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[SOLVED]Increasing scrollbar width in all programs?

zaster379

Thu Aug 14, 2014 5:57:24 pm

As a linux newbie (usually used Windows), I've gone from trying Zorin 9 on a live cd to installing it to my second hard disk, where I can boot from there when I want to.

I'm to the point now where I want to customize a few things.

1) My vision isn't the best. The scroll bar width with Zorin is so narrow, it's hard for me to manipulate it sometimes. I found where I can change the width in Firefox using the Gnome color chooser. That works fine for Firefox but in other programs like Gedit or the Files file manager, I'm stuck with the real narrow scroll bar still. Is their a configuration file I can change that will let me increase the width across all programs (or at least many programs)? If so, please tell me the folder where I can find the program too.

2) I access a couple text files frequently. In Windows, I place shortcuts to those text files on the desktop where I can click on them and they'll come up in the text editor I used. When I create the shortcuts in Zorin, I move them to the desktop, and the links work fine like I want them to for the duration of that session. When I login the next time though, those same shortcuts are flagged with red Xs, and the msg. says that the files the shortcuts point to are no longer there. They are there, but I have to delete those shortcuts and make new ones again for it to work. I thought of trying to move the files within one of the folders in my Home directory but I don't want to do that because I use these same files within Windows too. Is there a way to create these shortcuts so that they still work the next time I login?

Swarfendor437

Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:36:55 am

Hi zaster379, does this post help from 'sonny' with regards to number 1)?:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7856&hilit=+gnome+color+chooser#p38296

With regards to number 2 I am suspecting that you are using Windows 8? You need to disable the advanced power options that always put Windows 8 to sleep when you switch off. That is why you cannot access those files I suspect - other things to look at as well are have you got shared permissions on those Windows files? Other considerations might be if Windows did not shut down cleanly - if ever Windows needs a forced shut-down the next time you boot to GNU/Linux you cannot access those files. If I have missed anything out I am sure one of the other moderators or forum members will assist! :D

[PS You may want to look at my Assistive Technology regarding Compiz here: http://vimeo.com/57264420]

zaster379

Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:04:52 pm

#1) No, that post does not. Reading it, that person was having trouble getting the scrollbar width increased in firefox. As I said, I was able to use gnome color-changer to increase the scrollbar width in Firefox. That didn't work for the scrollbars in other programs though, like Gedit and Files, for example. I was asking if there is some way to increase the scrollbar width for all programs under Gnome?

#2) I use Windows 7, not Windows 8, and I am shutting down Windows properly. I'm wondering if it has something to do with how linux has to have the drives mounted? Maybe when Zorin is starting up and it checks the link and the drive hasn't been mounted, it doesn't see the file as being there and so flags the shortcut as having a dead link? If there's some way to have a particular folder automatically mounted during Zorin's startup I could check and see if that's it? I should clarify too that I can always access the text files themselves, it's the shortcuts too them that don't work. If I use the file manager to go to the directory they are in and click on the files there, they come up in the text editor fine. It's the shortcuts on the desktop that no longer work and say the files aren't there.

Henriolavi

Sat Aug 16, 2014 7:48:30 am

Hi
You can get wider scrollbars and sliders using the Gnome Tweak Tool. There is RTK+ themes "Radiance" and "Ambiance" that gives wider scrollbars. However the visibility is not so good either due to light colors used. The "High Contrast" option does not work with menus or some other applications. There are also arrows in some scrollbars but not in all. ( Chrome has its own scrollbars and sliders.)

Sliders.png


The same sliders comes to (mostly) all other applications too like FF Browser here.

FF scrollbars.jpg

zaster379

Sat Aug 16, 2014 7:35:09 pm

Thank you Henriolavi. I installed the Gnome Tweak tool. You are right. The Radiance and Ambiance themes have wider scrollbars but they are so light as to almost be invisible. The high contrast themes does work for me though. At least it works in Files and Gedit and some others I tried. Even if it doesn't work on everything, that's still better than before.

On the issue about the text file shortcut links, I tried this. I copied the file from the ntfs partition it was on and put the copy in my Public folder in the linux partition. Then I made a shortcut to that and placed it on the desktop. That works in the sense that the shortcuts keep working even when I login again. So, I still think it's a mounting issue. That zorin mounts the /Home/Public folder on startup but the other folder, in the ntfs partition is not getting mounted on startup and that is probably why the shortcuts no longer work after I restart. If someone could tell me how I can have a folder mounted on startup, I could try and see?

Henriolavi

Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:39:06 am

Hi

Thanks for thanks. I tried also the "High Contrast" theme. There are huge difference in the windows' outlooks, but it worked mainly in all applications. In some menus the texts disappear due to the highlighting does not work "overwriting" the texts with the same color. Hope that will be corrected. Personally I like the "Radiance" theme very much. There might be some solution to have also some color change to the sliders there, so that those would be more visible, now those are really almost invisible. Developers have there clear improvement issue to get sliders better visible. Here the outlook difference visually.

Desktop themes.jpg


In the "High Contrast" theme the visibility of everything is very good, however looks little "hard"
Desktop theme HC.jpg

zaster379

Sun Aug 17, 2014 6:51:46 pm

Thanks again Henriolavi. I'll see if I can find anything on changing slider color and if I can, I'll revisit the Radiance theme. In the meantime, I can at least use the High Contrast theme and at least see the scrollbar because it is wider.

A person has helped me (on IRC) with my other issue. He talked me through on how to use the Disks program to make the drive that my text files were on, mount at startup. I also had to change the mount points to be the same as they were with the Files programs for it to work, because Disks wasn't doing that automatically. In any case, once it mounted at startup with that mount point, the shortcuts to the 2 text files now remain working between sessions and I'll mark this solved because of that.

I have another issue with those shortcuts, but I'll start a new thread for that one :)

Henriolavi

Wed Aug 20, 2014 4:52:12 am

Thank you for making this exelent, detailled "How to" of additional Themes to Tweak Tool.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8151

zaster379

Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:33:30 pm

You're welcome. Hopefully it will help someone else down the line.

crd

Mon Sep 05, 2016 1:58:47 am

Hello, having problems changing the width with gnome color changer for firefox. I installed it as directed (and thanks for the video, swarfendor437) but when I increase the points and hit apply nothing happens. I tried rebooting. Then I tried opening the gnome color changer as administrator and taking the action, but still increasing had no effect, I tried 25 and then took it up to 50 but nothing works.

I have zorin 9 core with the most recent updates installed today and no windows, it's my only os. Any thoughts?

Thanks, I really appreciate the help!

Swarfendor437

Mon Sep 05, 2016 11:35:41 am

Hi crd,

I will have to look at this topic again - my first thoughts are that it could be due to updates to Firefox - currently running Zorin 11 at home - at work so can't try it - will get back to you in due course. ;) :D

Swarfendor437

Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:48:36 pm

Well it appears that there is some issues with newer kernels/themes as it does not work in Zorin 11 either!

Have found this - not much time to mess at moment but take a look here:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/192130/h ... untu-12-04

In particular the updated response right at the very end which addresses 14.04 = Zorin 9 ;) :D