[Solved]XFCE 4.8 - Odd problem with terminal size.

Question

I've been using Xfce for nearly two months now, and am enjoying it quite a bit.   However last night an odd, and annoying, problem cropped up that I can't seem to figure out.
For the main font I'm using Sans.   If I set it to 9 (which is what I would like as default size) it makes my terminal emulators open with 70x21 instead of 80x24.   When I check out ~/.config/Terminal/terminalrc, it still has 80x24 as its settings.   I use Terminator as my main terminal emulator, and its config contains no geometry settings at all.   I also checked out Xterm's config just to be sure, and even it is still set to 80x24.   
If I set the font size to 10+, the terminal behaves correctly again.   I've narrowed down all possible config files, and the only thing I see changing the terminal size is when I move the font size down to 9. 
I suppose i could create a bash script to launch terminator with the -geometry=80x24 string, but that just seems sloppy.
Last edited by Beelzebud (2011-06-07 17:29:19)

Answer 1

I found a solution to my problem.   I'm using the Oxygen-Gtk theme, which mimics the KDE4 oxygen theme.   In the theme is a config file called 'kdeglobals', which contains font settings.  If I set the 'desktopFont' and 'font' settings to 10, and leave the 'menuFont' at 9, it actually achieves a result better than I was hoping for.   My menus and UI all have small fonts now, but the fonts inside of the windows (like medit or thunar) are at 10 which are a bit easier to read.  I'm still not sure why setting the default font to 9 causes the terminal window to shrink, but this ended up working better than I had planned.  I guess I should have tinkered a bit more before I posted.   I just needed to sleep on it.   
At any rate I'm happy now.   I have a very sleek looking dark oxygen theme on xfce4.
Just so this wasn't a complete waste of everyone's time, here are the config files I'm using to achieve a dark oxygen-gtk theme.   Just install oxygen-gtk, and then make a copy of /usr/share/themes/oxygen-gtk and use these configs for a darker look:
/usr/share/themes/oxygen-gtk-dark/gtk-2.0/kdeglobals
[ColorEffects:Disabled]
Color=112,111,110
ColorAmount=-0.8
ColorEffect=0
ContrastAmount=0.65
ContrastEffect=1
IntensityAmount=0.25
IntensityEffect=2
[ColorEffects:Inactive]
ChangeSelectionColor=true
Color=0,0,0
ColorAmount=0.025
ColorEffect=2
ContrastAmount=0.4
ContrastEffect=2
Enable=false
IntensityAmount=0
IntensityEffect=0
[Colors:Button]
BackgroundAlternate=66,65,64
BackgroundNormal=64,63,62
DecorationFocus=39,94,160
DecorationHover=87,129,176
ForegroundActive=150,191,240
ForegroundInactive=120,119,117
ForegroundLink=80,142,216
ForegroundNegative=232,88,72
ForegroundNeutral=192,162,95
ForegroundNormal=232,230,227
ForegroundPositive=120,183,83
ForegroundVisited=142,121,165
[Colors:Selection]
BackgroundAlternate=22,68,120
BackgroundNormal=24,72,128
DecorationFocus=39,94,160
DecorationHover=87,129,176
ForegroundActive=150,191,240
ForegroundInactive=81,119,166
ForegroundLink=80,142,216
ForegroundNegative=232,88,72
ForegroundNeutral=192,162,95
ForegroundNormal=255,255,255
ForegroundPositive=120,183,83
ForegroundVisited=142,121,165
[Colors:Tooltip]
BackgroundAlternate=17,51,86
BackgroundNormal=16,48,80
DecorationFocus=39,94,160
DecorationHover=87,129,176
ForegroundActive=150,191,240
ForegroundInactive=120,119,117
ForegroundLink=80,142,216
ForegroundNegative=232,88,72
ForegroundNeutral=192,162,95
ForegroundNormal=196,209,224
ForegroundPositive=120,183,83
ForegroundVisited=142,121,165
[Colors:View]
BackgroundAlternate=36,35,35
BackgroundNormal=32,31,31
DecorationFocus=39,94,160
DecorationHover=87,129,176
ForegroundActive=150,191,240
ForegroundInactive=120,119,117
ForegroundLink=80,142,216
ForegroundNegative=232,88,72
ForegroundNeutral=192,162,95
ForegroundNormal=212,210,207
ForegroundPositive=120,183,83
ForegroundVisited=142,121,165
[Colors:Window]
BackgroundAlternate=52,51,50
BackgroundNormal=48,47,47
DecorationFocus=39,94,160
DecorationHover=87,129,176
ForegroundActive=150,191,240
ForegroundInactive=120,119,117
ForegroundLink=80,142,216
ForegroundNegative=232,88,72
ForegroundNeutral=192,162,95
ForegroundNormal=224,222,219
ForegroundPositive=120,183,83
ForegroundVisited=142,121,165
[General]
XftAntialias=true
XftHintStyle=hintmedium
XftSubPixel=none
desktopFont=Sans Serif,10,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
fixed=Monospace,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
font=Sans Serif,10,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
menuFont=Sans Serif,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
shadeSortColumn=true
smallestReadableFont=Sans Serif,8,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
taskbarFont=JH_Fallout,9,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
toolBarFont=Sans Serif,8,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0
[Icons]
Theme=Amazing_Dark
*Change the icon theme to whatever you want
/usr/share/themes/oxygen-gtk-dark/gtk-2.0/
# global settings
gtk-alternative-button-order = 1
# oxygen's generic style options
style "oxygen-default"
GtkPaned::handle-size = 3
GtkButton::child_displacement_x = 0
GtkButton::child_displacement_y = 0
GtkButton::default_border = { 0, 0, 0, 0 }
GtkButton::default_outside_border = { 0, 0, 0, 0 }
GtkButton::inner-border = { 2, 2, 1, 0 }
GtkToggleButton::inner-border = { 0, 0, 1, 0 }
GtkCalendar::inner-border = 0
GtkCalendar::horizontal-separation = 0
GtkCheckButton::indicator-size = 18
GtkComboBox::appears-as-list = 1
GtkEntry::honors-transparent-bg-hint = 1
GtkExpander::expander-size = 15
GtkMenu::horizontal-padding = 3
GtkMenu::vertical-padding = 5
GtkMenu::horizontal-offset = -7
GtkCheckMenuItem::indicator-size = 16
GtkScale::slider-width = 23
GtkScale::slider-length = 15
GtkScrollbar::trough-border=1
GtkScrollbar::stepper-size=12
GtkScrolledWindow::scrollbar-spacing=1
GtkStatusbar::has-resize-grip = FALSE
GtkTreeView::allow-rules = 1
GtkTreeView::row-ending-details = 1
GtkTreeView::expander-size = 15
# shadow types
GtkMenuBar::shadow-type = GTK_SHADOW_NONE
GtkStatusbar::shadow-type = GTK_SHADOW_NONE
GtkToolbar::shadow-type = GTK_SHADOW_NONE
bg[NORMAL] = { 0.188, 0.184, 0.184 }
bg[SELECTED] = { 0.094, 0.282, 0.502 }
bg[INSENSITIVE] = { 0.188, 0.184, 0.184 }
bg[ACTIVE] = { 0.165, 0.161, 0.161 }
bg[PRELIGHT] = { 0.188, 0.184, 0.184 }
base[NORMAL] = { 0.125, 0.122, 0.122 }
base[SELECTED] = { 0.094, 0.282, 0.502 }
base[INSENSITIVE] = { 0.188, 0.184, 0.184 }
base[ACTIVE] = { 0.094, 0.282, 0.502 }
base[PRELIGHT] = { 0.094, 0.282, 0.502 }
text[NORMAL] = { 0.831, 0.824, 0.812 }
text[SELECTED] = { 1.000, 1.000, 1.000 }
text[INSENSITIVE] = { 0.165, 0.161, 0.161 }
text[ACTIVE] = { 1.000, 1.000, 1.000 }
text[PRELIGHT] = { 1.000, 1.000, 1.000 }
fg[NORMAL] = { 0.878, 0.871, 0.859 }
fg[SELECTED] = { 1.000, 1.000, 1.000 }
fg[INSENSITIVE] = { 0.165, 0.161, 0.161 }
fg[ACTIVE] = { 0.878, 0.871, 0.859 }
fg[PRELIGHT] = { 0.878, 0.871, 0.859 }
engine "oxygen-gtk"
class "*" style "oxygen-default"
# entries
# do not change unless also changing Entry_SideMargin in OxygenStyle.h
style "oxygen-entry-margins" = "oxygen-default"
{ xthickness = 5 }
class "GtkEntry" style "oxygen-entry-margins"
# menuitems padding
style "oxygen-menubar" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness = 1
ythickness = 1
class "GtkMenuBar" style "oxygen-menubar"
# menuitems padding
style "oxygen-menubaritem" = "oxygen-default"
{ xthickness = 3 }
style "oxygen-menuitem" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness = 1
ythickness = 5
style "oxygen-separator-menuitem" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness = 1
ythickness = 1
class "GtkMenuItem" style "oxygen-menubaritem"
widget_class "*<GtkMenu>.<GtkMenuItem>" style "oxygen-menuitem"
widget_class "*<GtkMenu>.<GtkSeparatorMenuItem>" style "oxygen-separator-menuitem"
# toolbuttons with menu
style "oxygen-menutoolbutton" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness=1
ythickness=1
GtkButton::focus-padding=0
GtkWidget::focus-line-width=0
class "*GtkMenuToolButton" style "oxygen-menutoolbutton"
widget_class "*.GtkMenuToolButton.*Box.GtkToggleButton" style "oxygen-menutoolbutton"
# icon views
style "oxygen-iconview" = "oxygen-default"
{ GtkWidget::focus-line-width=0 }
class "GtkIconView" style "oxygen-iconview"
# notebook settings
style "oxygen-notebook" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness = 4
ythickness = 4
class "GtkNotebook" style "oxygen-notebook"
# comboboxes
style "oxygen-combobox" = "oxygen-default"
# must set combobox frame x thickness to 0, otherwise there
# is a dead area between combobox text and button
xthickness = 0
style "oxygen-combobox-frame" = "oxygen-default"
# must set combobox frame x thickness to 0, otherwise there
# is a dead area between combobox text and button
xthickness = 4
ythickness = 4
class "GtkComboBox" style "oxygen-combobox"
widget_class "*<GtkComboBox>.<GtkFrame>" style "oxygen-combobox-frame"
# editable combobox margins
style "oxygen-combobox-entry" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness = 1
ythickness = 1
class "GtkComboBoxEntry" style "oxygen-combobox-entry"
style "oxygen-combobox-entry-button" = "oxygen-combobox-entry"
{ xthickness = 2 }
widget_class "*<GtkComboBoxEntry>.<GtkButton>" style "oxygen-combobox-entry-button"
style "oxygen-combo-button" = "oxygen-combobox-entry"
{ xthickness = 0 }
widget_class "*<GtkCombo>.<GtkButton>" style "oxygen-combo-button"
# option menu
style "oxygen-option-menu" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness = 4
ythickness = 0
class "GtkOptionMenu" style "oxygen-option-menu"
# vertical separators need enough room
style "oxygen-vseparator" = "oxygen-default"
{ xthickness = 3 }
class "GtkVSeparator" style "oxygen-vseparator"
# 2pixels thickness.
style "oxygen-w2" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness = 2
ythickness = 2
class "GtkScrolledWindow" style "oxygen-w2"
class "GtkViewport" style "oxygen-w2"
class "GtkFrame" style "oxygen-w2"
class "GtkProgressBar" style "oxygen-w2"
# tree headers
style "oxygen-header" = "oxygen-default"
xthickness = 2
ythickness = 0
widget_class "*<GtkTreeView>.<GtkButton>" style "oxygen-header"
widget_class "*<GtkList>.<GtkButton>" style "oxygen-header"
widget_class "*GimpThumbBox*.<GtkEventBox>.<GtkVBox>.<GtkButton>" style "oxygen-header"
# Workarounds
# gimp
style "oxygen-gimp-scale"
# this ensures that toolpanels fonts in gimp is identical
# to default font (which otherwise is ugly
GimpDock::font-scale = 1.01
class "*" style "oxygen-gimp-scale"
This will basically give you an oxygen theme in gtk2 that looks nearly identical to KDE4's Oxygen theme with the Obsidian Coast color pack.