Skype is not following my global GTK theme settings

[sekhemty]

I've just installed Kubuntu 14.04 64bit, and Skype isn't using the standard theme that I have chosen for Gtk+ applications (oxygen-gtk).

Other programs work like intended, in example Firefox and Gimp correctly use the oxygen-gtk theme, but Skype refuses to do so. And, also the cursor theme is different when the cursor passes over a Skype window; I use the standard Oxygen White theme, but when I'm over a Skype window, it falls back to plain (and ugly) black cursors. You can see all of this in the following screenshot.



Inside Skype, under Options>General>Style, I've selected Desktop I've selected "Desktop Settigns".

How can I solve this? Please note that under Kubuntu 12.04 at 32 bit it worked correctly; is this behaviour caused by the switch to a 64bit system?

[Snowhog]

Is this indeed a 'new' installation of a 64-bit Kubuntu, or did you install 64-bit 'over' and existing 32-bit installation, keeping your /home partition?

[claydoh]

Skype is written in Qt, iirc.........

[sekhemty]

@Snowhog: my setup is made of two partitions, one for the root and another for the home; I've installed it from scratch, that is by wiping out the former root partition, but I kept the home partition; the former program settings are carried over from the previous system; anyway, I've already tried to delete the ~./Skype folder, and relaunch the program, but it has not solved the issue.

@claydoh: so it's not a problem of GTK integration? And if this is the case, why it doesn't follow my global theme settings (I'm using Oxygen)?

[kubicle]

@claydoh: so it's not a problem of GTK integration? And if this is the case, why it doesn't follow my global theme settings (I'm using Oxygen)?

I don't use Skype, so I'm not sure about this, but IIRC at least the statically linked skype binary loads the cleanlooks theme by default.

I also recall there were ways to force skype to use the system theme (either by command line options or through skype settings). Perhaps someone who actually uses skype can point you in the right direction (or you can probably find relevant instructions with google).

[claydoh]

Maybe this?
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...th-skype/page2

[sekhemty]

Mmh, are you referring to you own suggestion:

No, there are some themes you can choose in Skype's settings, the default called "Desktop Settings" is probably the closest to a KDE/Qt look you will get.

If it is so, I've already selected it but it doesn't work.

[claydoh]

Quickly looking at a google search, it looks like you may be missing the package libxcursor1:i386

sudo apt-get install libxcursor1

This is a 32-bit library, and as skype is a 32-bit only application, it needs this (:i386) to fix the black cursor problem. It was installed on my systems, but I am guessing that the packaging for it might not pull it in automagically.


I don't quite understand what you mean by the icon theme changing, but I am guessing that some icons change in Skype itself when you pass the mouse over a skype window? Which icons? I can't reproduce this one.

[sekhemty]

I'm sorry, it was a mistake from my part, I was meaning the the cursor theme is changing not the icon theme; I have accordingly corrected my original post.

That package was already present on my system, but it was the amd64 version; I've also installed the i386 version, and now I have them both: I suppose that this is not a problem, isn't it?

With it, the cursors over any Skype window now follow my global settings.

Could it be that for the graphical interface integration I also need the i386 version of some packages that currently I have only in their amd64 versions?

[claydoh]

Nope, not a problem at all. There will be no conflicts as each architecture will only look for and use the libraries that match.

The packaging is supposed to take care of this, but there can be mistakes. I would not worry, and seek any missing package only if some error pops up.

[Mr_Bumpy]

Here's how to get Skype to have the Oxygen theme in Kubuntu:
1. Install the package "gtk2-engines-oxygen:i386".

sudo apt-get install gtk2-engines-oxygen:i386

2. In Skype's settings, set the style to "GTK+".

This gets the oxygen theme on Skype, but it does have issues. Mouse hover effects don't work and the scrollbars are a bit messed up. After using Skype with the Oxygen theme for a bit, I went back to using it with Clearlooks, which is less glitchy.

I tried to see if I could just install "kde-style-oxygen:i386" and use "Desktop Settings" for Skype's style, but trying to install the 32-bit oxygen package wasn't possible due to dependency issues.