LibreOffice – KDE Integration Package for Skinning/Color Management

Posted on by rcragun

Super simple note for future reference and for anyone else running into this issue. I upgraded my version of LibreOffice in Kubuntu 20.10 to a pre-release version to fix a bug. I was running version 7.1.4.2.

When I purged the version of LibreOffice that shipped with Kubuntu 20.10 (6.X – I don’t remember exactly which version), that also purged the KDE integration package that helps LibreOffice interface with the window manager and makes skinning LibreOffice much easier. As a result, when I would change my Global theme in System Settings, only part of the LibreOffice windows would change to reflect that theme. In particular, the sidebar on the right side of LibreOffice wasn’t changing colors with the rest of the window. This was making it impossible for me to see the names of different styles and also looked really weird.

The solution was easy. In Synaptic, search for the “libreoffice-kde” integration package and install it. Now, when I change my Global Theme, the LibreOffice windows change to reflect that.

In short, if you purge the version of LibreOffice in the repositories in KDE and install a newer version, make sure you also install the libreoffice-kde integration package or your LibreOffice windows will behave strangely.

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LibreOffice – How To Change Icons to a Darker Theme

Posted on by rcragun

I prefer darker themes for my desktop environment (Kubuntu 20.04) and browser (Brave). For the most part, this isn’t a problem, but it does cause an issue with some applications, including LibreOffice (6.4.4.2).

One of the first things I do when I install Kubuntu is switch my desktop environment from the default theme (System Settings -> Global Theme), Breeze, which is a lighter theme, to Breeze Dark. You can see the differences in the screenshots below:

This is the Breeze theme that is the default in Kubuntu 20.04
This is the Breeze Dark theme that I typically use in Kubuntu.

The problem is with the icon set in LibreOffice. With the default Breeze theme, the icons are very visible and work great:

These are the default icons in LibreOffice 6.4.4.2 in Kubuntu 20.04 with the default Breeze theme.

The problem comes when I switch the theme to Breeze Dark. Here is how the default Breeze icons look in LibreOffice when I switch the theme:

The default icon set, Breeze, in LibreOffice when the Kubuntu Global Theme is switched to Breeze Dark.

Perhaps it’s just my aging eyes, but those icons are very difficult for me to see. The solution is quite simple, though finding it is always hard for me to remember (thus this tutorial). All you need to do is switch the icon set in LibreOffice. There are several icon sets for dark themes that come pre-packaged with the standard version of LibreOffice that ships with Kubuntu and is in the repositories. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

In LibreOffice, go to Tools -> Options:

You’ll get this window. You want the third option down under “LibreOffice”, “View”:

Right at the top of this window you can see “Icon style.” That’s the setting you want to change. If you click on the drop down arrow, you’ll see six or so options. Two are specifically for dark themes, Breeze (SVG + dark) and Breeze (dark). Either of those will work:

I typically choose Breeze (SVG + dark). Select the dark theme you want, then click on OK and you’ll get a new icon set in LibreOffice that works much better for dark themes:

These icons are much more visible to my aging eyes.

Et voila! I can now see the icons in the LibreOffice toolbars.

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