Opera 20 - get rid of the blue "Chrome frame"

grandadmiralthrawn

grandadmiralthrawn

Greetings!

Ok, here is a question from an Opera 12 "Presto lover". I'm still using Opera 12.16 natively on Windows XP 32-Bit as well as Windows XP Pro x64 edition (NT 5.2 kernel), Win7 and also Linux (Debian, CentOS) as well as BSD UNIX (FreeBSD/PC-BSD).

Now, I'm giving the webkit-based Opera 20 its first chance on Windows. I don't like it yet, but I'll give it its chance. Can't have it on Linux right now anyway, and the glorious "real" multi-platform days of Opera, where you could get a version for Solaris on UltraSPARC or BSD UNIX are likely over anyway.

Now, here is my simple question after all that unnecessary information:

How can I get rid of the blue frame / window borders? I would like to have them in my systems style or any color I choose (like grey).

By system style I mean, that Opera should respect my systems theme, which I usually switch to pure GDI (no Luna on XP, no Aero on 7), so basically "Windows 2000 style". On Linux I'd say "it should respect my window managers window decorations". But there is no Linux version atm anyway.

Is there any way for the new Opera to better integrate into my Windows desktop environment? The bright blue frame is just too flashy and distracting, as my themes are rather greyish.

I tried searching the web for solutions, but couldn't really find anything. Also I tried about:flags to no avail.

Thank you for your help!

sgunhouse

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer

Sorry, but on XP it is always blue (even though my desktop is set to Olive) - nothing you or I can do about it.

grandadmiralthrawn

grandadmiralthrawn

I read through the source code here: https://chromium.googlesource.com/experimental/chromium/src/+/master/chrome/common/pref_names.cc

Then I saw that the use of the system theme ("extensions.theme.use_system") is obviously Linux specific. It seems the guys porting it over to FreeBSD/PC-BSD made it possible by a patch.

Still, I edited my "%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Opera Software\Opera Stable\Preferences" file and added the following to the "extensions" section:

"theme": {
"use_system": true
}

It did not work, as it is obviously not implemented on Windows. Maybe I was also adding it in the wrong (global) place. So I thought, maybe I need to specify such things in the context of a theme itself. So I created myself a Chrome theme that was supposed to change the window frame color to dark grey.

Upon attempting import of the .crx theme file into Opera, it would recognize it as an extension, but would ultimately fail in the same way it does when trying to install other themes meant for Chrome:

"Extension installation failed. Package is invalid. Details: 'Extension type is not supported.'."

For Christs sake, I have seen people complaining about the new Opera taking away their freedoms, and I'm starting to see why. Can't even make the browser NOT be "blue"...

I don't know what else one could try...

leocg

leocg Moderator Volunteer

Opera uses its own UI.

grandadmiralthrawn

grandadmiralthrawn

Are you absolutely sure that the window decorations are Opera-specific? Because it does look almost the same as Chrome on default settings. Meaning the title bar, the window frame, even the behavior of the frame disappearing and the title bar getting more slim when maximizing the Window (as compared to regular windowed mode). All that looks exactly the same as it does with Chrome/SRware Iron/Chromium.

I'm not saying you're wrong (I wouldn't know, as I do not know the differences between Chromium and Opera source code in detail), I'm just wondering..

I assume Opera 20 is based on Chromium 20. If I'm not mistaken, maybe the code base of Opera 20 could be simply too old to support the feature!?

Because I tried this with Chrome 33 on Win7 and SRware Iron 30 (Chrome 30 ripoff) on XP x64. And with both it works. Same for Chromium 30 on PC-BSD UNIX. So either you're correct, and the Opera guys tried to build a Chrome UI lookalike with less (or rather: "different") features, or the code base is too old.

Because if Opera does have it's own UI, why not support the sidebar we know from the Presto versions... or in other words: Why reinvent the wheel and build your own UI, if there is no real benefit from it?

christoph142

christoph142

Yes, 100% for sure different UI there.
And Opera 20 is based on Chromium 33 of course.

s1nwithm3

s1nwithm3

Just sayin' Windows XP will NO longer be supported after April 8th... move on

A Former User

Just sayin' Windows XP will NO longer be supported after April 8th... move on

Thanks for the suggestion, but do remember that to upgrade (if you can call it that) from Windows XP some people would have to buy new computers which they can't afford!

A Former User

Because if Opera does have it's own UI, why not support the sidebar we know from the Presto versions... or in other words: Why reinvent the wheel and build your own UI, if there is no real benefit from it?
Because the old UI code is not compatible with the new Chromium framework code. They'd have to rewrite everything anyway. And also because I think they took this opportunity to not re-add features considered of little use or that simply clutter the interface or make the code complex having almost no real users of them (I'm not saying the bookmarks panel is useless) and to not attempt to clone Opera 12.x.

Are you absolutely sure that the window decorations are Opera-specific? Because it does look almost the same as Chrome on default settings.
In Mac OS X, Windows Vista and newer the differences between Opera and Chrome's UIs are more noticeable. Maybe they built their own for Mac/Vista+ and left a mix of Chromium UI layer in XP as a fallback since it's so old and obsolete (losing support soon, meaning the extra effort to make an adaptable XP-like UI wouldn't be worth since you won't have any more users on the OS anyway).

A Former User

In Mac OS X, Windows Vista and newer the differences between Opera and Chrome's UIs are more noticeable.
In Vista with the classical Windows GUI, Blink-based Opera has the same ugly, cornflower blue tab bar as Chrome. Practically no difference at all. A real deal breaker.

sgunhouse

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer

You did say "With the classical Windows GUI" though. If you're using an XP theme, you'll have the XP appearance.

A Former User

You did say "With the classical Windows GUI" though. If you're using an XP theme, you'll have the XP appearance.

If you're talking to me - using Visa, my option is to use Aero instead of the classical Windows GUI. I usually have approximately eight programs running at the same time. With that many programs being executed simultaneously, a single height task bar just doesn't offer enough space for all the buttons. Therefore, i use a double height task bar. And a double height task bar looks extremely ugly in Vista Aero. So for me, Aero isn't an option. I need to use the classical Windows GUI. But you're right - Blink-based Opera looks much better in Aero. No obtrusive, cornflower blue tab bar in Aero.

jsanki

jsanki

I followed this post to install Opera 20 using Wine in Zenwalk Linux

https://forums.opera.com/topic/1207/how-to-install-and-run-the-opera-20-for-windows-under-linux-box-using-the-wine-app

It's a shame we cannot change the Gui. This produces a very annoying contrast to the view in my system.

The Blue aspect theme from Old Windows is Sux pls Opera Team fix it. think a little in Linux users

colderwinters

colderwinters

I use the Glossy Blue for Chrome skin/theme whatever on my other Chrome style browsers, be kinda nice to change from the plain grey look I see all the time on the New Opera, just let me change the colors of the tabs and toolbars is all I ask.

colderwinters

colderwinters

Yes, 100% for sure different UI there.
And Opera 20 is based on Chromium 33 of course.

Srware Iron is up to Chromiun 34 now, I guess Opera will update soon ?