
Gnome removed solid-color backgrounds based on what developer's friends use - torstenvl
https://www.reddit.com/r/gnome/comments/dayto8/can_someone_point_me_to_the_train_of/f2214ql/
======
ken
GNOME, 2020:

> The entire backgrounds panel was rewritten from scratch, so technically
> every single feature that it had was momentarily removed and then most were
> subsequently re-added as entirely new implementations.

jwz, 2003:

> I report bugs; they go unread for a year, sometimes two; and then
> (surprise!) that module is rewritten from scratch -- and the new maintainer
> can't be bothered to check whether his new version has actually solved any
> of the known problems that existed in the previous version. [...] It hardly
> seems worth even having a bug system if the frequency of from-scratch
> rewrites always outstrips the pace of bug fixing.

------
Jonnax
Reading the thread, including the parent post the OP omitted, it looks like
they rewrote the background picker. And decided that this wasn't worth the
time to reimplement.

Well it's not as if people are paying for GNOME.

Is there something on the issue tracker to add it back?

Rather than creating some drama or calling out a GNOME developer, why not see
if you can implement the feature?

The odds are they'd welcome the contribution.

Edit:

Looks like it's not part of the "design vision" of GNOME.

However gotta say there seems to be a lot of hostility generated.

[https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-control-
center/-/issues...](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-control-
center/-/issues/717)

The ability to change the background is apparently still available via cli:

$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri ''

$ gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background primary-color '#123456'

~~~
torstenvl
Wow... discussion locked by the same dev who made the initial call...

~~~
floatingatoll
I’m glad to see they locked it so rapidly once the pile-on began. I don’t
agree with their position, but the comments over the past couple weeks have
all the hallmarks of Internet mob behavior: “It’s been months since you made
your decision and I’ve decided to stir up controversy about it again”. I’m not
sure where this was posted about three weeks ago, but that led to the pile-on
beginning here:

[https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-control-
center/-/issues...](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-control-
center/-/issues/717#note_787127)

And now we’re here having a dramatic outrage over it too. It’s not a great
decision, but linking to this Reddit post was far less effective than linking
to a blog post about this controversy would have been.

I wish we could have read a proper written story posted to HN about this,
rather than being expected to sort through a haphazard pile of user comments
without context. Is this only interesting because it’s disagreeable? Is the
survey methodology the focus? Why did this matter to whoever posted it? Tell
us a better story next time, OP.

------
varbhat
Why is Gnome forgetting that Gnome is being used by many newcomers.

It has lot of defaults non-appealing to many(no minimize, maximum window
buttons, trackpad defaults to MacOS style controls, etc.). Also bar on left is
non intuitive to many. Due to these reasons,bany extensions are necessary.

That's the reason why i think that Mate and KDE Plasma are better alternative
DEs for beginners.

------
tsar9x
Well, this is how Gnome works, their way or highway. It's funny when they
emphasize community importance, but most of the time few people are calling
the shots.

------
bjoli
I tried to find it today! I ended up making a solid blackish image instead.
Reidiculous.

~~~
taeric
I think I had to do that with my phone one time. Did feel silly.

~~~
mikelward
Years ago, on my Android phone, I took a photo of my finger covering the lens,
so I could have a black wallpaper. That way, I could save battery, and easily
see all my icons.

------
silverreads
This is why people call it open sores. You have no idea what feature you need
will be removed tomorrow. Software perfection is not achieved with constant
churn, so I'm not really sure what they are aiming for. Fresh code? Rat wheel.
Good thing mate exists and is maintained.

------
t-writescode
Doesn’t Gtk provide a color picker component they could just shove on a tab
and use?

[https://developer.gnome.org/libgnomeui/stable/GnomeColorPick...](https://developer.gnome.org/libgnomeui/stable/GnomeColorPicker.html)

?

------
Minor49er
I don't use Gnome because of this kind of attitude they take toward its
development (XFCE and Cinnamon are my jam). But for people who do use Gnome,
do you expect these kinds of changes and welcome them? Or do you stick to a
particular version?

------
russellbeattie
It's nice to read stuff like this. I'd hate to think I moved to Mac a decade
ago only for Linux's most popular GUI to get it's head out of it's ass
afterwards.

Gnome being Gnome gives me a deep sense of a decision well made.

~~~
schwartzworld
Yeah Apple never removes popular basic features from their devices...

------
Borlands
Gnome devs don’t really like solid background colours. the cli is so much more
practical, user friendly, and follows headless ui system guidelines.

Also you can call to your inner geekness when discovering this easter egg. All
fun!

~~~
amberj8
I'm really not sure if you're being sarcastic or genuine.

Obviously, if you're being genuine, you shouldn't ever wonder why no one uses
Gnome.

And if you're being sarcastic, well then... carry on! :)

~~~
Borlands
Thanks, I’m afraid my Sarcastic level was on extra-high mode :/

I loved gnome, but since moved on to xfce.

Edit: I still love gnome, just bring the goddamn solid background colours back

------
pjmlp
Add that to the great idea of using JavaScript everywhere because it is more
"welcoming" for new developer members.

And this is why I ended up using XFCE instead.

------
DiJu519
I've had my backgroumd as pure black on every machine I've ever used... Even
my phones.

~~~
MR4D
Dark gray for me.

Save memory too.

This decision seems dab to me, as the feature had to pretty simple to keep in.

~~~
inetknght
> _This decision seems dab to me_

What does that mean?

~~~
MR4D
Crazy autocorrect issue. I typed “dumb”. Weird.

~~~
olliej
Autocorrect is always ducking amazing :D

------
rurban
It's simply a huge memory regression, thus a bug. Low memory devices cannot
use gnome then. Maybe they do care about low memory devices, but I doubt so.

------
smabie
Does xsetroot not work? I just set my background in my .xinitrc file with:

xsetroot -solid grey25

But in general, unless you're a novice user, I've never understood the need
for the heavyweight DEs like gnome or kde. A terminal and a window manager
with no border decorations is a lot more pleasant.

~~~
olliej
... yes, because everyone should know how to do that? That’s obviously a core
part of learning to use a windowing system.

------
plerpin
Ah, the science of UX.

------
dpc_pw
Setting solid background is... Super niche. Good idea to just not bother.

