#gtk3-nocsd
gtk3-nocsd is a small module used to disable the client side decoration of gtk+ 3.
##Introduction: Since gtk+ 3.10, its developers added a so-called header bar or custom title bar. With this and the client-side decoration, the original title bar and window border provided by the window manager are disabled by gtk+. This makes all gtk+ 3 programs look alike. Even worse, this may break some window manager or compositors.
Unfortunately, the gtk+ developers decided to be against the existing standards and provide "no option" to turn it off.
Luckily, with gtk3-nocsd, we still have a way to (partially) turn it off. Window manager (title bar and window border) can be re-enabled.
##Preview:
This is how the gtk3 windows look like before and after using gtk3-nocsd.
#How to use:
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Make sure your gtk+ version is either older than 3.16.1 or newer than 3.17.3.
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Install necessary packages.
On Debian based systems, installpkg-config,libgtk-3-dev,libgirepository1.0-dev.
On Rpm based distros, installpkgconfig,gtk3-devel,gtk+-devel,gobject-introspection-devel. -
Build the code. Run
makefrom command line. After this you'll have the filesgtk3-nocsdandlibgtk3-nocsd.so.0in the same directory. -
Now to run individual gtk3 apps(say gedit) using this hack, use the command
./gtk3-nocsd geditfrom the same directory. -
To have all gtk3 apps(of current user) use this hack, export some environment variables in your
~/.bashrc.export GTK_CSD=0
export LD_PRELOAD=<"full path" of your libgtk3-nocsd.so.0 file> -
Re-login to make the environment variables take effect.
-
Hooray! GTK+ 3 client-side decoration is dead now.
#How it works:
I use $LD_PRELOAD to override several gdk and glib/gobject APIs to intercept related calls gtk+ 3 uses to setup CSD. While gtk+ 3 is trying to initialize CSD, I let it think that there is no compositor available, so CSD fail to start. Actually, we never disable X compositing, so other parts are not affected. This hack to my knowledge is the most specific way to disable CSD without obvious side effects.