[Geany-Users] Geany Icon

[Matthew Brush]

On 12-10-14 12:59 AM, Lex Trotman wrote:
> On 14 October 2012 18:30, Matthew Brush <mbrush at codebrainz.ca> wrote:
>
>> On 12-10-14 12:05 AM, Lex Trotman wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> Geany has in the past specified a fixed image, (the jewel encrusted
>>> teapot), as the icon to use for its top level window.
>>>
>>> There has been a request for Geany to follow the icon set by the theme.
>>>    This has been committed.
>>>
>>> However one of the icons provided by some themes has caused some
>>> consternation.
>>>
>>> So an option to continue to use the Geany icon instead of the theme has
>>> also been committed.
>>>
>>> This mail is to get users preference for the default setting, use the
>>> Geany
>>> icon or use the theme icon (with the Geany one as a fallback if the theme
>>> has none).
>>>
>>>
>> I think the default should be to follow the standard[1]:
>>
>> "Icons and themes are looked for in a set of directories. By default, apps
>> should look in $HOME/.icons (for backwards compatibility), in
>> $XDG_DATA_DIRS/icons and in /usr/share/pixmaps (in that order).
>> Applications may further add their own icon directories to this list, and
>> users may extend or change the list (in application/desktop specific
>> ways).In each of these directories themes are stored as subdirectories. A
>> theme can be spread across several base directories by having
>> subdirectories of the same name. This way users can extend and override
>> system themes."
>>
>> And then further down:
>>
>> "It is recommended that the icons installed in the hicolor theme look
>> neutral, since it is a fallback theme that will be used in combination with
>> some very different looking themes. But if you don't have any neutral icon,
>> please install whatever icon you have in the hicolor theme so that all
>> applications get at least some icon in all themes."
>>
>> And in another place:
>>
>> "The lookup inside a theme is done in three phases. First all the
>> directories are scanned for an exact match, e.g. one where the allowed size
>> of the icon files match what was looked up. Then all the directories are
>> scanned for any icon that matches the name. If that fails we finally fall
>> back on unthemed icons. If we fail to find any icon at all it is up to the
>> application to pick a good fallback, as the correct choice depends on the
>> context."
>>
>> So we should not, according to my interpretation, override the user's
>> chosen icon theme icons and our own installed fallback hicolor icon with
>> the hardcoded/inline/embedded icon unless no other icon can be found.
>
>
> That does not say that the user should *not* be able to choose to override
> the theme.  That is another explicit user choice.
>
>

No it doesn't say they shouldn't be able to choose to override the 
theme, it says how the user is *supposed to be able* to do it. The 
explicit choice of icons the user makes is not Geany's problem. If the 
user overrides the default icon Geany provides in the default icon theme 
(hicolor), that is their explicit choice.

>>
>
>
>>
>>   Users can always change the setting at any time, this is only what should
>>> be the default.
>>>
>>>
>> IMO, the setting is redundant because you can use the DE/GTK icon theme
>> mechanisms to change what icon is use
>
>
> The DE/GTK mechanism is complex, varies and needs to be applied to each
> theme, this is simple.  For the few lines the setting requires, it seems
> silly to question having a setting that can make both groups of users
> happy, hence the question is only what the default choice should be.
>

The DE/GTK mechanism is not complex: if you don't want to override 
Geany's icon, don't override it with your own icon[1].

Cheers,
Matthew Brush

[1] In your case the choice to override the default icon was made by 
your distro, but it's still explicitly overriding the default.