Update / re-download the default theme and color palette

Product Support

AI-generated summary

RBoy, whose Discourse install is over 7 years old, seeks to update the default theme and color palette to match newer installs, especially after noticing visual inconsistencies with the dark theme. Canapin suggests creating a new empty theme via the admin panel or customizing the color palette by selecting a base (e.g., Light) and assigning it to a theme, cautioning about potential conflicts with existing custom CSS. RBoy clarifies they’re not an HTML expert and asks whether creating a new theme pulls the latest default from GitHub. Stephen recommends using the /wizard to review all new visual options available to fresh installs. pfaffman confirms that creating a new theme should meet RBoy’s needs. RBoy expresses appreciation for the /wizard feature. In a follow-up, RBoy reports inconsistent naming conventions in color palette labels (e.g., Primary, Primary-medium, primary_very_low) across different palettes (Dark Rose, WCAG, Dracula), asking whether this is normal or a bug. No definitive answer to the naming inconsistency is provided in the thread.

1

My discourse install is 7+ years old now and it’s still using the default theme / color palette that shipped with the original install.

Is there a way to update the default theme and color palette to one that ships with a new install/latest version? I see an option to install a custom theme, if one cannot update would that be the right way to re-download the latest “default” theme / color palette?

After enabling the dark theme option I’ve noticed that many of the colors are off, text is hard to read, doesn’t seem to match what this meta website is using (which I’m assuming is the latest default theme / color palette)

2

I hope it’s up-to-date ! :smile:

I think what you want can be achieved from your admin panel:

To create a new empty theme:

  1. Customize → Themes → Themes tab → Install

  2. Create New → Choose a name and let the default type “Theme” → Create

And if you’re just talking about the color palette:

  1. Customize → Colors → New → Choose Light as base palette

  2. Change the name to something meaningful

  3. Select your theme and assign it this new palette.

Beware of conflict of any kind (layout, colors…) if you have custom CSS or components in your current theme.

3

Yes, it’s been regularly updated. This issue I’ve noticed is only regarding how the content is rendered (theme / colors - which one I can’t say, I’m not a HTML expert).

Would this automatically pick up the latest default theme from github?

I’m no expert here, so I’m trying to understand which components I need to update to get my “old” forum look/feel like a “new” install.

4

You can also use the /wizard at any time to review all of the new visual options available to a fresh install.

5

I think it’ll do what you want

6

This is fabulous, thanks - really cool feature which will help folks in exactly my situation.

7

I noticed something weird while creating a set of new color palettes using the defaults. Everything upto Dark Rose show the name tags as Primary, Secondary, Tertiary etc

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WCAG palettes show different names Primary, Primary-medium etc

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And Dracula onwards it changes to primary_very_low, primary_low etc

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This is normal or a bug?