How to change titlebar height?

Customization
,
1

Hello guys!

My titlebar has a ugly height. I config the height on ~/.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css file, but works only some applications. Can any of you help me? I can only control the height with the padding, from what I've tested.

My code:

headerbar entry,
headerbar spinbutton,
headerbar button,
headerbar separator {
    margin-top: 0px;
    margin-bottom: 0px;
}

headerbar {
    min-height: 14px;
    padding: 5px;
    margin-left: 10px;
}

headerbar button {
    margin-top: 0px;
    margin-bottom: 0px;
}

Titlebar on terminal (height ok, needs to be standard)

Screenshot from 2025-01-09 03-11-31
Screenshot from 2025-01-09 03-11-311275×746 77.9 KB

Firefox (the maximize, close and minimize buttons are too left)

Screenshot from 2025-01-09 03-12-36
Screenshot from 2025-01-09 03-12-36419×155 31.4 KB

VSCODE (ugly, height too tiny)

image
image1332×777 82.3 KB

2

Did you repeat this exercise for ~/.config/gtk-4.0/gtk.css?

Believe me, I feel your pain. This is exactly why I cringe when people call Gnome "polished." This is as unpolished as it gets.
Titlebars often mismatch, vary in height, size and button placement, Widgets blend together...
It's chunky and very much in need of the kind of standardization of window borders that every other D.E. has.

3

this makes me so glad my PC is just suited for Lite :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

4

I believe Cosmic DE which are written in Rust have a mechanism for non-rust apps to look standardized.

1 Like
5

I think Cosmic shows much better implementation.

That said, I do like Gnomes usage of gtk.css, allowing greater control over appearance creation. It is a boon, sadly soon more and more restricted by more gtk4 limitations.
There are definite advantages to what gtk3 and Gnome offered, even in csd's. But... the lack of uniformity created issues in widget design, sizing and placement.
Standardizing the gtk toolkit itself would have been the better way to address this, allowing that apps would then have zoned template widget sizes and placement that then can follow the cascading stylesheet. Gnome decided removal was the better option.
IMO, GTK3 and Gnome 3 shone and were the best versions of gnome.

2 Likes