDE Plasma Version: 5.17.2 KDE Frameworks Version: 5.63.0 Qt Version: 5.13.1
What is the contents of your gtkrc file? Also, try deleting the gtkrc and then apply settings from the KCM. Will the gtk2 theme be correctly applied after that?
Yes if you delete the file and apply the theme again from the system settings then it will create the file correctly Here's a pastebin of my current gtkrc-2.0. The bit that's supposed to change is on the 3rd line, the include path. https://pastebin.com/RCTaiB1m
Git commit 308342b16f0a1af0437e1a7d7049b59d30a81952 by Nate Graham, on behalf of Mikhail Zolotukhin. Committed on 07/11/2019 at 17:55. Pushed by ngraham into branch 'Plasma/5.17'. Remove gtkrc-2.0 legacy settings Summary: Previously GTK KCM wrote to gtkrc redundant settings lines: # `include "path to chosen gtk2 theme"` # ``` style "user-font" { font-name="whatever font was chosen" } widget_style "*" style "user-font" ``` Now GTK KCM does not write those lines to configuration file, but ones that was kept from previous versions of KCM are causing various glitches, when applying gtk2 configuration, for theme and font configs respectively. This patch fixes these issues removing these lines from gtkrc by force, after applying any configuration from GTK KCM. Related: bug 413107 Test Plan: # Open ~/gtkrc-2.0 and add those lines (theme and font name are arbitrary): ``` include "/usr/share/themes/Adwaita-dark/gtk-2.0/gtkrc" style "user-font" { font_name="Noto Sans Regular" } widget_class "*" style "user-font" ``` # Open GTK KCM and apply any configuration # Reopen ~/gtkrc-2.0 file and check, that those lines were removed Reviewers: cblack, #plasma, apol, ngraham Reviewed By: cblack, ngraham Subscribers: ervin, ngraham, plasma-devel Tags: #plasma Differential Revision: https://phabricator.kde.org/D25147 M +22 -0 src/appearancegtk2.cpp M +1 -0 src/appearancegtk2.h https://commits.kde.org/kde-gtk-config/308342b16f0a1af0437e1a7d7049b59d30a81952