# Thick border around GTK applications **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Tags:** plasma, kubuntu, gtk\ **Created:** [April 3, 2025, 6:56am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387 "2025-04-03T06:56:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 6:56am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/1 "2025-04-03T06:56:36Z")
I’m using Plasma 5.27.12 from Kubuntu backports in a machine that runs Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS (upgraded from 22.04 LTS). Yesterday I fixed an issue with AMD GPU drivers and, since then, all GTK applications (I think that’s the common pattern) feature a thick border decoration on non-maximized windows. Microsoft Edge: ![image](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/uploads/default/original/3X/8/4/8486c6f2bb79c4a51ab75aad8c12a4a9cc6b24e9.png) GNOME System Monitor: ![image](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/uploads/default/original/3X/4/7/47237e6116337b2b0709610c2955550e1c0ebb85.png) It’s particularly annoying because I use multiple monitors and when I stick windows the border extends to next display. Is there a way to remove it? ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2025, 9:00am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/2 "2025-04-03T09:00:56Z")
OMG, more things broke than I had initially noticed. KDE apps no longer cast shadows, even though themes defines them ☹ ![image](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/uploads/default/original/3X/d/7/d7d51e698a9f003c5139bc00ca7748b8e428bd88.png) ![image](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/uploads/default/original/3X/d/a/da05f15fae5336d9e8aedceb7156445f33d80f17.png) ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 8:49am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/3 "2025-04-04T08:49:33Z")
I’ve discovered that when I use the keyboard short-cut to enable/disable compositor, this gets logged in `/var/log/syslog`: ```auto kwin_core: Compositing disabled: no OpenGL support kwin_core: Compositing is not possible ``` ---
**Author:** ![meven](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/meven/32/1748_2.png) [@meven](https://discuss.kde.org/u/meven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 9:02am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/4 "2025-04-04T09:02:07Z")
> [@kAlvaro](#): > > `kwin_core: Compositing disabled: no OpenGL support` Check your drivers ! Perhaps you need a reboot. ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 9:20am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/5 "2025-04-04T09:20:47Z")
Yes, but what exactly needs to be fixed? My laptop has hybrid graphics and I’m using open source AMDGPU and proprietary NVIDIA, I don’t even know which ones are to blame. (I’ve rebooted several times already.) ---
**Author:** ![meven](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/meven/32/1748_2.png) [@meven](https://discuss.kde.org/u/meven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 9:29am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/6 "2025-04-04T09:29:44Z")
> [@kAlvaro](#): > > Yes, but what exactly needs to be fixed? My laptop has hybrid graphics and I’m using open source AMDGPU and proprietary NVIDIA, I don’t even know which ones are to blame. Did you try a wayland session ? It might not run at all, but since it manages the GPU more directly then, it might have a better behavior, not sure. > Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS That likely means a 1 year old driver stack and kernel. That won’t help. Also 5.27 is maintained only for security or catastrophic issues. Still your system should be able to run with Gpu acceleration. ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 9:37am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/7 "2025-04-04T09:37:47Z")
Stupid company policies. If it was for me, I’d be using Neon or Fedora. My system supported GPU acceleration until yesterday ☹ BTW, I think Wayland is not an option in my distro, not at least for Plasma. ---
**Author:** ![meven](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/meven/32/1748_2.png) [@meven](https://discuss.kde.org/u/meven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 10:01am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/8 "2025-04-04T10:01:24Z")
> [@kAlvaro](#): > > BTW, I think Wayland is not an option in my distro, not at least for Plasma. For Kubuntu it has been an option for years, need to install a specific package to enable it. ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 10:40am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/9 "2025-04-04T10:40:26Z")
Ah… I guess it’s `plasma-workspace-wayland` and maybe `plasma-wayland-protocols`. I can give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![meven](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/meven/32/1748_2.png) [@meven](https://discuss.kde.org/u/meven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 11:04am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/10 "2025-04-04T11:04:23Z")
I think it is `plasma-wayland-session` or something along those lines. ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 12:28pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/11 "2025-04-04T12:28:26Z")
Installing `plasma-workspace-wayland` and `plasma-wayland-protocols` enabled Wayland entry in display manager and now my shadows are back. From my little knowledge about the X11 vs Wayland controversy, I know some applications are not ready (I’ll check Teams screen sharing later) and, indeed, I cannot drag KNotes windows from title bar, neither regular drag nor Alt+Drag (interestingly, Win\*+Drag works!). I’ll figure out what’s better or at least less worse. _(\*) Sorry, I never remember how this key is called on Linux._ ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 12:52pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/12 "2025-04-04T12:52:40Z")
\*Sigh\* > **[437874 – Can't drag in wayland session](https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=437874)** ---
**Author:** ![meven](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/meven/32/1748_2.png) [@meven](https://discuss.kde.org/u/meven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 12:53pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/13 "2025-04-04T12:53:19Z")
And in plasma 5.27, wayland was mostly usable already, but a lot has been improved since. ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 1:00pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/14 "2025-04-04T13:00:26Z")
Since drivers appear to be alright, as Wayland demonstrate, I’m positively sure that some package or setting was gone when I was fixing stuff. If only I knew which one… ---
**Author:** ![tannenfreund](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/tannenfreund/32/20145_2.png) [@tannenfreund](https://discuss.kde.org/u/tannenfreund)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/15 "2025-04-04T20:23:37Z")
Yes, there is a problem with your drivers. You have no more compositing enabled, hence no shadows for kde apps and the thick borders around gtk apps. The thick borders are the gtk shadows, their transparent part is now opaque. Fix your drivers, then your problems will disappear. Don’t have high hopes on wayland, kde/plasma 5 is not very usable with it, wayland is only stable in the plasma 6 series. Disable all backport repositories, remove all kde packages and install them again from the standard Kubuntu repositories. The backports come without warranty and are not officially supported. Then fix your drivers, if you have hybrid graphics, a mismatch between the drivers is most likely the culprit. Remove all your nvidia drivers and remove your xorg.conf and related configuration files. Probably your proprietary nvidia driver messed up your configuration. Once you have compositing running again with your amd drivers, add back your nvidia driver, see if you have problems, if so, try to find the reason exactly, then add back your backports. Do everything bit by bit, so you can triage the package or configuration that causes your graphics to break. ---
**Author:** ![FeRDNYC](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/ferdnyc/32/11361_2.png) [@FeRDNYC](https://discuss.kde.org/u/FeRDNYC)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2025, 9:55pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/16 "2025-04-04T21:55:25Z")
~~I doubt @kAlvaro is using Nvidia drivers with an AMD GPU. (Though that would certainly cause problems!)~~ I see from later comments that I am wrong! My mistake. ---
**Author:** ![AlbertoSalviaNovella](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/albertosalvianovella/32/5851_2.png) [@AlbertoSalviaNovella](https://discuss.kde.org/u/AlbertoSalviaNovella)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/17 "2025-04-05T18:29:57Z")
To put things into perspective: On [Zenned](https://zenned.gitlab.io/) we still consider the Wayland session experimental, and you are warned about it on the login screen itself. We use the latest [open source Nvidia drivers](https://github.com/NVIDIA/open-gpu-kernel-modules), along with [Optimus Manager](https://github.com/Askannz/optimus-manager). ---
**Author:** ![kAlvaro](https://discuss-cdn.kde.org/user_avatar/discuss.kde.org/kalvaro/32/12720_2.png) [@kAlvaro](https://discuss.kde.org/u/kAlvaro)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2025, 6:16am UTC](https://discuss.kde.org/t/thick-border-around-gtk-applications/32387/18 "2025-04-14T06:16:52Z")
I followed your advice and the problem is fixed now. I can’t tell the exact package that was causing it, because I tried lots of things that didn’t work. But, at some point, I tried to purge several _mesa_ and _libmesa_ packages in order to reinstall them later, I let apt cascade-remove the packages which depended on them (essentially, everything related to desktop environments), and when I reinstalled everything back my shadows returned.