[Windows][Codex Desktop]Semi-transparent sidebar ignores the theme surface and falls back to system Mica
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- Dominant language
- Rust
- Stars
- 125k
- Forks
- 19.4k
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Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26.814.41407
What subscription do you have?
ChatGPT Plus
What platform is your computer?
Windows 11 x64, build 26200.7462
What issue are you seeing?
When using the ‘Everforest’ light theme, enabling Semi-transparent sidebar causes the sidebar and title bar to ignore the custom theme surface color and fall back to a cool system-white/Mica appearance.
My custom light theme uses:
- Surface/background:
#FDF6E3 - Ink/foreground:
#5C6A72 - Accent:
#93B259 - Contrast:
45
With Semi-transparent sidebar disabled, the sidebar correctly uses a warm theme-derived surface (#F7F0DE).
With Semi-transparent sidebar enabled, the sidebar and title bar become approximately #F3F3F3 (cool system white), while the main content remains #FDF6E3. This creates a visibly inconsistent interface.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
- On Windows, open Codex App.
- Go to Settings → Appearance.
- Select or configure a custom light theme with a warm surface color, for example
#FDF6E3(Everforest). - Keep the system and Codex theme in light mode.
- Turn Semi-transparent sidebar off and observe that the sidebar follows the custom theme.
- Turn Semi-transparent sidebar on.
What is the expected behavior?
Enabling Semi-transparent sidebar should preserve the custom theme’s visual direction—for example, by applying a translucent/tinted version of the configured surface color.
It should not silently replace the custom-themed sidebar and title bar with a system-white Mica surface while the rest of the application continues using the custom theme.
Additional information
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Reproduce this on Windows 11 using Settings → Appearance, a warm custom light theme, and Semi-transparent sidebar enabled. Trace the desktop sidebar and title-bar appearance handling to find where the configured surface color is replaced by system Mica; done means the translucent sidebar and title bar retain the custom theme’s visual direction while the main content remains consistent.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- rust
- Domain
- desktop, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 45/100