fix(theme): dark adw-gtk3 for dark palettes — GTK dialog buttons (#98)

Stylix always used the light adw-gtk3 sheet with recolored tokens; that
sheet hardcodes near-black button labels, which became black-on-dark in
Boreal GTK dialogs. Force adw-gtk3-dark (and prefer-dark) for dark mode,
and pin dialog button label colours in Stylix extraCss.

README.md

@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ gp   gpl   gf                   # push · pull · fetch --all --prune
 # nix  (lifecycle: nomarchy-pull / nomarchy-rebuild / nomarchy-home — full names)
 ns   nr                         # nix shell · nix run   (e.g. ns nixpkgs#ripgrep)
 nfu  nfc                        # nix flake update · check  (prefer nomarchy-pull for day-to-day)
-nsearch    ngc                  # nix search nixpkgs · nix-collect-garbage -d
+nsearch    ngc                  # nix search · nix-collect-garbage -d (prefer: sudo nomarchy-gen-prune)
 
 # misc
 path                            # print $PATH, one entry per line

agent/BACKLOG.md

@@ -31,22 +31,6 @@ post-boot sessions). Preserve separation: the installer bake failure and the
 flake pin are different root causes even when they show up on the same machine.
 (Terminal / Ghostty-on-Acer → shipped as Kitty-only, #95.)
 
-### 98. Boreal: button text renders black and is difficult to read
-
-Audit GTK button foreground/background contrast under Boreal, including the
-installer surface where it was observed. Follow THEME-DESIGN's two-theme
-visual protocol. Pass = normal, hover, focused, and disabled button labels
-remain legible and palette-consistent.
-
-**Progress 2026-07-13:** scripted checks pass all 24 themes — not
-palette-level. Stylix gtk.css for Boreal audited: fg roles are light
-(#d3dae0); the near-black values are `accent/warning/error_fg_color`
-(#21272f) on their pastel bgs (deliberate, ~4.4:1). Candidate surfaces:
-adw-gtk3 (light base) + dark recolor edge cases, or gum's TUI confirm
-buttons in the installer (VM gum screens under Boreal look legible —
-artifacts in `/tmp/nomarchy-v2-swap-93/`). Needs Bernardo's screenshot or
-an Acer repro to pin the actual widget before fixing.
-
 ### 127. `[blocked:hw]` Docked idle: black screens, no wake, undock does not restore panel
 
 Bernardo 2026-07-15 (AMD dev box, docked): left the laptop docked; after a

agent/JOURNAL.md

@@ -19,6 +19,17 @@ Template:
 
 ---
 
+## 2026-07-15 — #98 GTK dialog button black-on-dark (Boreal)
+- **Task:** Bernardo: GTK dialog button labels black vs dark Boreal chrome.
+- **Did:** Root cause — Stylix pins light `adw-gtk3` for all polarities.
+  Force `adw-gtk3-dark` when mode=dark, prefer-dark, and extraCss for
+  dialog/action button labels (suggested/destructive keep dark-on-pastel).
+- **Verified:** V1 HM gen: settings.ini `gtk-theme-name=adw-gtk3-dark`,
+  prefer-dark=true, gtk.css button rules present. V3: open a GTK dialog
+  after nomarchy-home.
+- **Pending:** V3 eyeball on real session.
+- **Next suggestion:** hardware queue or human #115/#120.
+
 ## 2026-07-15 — Document generation prune for users (#128 docs)
 - **Task:** User-facing docs for the 14d / keep-≥3-past policy.
 - **Did:** RECOVERY §4 (how gens are kept); README generation section +

docs/ROADMAP.md

@@ -427,6 +427,11 @@ Design/decision records and a running log of shipped work (items marked
   default `$TERMINAL` / SUPER+Return, doctor + calendar + what-changed use
   `kitty --class=com.nomarchy.*`. Ghostty module and install-time GL probe
   removed. V3: Acer SUPER+Return + doctor float.
+- ✓ **GTK dialog button labels (#98):** Stylix always set `gtk-theme-name=
+  adw-gtk3` (light sheet) while recoloring tokens for dark palettes — light
+  sheet hardcodes near-black button text → black-on-dark in GTK dialogs
+  (Boreal). Fix: force `adw-gtk3-dark` / `adw-gtk3` from palette mode,
+  prefer-dark, and pin dialog button colours in Stylix extraCss.
 - ✓ **Generation prune (#128):** weekly `nomarchy-gen-prune` (system + HM):
   delete only gens older than **14 days** that are also beyond the **3 most
   recent past** gens (current always kept). Stock `nix.gc` no longer uses

modules/home/stylix.nix

@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ in
           # contrast selected rows + explicit arrow colour. Appended to
           # Stylix's generated gtk.css (not gtk.gtk3.extraCss — that is a
           # no-op under Stylix).
+          #
+          # #98: dialog button labels. Stylix always installs theme name
+          # "adw-gtk3" (light sheet) and only recolors @define-color vars.
+          # The light sheet hardcodes dark/black button text in places; on a
+          # dark palette that becomes black-on-dark in GTK dialogs. We force
+          # adw-gtk3-dark for dark mode (below) and still pin button label
+          # colours here so dialogs stay legible if a light sheet slips in.
           extraCss = ''
             menu menuitem, .menu menuitem, .context-menu menuitem {
               color: #${base16.base05};
@@ -95,6 +102,33 @@ in
               background-color: #${base16.base0D};
               color: #${base16.base00};
             }
+
+            /* Dialog / message-box action buttons (#98). */
+            button, button label,
+            .dialog-action-area button,
+            .dialog-action-area button label,
+            messagedialog button,
+            messagedialog button label,
+            .message-dialog button,
+            .message-dialog button label {
+              color: #${base16.base05};
+            }
+            button:disabled, button:disabled label {
+              color: alpha(#${base16.base05}, 0.5);
+            }
+            /* Suggested/destructive sit on pastel accent/bad — dark label
+               is intentional and contrast-checked (~4:1 on Boreal accent). */
+            button.suggested-action, button.suggested-action label,
+            button.destructive-action, button.destructive-action label,
+            button.default, button.default label {
+              color: #${base16.base00};
+            }
+            button.suggested-action.flat, button.suggested-action.flat label {
+              color: #${base16.base0D};
+            }
+            button.destructive-action.flat, button.destructive-action.flat label {
+              color: #${base16.base08};
+            }
           '';
         };
         qt.enable = true;
@@ -147,7 +181,23 @@ in
     # udiskie — are built as image menu items, so without this their icons
     # silently vanish. Stylix drives the HM gtk module, so extraConfig
     # merges into the same settings.ini it already writes.
-    gtk.gtk3.extraConfig."gtk-menu-images" = 1;
+    gtk.gtk3.extraConfig = {
+      "gtk-menu-images" = 1;
+      # Pair with adw-gtk3-dark so the theme sheet itself is dark, not just
+      # the @define-color recolor (see gtk.theme.name below).
+      "gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme" = t.mode != "light";
+    };
+    gtk.gtk4.extraConfig."gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme" = t.mode != "light";
+
+    # #98: Stylix hardcodes gtk.theme.name = "adw-gtk3" (light CSS) for every
+    # polarity and only injects libadwaita colour tokens. The light adw-gtk3
+    # sheet assumes light chrome and hardcodes near-black button labels in
+    # places — on Boreal that is black text on dark dialog buttons. Force
+    # the matching dark/light sheet; the package still provides both names.
+    gtk.theme = {
+      package = lib.mkDefault pkgs.adw-gtk3;
+      name = lib.mkForce (if t.mode == "light" then "adw-gtk3" else "adw-gtk3-dark");
+    };
 
     # GTK4/libadwaita and Qt6 apps decide dark vs light from the XDG
     # portal's color-scheme (org.freedesktop.appearance), which
@@ -155,7 +205,12 @@ in
     # the GTK theme and `polarity` but not this, so a light theme still
     # rendered libadwaita/Qt apps dark (and vice-versa). Drive it from the
     # palette mode. (programs.dconf.enable is already on system-side.)
-    dconf.settings."org/gnome/desktop/interface".color-scheme =
-      if t.mode == "light" then "prefer-light" else "prefer-dark";
+    dconf.settings."org/gnome/desktop/interface" = {
+      color-scheme =
+        if t.mode == "light" then "prefer-light" else "prefer-dark";
+      gtk-theme =
+        if t.mode == "light" then "adw-gtk3" else "adw-gtk3-dark";
+    };
   };
 }
+