https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=166513
Bug ID: 166513
Summary: LibreOffice Math formula editor shows black text on
dark background with dark system theme
Product: LibreOffice
Version: 25.2.0.3 release
Hardware: All
OS: Linux (All)
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Severity: normal
Priority: medium
Component: Formula Editor
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
Description:
When using LibreOffice Math on Linux Mint with a dark system theme enabled, the
text displayed and typed in the formula editor input area is rendered in black.
Against the dark background inherited from the system theme, this makes the
text nearly invisible and the editor unusable.
This issue does not occur with the version of LibreOffice that comes
pre-installed with the default Linux Mint distribution. However, after adding
the LibreOffice 'fresh' PPA and upgrading LibreOffice to a newer version, the
problem appears.
Changing to different dark themes within the Linux Mint system settings does
not resolve the issue. Interestingly, changing specific themes within
LibreOffice itself can sometimes mitigate or resolve the problem, suggesting an
interaction issue within LibreOffice's theme handling after the upgrade.
The expected behavior should be that the text is easily readable, ideally
displayed in a light color (like white) when a dark background is present due
to the system theme. The current situation requires the user to experiment with
LibreOffice's internal themes to find a working combination, which is not a
satisfactory solution.
It is also noted that the LibreOffice Math component seems to evolve slower
than other parts of the suite. It would be beneficial to have a
user-configurable option to explicitly set the font color within the formula
editor to avoid such conflicts and improve accessibility.
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Set a dark system theme in the Linux Mint system settings.
2. Add the LibreOffice 'fresh' PPA (e.g., ppa:libreoffice/ppa) and upgrade
LibreOffice to the latest version available through the PPA.
3. Open LibreOffice Math.
4. Observe the text color in the main formula editor input area.
Actual Results:
The text in the LibreOffice Math formula editor input area is black and
unreadable or very difficult to read against the dark background provided by
the system theme.
Expected Results:
The text in the LibreOffice Math formula editor input area should be clearly
visible against the background. Ideally, it should automatically adjust to a
light color (e.g., white) when a dark system theme is active, or there should
be a user preference to set the font color for the editor.
Reproducible: Always
User Profile Reset: Yes
Additional Info:
Version: 25.2.3.2 (X86_64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 520(Build:2)
CPU threads: 16; OS: Linux 6.8; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3
Locale: el-GR (en_US.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Ubuntu package version: 4:25.2.3-0ubuntu0.24.04.1~lo1
Calc: threaded
Other Information:
Occurs on Linux Mint with dark system themes.
Issue appears after upgrading LibreOffice via the 'fresh' PPA, not present
in the default LibreOffice version shipped with Mint.
Changing Linux Mint system themes does not fix the issue.
Changing themes within LibreOffice itself can sometimes provide a
workaround.
Screenshots demonstrating the unreadable text will be attached to the bug
report.
The lack of a user option to set the font color in the Math editor
exacerbates this theme conflict issue.
--
You are receiving this mail because:
You are the assignee for the bug.
