Default Fiefox 3 theme in Hardy

[sdegrace]

I noticed once I installed Hardy Heron that the default Firefox theme was replaced with a theme specific to Hardy which is supposed to fit in better with the look of the desktop as a whole. The problem is that I like the regular old default Firefox theme and I don't like this Ubuntu-specific one. I don't want to go sifting through dozens of themes on the Mozilla site for an alternative, I just don't want Ubuntu imposing its stamp on Firefox. I haven't been able to find the plain-jane default Firefox theme on the Mozilla site anyway, I think it's assumed that most users will have it already and not need to install it. Is there any way I can force Firefox 3 to use the default Firefox theme instead of the Ubuntu version?

The Firefox default theme should have been left as an option to switch back to instead of being overwritten... yet another thing that was done badly in Hardy! What would be wrong with having the Ubuntu theme as a separate theme and keeping the Firefox default theme as a theme you could opt to switch back to? Outrageous!

[SIXAXIS]

I know how you feel. And to make things worse, there are practically no Linux Firefox 3 themes.

[DJ_Peng]

It seems making the default theme more integrated with the platform it's running on is getting a lot of both love and hate from the users. The theme actually uses widgets from the default theme, so if you change your desktop theme you'll see the Firefox theme change as well, although that's probablt not what you want anyway.

About the only god news I have for you is that with Firefox 3 now a Release Candidate we have a better shot at getting Linux-capable themes. I am seeing that an old school (Fx2-like Winstripe) theme for Firefox 3 is in the works. If you check out the Extension/Theme Development area on the Mozillazine Forums you may get a better of what's currently available, and possibly get some screenshots/previews.

[sdegrace]

Actually, I have to admit that the integration with Gnome does sound like a cool idea. I wish the actual Firefox default remained as an option, though. I think one of the things Firefox fans like about Firefox is the ability to make it look like what you want it, rather than necessarily have it fit in with the look of the OS... having that un-Firefox-y behaviour is kind of a cool idea in a way but is disconcerting and certainly not anything I would pick voluntarily, speaking for myself...

[DJ_Peng]

Yes, there's definitely a number of us who want Firefox to look like Firefox, to the point where a thread was made at the MozillaZine Forums specifically asking for that. I think that's part of here the Winstripe for Firefox 3 came from. I think what the devs were going for was to create a mechanism for those who wanted Firefox 3 to be able to look like it belongs with the OS. While that idea has its merits it's just one more case where the devs made a major change in how Firefox looks and behaves and left it to extension and theme designers to bring back the old look and feel. It's also one of the reasons I don't love Firefox 3, even with the speed improvements and the plugging of memory leaks, as much as I loved Firefox 2. I guess I'm just an old timer at heart.

I just did some searching and found a page of legacy Firefox themes (http://webdesigns.ms11.net/winstripethemes.html) including Linstripe (a newer version of the Winstripe classic theme) which brings the old-style icons plus GTK features to Firefox 3. He also has Proto for Windows and Linux that brings the Firefox/OSX theme to those platforms. Unfortunately it also includes that godawful "keyhole" that Linux has been spared from.