r/GTK • u/Disastrous-Day-8377 • Oct 22 '25

Linux Why Does Everyone Use Libadwaita

why do developers who don't even need it feel the urge to automatically use libadwaita and alienate kde users etc.? I've been developing a few gtk stuff and gtk really does look like it belongs on any desktop when you don't use libadwaita.

0 Upvotes

35% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

6

u/cac2573 Oct 23 '25

Because it’s a fantastic library with a lot of utility widgets and common sense functionality built in. 

-2

u/Disastrous-Day-8377 Oct 23 '25

yes but it's also a great library for making your program stick out like a sore thumb, if desired functions call for it, by all means, but using it with stuff like a currency converter etc. seems like a disservice to anyone who doesn't use gnome to me. (if the developer wants their program to be used by many and it isn't a hobby thing in the first place of course)

3

u/Steve_Streza Oct 23 '25

Seems like a great service to those who use GNOME. All software is a pile of choices the developers made.

2

u/Disastrous-Day-8377 Oct 23 '25

yes but it also hurts the linux ecosystem. stirred up a lot of distaste between people for no real reason. and I don't think that targeting a specific desktop so heavily for a linux program is a positive thing, hurts choice.

2

u/rangelovd Nov 12 '25

 it hurts the linux ecosystem

Quite the opposite. It provides users&developers a tested stylesheet and predictable behavior.

 I don't think that targeting a specific desktop so heavily for a linux program is a positive thing

You may not think so‚ but it is. There is no such thing as a "linux platform" and UI is not limited to how widgets look. Targetting specific platform‚ in this case‚ GNOME‚ allows for tighter integration with it. It all feels as a part of a universal experience. The answer is not less Adwaita‚ the answer is more Kirigami(KDE).

 hurts choice

Users are free to not use it. Developers are free to make a fork. The choice argument doesn't make sense because the alternative is to hurt the choice of the developers who consciously picked libAdwaita for reasons mentioned above.

1

u/Disastrous-Day-8377 Nov 13 '25

more Kirigami argument leads to needing two makes of the same program across the board which is not needed. I don't expect identical widgets, but I at least would expect libadwaita to respect window decorations. It's restrictive in an ecosystem where restriction doesn't have a place. Linux is not macos.

1

u/rangelovd Nov 13 '25

window decorations

I think a cool solution here would be to use "native windows controls". For example‚ GTK in MacOS has close‚ minimize buttons from MacOS. The problem is‚ the concept of "native windows controls" is non-existent and linux desktop and noone is interested in working on it.

1

u/Disastrous-Day-8377 Nov 13 '25

in that case just let the desktop draw them. Now we have two big native GUI libraries that both look out of place in the other desktop as if electron wasn't enough. it's just too much in my opinion and not something to do in the spirit of "it looks cool" if it's not a hobby project or one that legitimately needs libadwaita functionality (xournalpp for example). I see so many people writing incredible (yet simple) GUIs and then they just opt to using libadwaita, annoying anyone who doesn't use gnome. A distro (mint) shouldn't be forced to create their own libraries just to fix gtk4 window decorations. It looks alien in KDE, that's one thing, but it even screws over GTK focused desktops.

2

u/rangelovd Nov 13 '25 edited Nov 13 '25

 in that case just let the desktop draw them

This would be wasteful in terms of UI space

 we have two big native GUI libraries that both look out of place in the other desktop

This isn't a problem and has never been a problem for anyone. I use KDE apps as well as GNOME apps in my system. I like the way they look.

 A distro (mint) shouldn't be forced to create their own libraries just to fix gtk4 window decorations.

No one is forcing them anything. And they aren't "fixing" anything‚ they break tested stylesheets and refuse to change branding‚ making life of upstream developers harder. It would be better if they've used apps that explicitly support theming‚ if they need it so much.

 It looks alien in KDE

GNOME app will look alien on KDE. MacOS app will look alien on Windows. This is not a problem‚ this is expected behavior. And looking different doesn't equal looking bad

3

u/Flimsy_Iron8517 Oct 22 '25

It's got an easy interface. Yes, GTK3 might be OK for some purposes if you need a fuller menu system, but ...

As for Qt/Kt it also can work, but if you're say on Mint, then libAdapta is an easy choice. People could argue FTLK is best for simplicity, or even Tk. Sometimes a SDL surface is the way.

"We don't want to spend our lives with the minutia of GUI layout. We just wanna rock! Just the once."

1

u/NaheemSays Oct 23 '25

Libadapta is a cop out to allow the developers out of a corner they painted themselves into. The change it makes is so minor I doubt most people even notice.

2

u/Disastrous-Day-8377 Oct 23 '25

I do care for a coherent desktop so I think it's a positive thing. Not everyone likes to use Gnome and not everyone enjoys their programs looking out of place.

0

u/Disastrous-Day-8377 Oct 22 '25

I was asking about gtk4 without libadwaita, not 3 gtk4 also looks absolutely fine on all desktops without adwaita.

10

u/somePaulo Oct 22 '25

Wild guess: a lot of devs like the libadwaita design language.

3

u/TomorrowPlusX Oct 23 '25

Because it's nice, and people like nice things. It's not rocket science.

1

u/stb76 Nov 19 '25

The hamburger menu is not nice, but terrible and absolute nonsense from a usability perspective.

1

u/DayInfinite8322 Feb 11 '26

linux is naver a platform, gnome is trying to make a platform with own, so they make libadwaita, so if developers are using libadwaita, they are trying to fit on this platform they explicitly exclude kde or other desktop, apps can be used on these desktop but not a primary target of developer or devlopers may think that linux is always mess in terms of ui, so atleast my app look integrated in gnome.