I just performed a fresh install of 64-bit Linux Mint Cinnamon v17.3 on a new SSD.

The scrollbars in many applications that are important to crucial for me now have no up or down arrows. This is completely unacceptable... in some cases I literally cannot view many lines of text (like in the warning/error output of codeblocks).

In the v17.1 that I've been running for the past 18 months or so, I fixed this problem by editing some resource file. Unfortunately, I can't figure out which one. I found a whole boatload of gtkrc files in various theme directories, but I have no idea which one is active by default on a fresh install of v17.3 Cinnamon (which I just downloaded, so it is the most recent DVD).

I edited a couple that I thought might be the active one, but no change.

Question: How does one enable scrollbar arrow buttons on a fresh install of 64-bit Linux Mint v17.3? I assume the answer is still to edit a resource file, but... which one? Or is there another way... or an app?

Question: How does one determine what theme is active after startup (or at any random moment)?

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

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PS: People always respond to this question with "you don't need [or want] the scrollbar arrows". Just to be clear... you are wrong. I have a trackball mouse that doesn't have a "wheel" (which probably wouldn't solve the problem anyway). Also, the specific case that I simply CANNOT tolerate is the warning/error output window in codeblocks that displays build warnings and errors. You can click in this all day long, but it will not place an input cursor or select a specific line. Which means, you can't just click on the text and then press up and down arrows to scroll up or down. I'd be plenty happy enough if that worked. When you click above or below the scrollbar control, it skips dozens of lines (that you can therefore never see). And even the most infinitesimal drag of the scrollbar control also skips over dozens of lines (that you can therefore never see). The point being, without the arrow buttons on the scrollbar, it is impossible to view a great deal of information. This is unacceptable! This problem also makes Firefox annoying and problematic sometimes too, and who knows how many other applications.

Frankly, I consider the omission of the scrollbar arrow buttons by default to be downright crazy. Form should follow function, not defeat function! Especially massively common, fundamental, everyday function.

Not sure about Cinnamon (I tried it, but it was too taxing of my desktop PC's non-accelerated graphics), but in the Mate at the main memu: System -> Control Center -> Appearance; 1st tab is theme.

After 623 gazillion hours of trying everything, I found the following inside the /usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-2.0/gtkrc file made the scrollbar arrows appear:

GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1
GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1
GtkScrollbar::stepper-size = 18
GtkScrollbar::slider-width = 18
GtkScrollbar::trough-border = 1
GtkScrollbar::activate-slider = 1
GtkScrollbar::min-slider-length = 24

Note that I had to try endless invented names until finally I just lucked into adding the following line:

GtkScrollbar::stepper-size = 18

Without that line... no arrow buttons.

The following two lines are also crucial, but at least they already existed (but were assigned 0 in the default file):

GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1
GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1

Anyway, just in case anyone else finds this message via an internet search, there is the answer as of today (20160610).

In case it matters, my current codeblocks is version 10122.

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Also note that I managed to make scrollbar arrows appear in several default applications like the terminal window and gedit by editing the /usr/share/themes/Mint-X/gtk-3.0/gtk-widgets.css file (but don't remember exactly what I changed any more, and the syntax is rather different than gtk-2.0).

Glad you found it. As Mate moves from Gtk2 to Gtk3, customizing themes looks like it's going to be a mess.

I know what you mean, I've had the same experience! I don't understand it. It's as if everyone has been blinded by the shiny Apple stuff, inexplicably including Linux users! It's baffling.

Like you I have been struggling with the scrollbar for a very long time (since GTK3) and have found no support anywhere. Not from developers, not from users, not from anyone. It's as if I lost my mind Except then I see other people use computers as if they were 8 years old, and then I get it, but it makes me sad

Your gtkrc trick (thanks for posting it) didn't work for me in Mint 18 Cinnamon. I started a new thread hoping to get an answer, but I expect I'll just hear about how wrong I am... meh, this world is doomed

In case any possible developer reads this, I want to re-emphasize the point the OP made. Too many developers have chnaged things because they could not think of a reason to justify some feature. But just because one cannot think of a reason, that does not mean there is no reason.

Commonly this happens for one of two reasons. First, the feture is a personal preference where thiere is no "right" or "wrong" way. To say something is not needed because one PREFERS do do it another way does not mean the other way is wrong. I saw one developer respond as indicated above saying mice and touch pads supply better ways of doing things. That answer in itself displayed ignorance, WHAT ABOUT TRACKBALLS? Or what about other input devices the developer (and i) had no knowledge of. I have a trackball and it is one with a wheel. But I still prefer clicking an arrow because it is a different motion. A click is a much simpler motion than spinning a wheel. Lets reverse the question often sited by those justifying the chnage. Why eliminate the scollbar arrows? Does having them cause any inconvenience or loss of function? I have not seen any way they cause a problem.

Let me give another example. I apologize in advance that this is leaving to subject of slider bars a moment. The /usr directory was orginally been specified as being a directory whose entire contens should be read-only, unless an update is being applied. Some recent developers have ignored not the specification. Just because you do not understand why that is in place does not mean there are not reason. If something like scrollbar arrows or read-only file systems have been in places for YEARS, maybe you should be wary about just changing them. Always remember the old outage, you don't know what you do not know. FWIW: keeping /usr read-only promotes reliability (less chnace of file-system corruption), efficiency (less I/O operations), hardware longevity (for some devices like solid-state disks), and security (coupled with a drive with a physical read-only switch, makes planting malware impossible).

So please anybody in a postion to influence theme features, bring back an option for orginal scroll bar functionality.

My guess is that dis-activating the scrollbar arrows is part of the move to provide a slimmed down interface for mobile devices.
It irritates me, as well, since I use no mobile devices.

[QUOTE

GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1
GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1
GtkScrollbar::stepper-size = 18
GtkScrollbar::slider-width = 18
GtkScrollbar::trough-border = 1
GtkScrollbar::activate-slider = 1
GtkScrollbar::min-slider-length = 24

Note that I had to try endless invented names until finally I just lucked into adding the following line:

GtkScrollbar::stepper-size = 18

Without that line... no arrow buttons.

The following two lines are also crucial, but at least they already existed (but were assigned 0 in the default file):

GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1
GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1


---[/QUOTE]

Thanks for this. I used 14 as my value and suppose when I upgrade from 17.3 it will be necessary to repeat this process. I'd note that a reboot is needed to affect the changes. On reboot I had no mouse - the pointer was stuck in the middle. Rebooted again thinking I'd have to undo the changes but it worked.

I did what Max Reason said to do.
I'm running Xubuntu 18.04 and its a different directory, being in a different theme, but I found the file. It had no effect after reboot.

GtkScrollbar::has-backward-stepper = 1
GtkScrollbar::has-forward-stepper = 1
GtkScrollbar::stepper-size = 18
GtkScrollbar::slider-width = 18
GtkScrollbar::trough-border = 1
GtkScrollbar::activate-slider = 1
GtkScrollbar::min-slider-length = 24
GtkScrollbar::stepper-size = 18

About that...


I remember I had to change text in several files before I found the file that actually impacted user interfaces.


I do not know what setting (or where it might be) determines which of the possible files needs to be changed.


The point being... perhaps on your system and other systems the file that must be modified... is some other file.


Just a thought. Good luck.


PS: I don't look forward to installing the latest version of Linux Mint in a week or so (once my new solid state drive arrives). The problem you mention may be just one of endless painfully time-consuming fiddles required to make the system function reasonably.

1 members found this post helpful.

I went into my Xubuntu install and changed it within the Gui in settings;appearance, however it looks like Microsoft now, but I got my arrows. I tried it on Mint Mate 19.1 and the Gui wouldn't do it. Not sure if the sudo nano trick will work on mint. Not my computer so I'll just leave it. Was just curious