[User 231078]

Hi everyone.

Can the Kodi developers please create a way for future skin creation/ updates to enable delete that skin?

After more than 3 years, I thought I would look around for some new skins, so I installed one, didn't like it,
then I tried to switch to a new one or the default one but couldn't. All options are hidden or greyed out.

This gave me De ja vu, since I remembered the same thing happening over 3 years ago!
a quick Google for a fix gave me options like:
- SSH into the device to delete some buried file.
- Browse into the device directory to find and delete gui settings
- ...

I can imagine that for a lot of people this will be very difficult or even imposible,
(...closed of system like Apple TV, fire..... or they are unfamiliar with droid browser/ file system.....)

So why do some skins still make it impossible to change skins or revert easily with just your remote
(since that's what kodi is supposed to be, easy controls with a simple controller!!! NOT using a desktop to SSH into buried directories to delete stuff)

@kodi developers: maybe make a rule where starting 2016 every skin developer needs to enable easy access to revert to the stock skin,
or have that skin moved to a different forum section labeled as "NOT OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED" or
"UNABLE TO REVERT WITHOUT PROGRAMMING SKILLS"

[Jeroen]

I can't imagine any skin developer deliberately preventing you from changing skins. And to be honest I think it's quite disrespectful for you to assume that to be the case. Without denying access to the entire settings screen it's not even possible for a skin to enforce this kind of limitation.

Did you even bother to address this in the relevant skin thread? From your post history it doesn't seem like it.

So, I think you're extremely overreacting proposing these so called rules when you are seemingly not taking any other possible factors into account.

[User 231078]

... well, hijacking indeed seems badly phrased, (I tried my best when is wrote the first time), but i changed some parts now.
.... (and I do understand that skin designers are people who create in their free time to improve kodi)

but,

- It this is happening over a time period of let's say 5 or more years....
- on 6, maybe more devices that I have tested/ setup for my family.
- and with a handful of skins.
- when search gives lots of post asking help on how to change skin X or Y after they installed it.
- when people advice you to not install skin X or Y because you'll be stuck with it and forced to reset (just like what happened to them)..

Then I think it's something to be looked at by developers, and not 1 of those 6 skin designers.
- maybe change the way skins are sorted, maybe show a pop up when you look or install a skin that has certain needs,
add a reset button on the main menu for 24 hrs or until the next start up....
or ask to revert to default skin after 1 min. & again after 5 min.
(Now you select a skin and see: "do you want to keep changes?" "Yes" "No" but you haven't experienced the way the skin handles.

[Jeroen]

You are not explaining how this is happening to you.

You installed a skin, then decide you want to use a different skin...

Then what? Where in the process of changing back are you not able to proceed?

I have been using XBMC/Kodi for well over 8 years and I have never experienced this problem. Granted as I am a skin developer myself I don't change skins often other than for testing purposed but still.

The only ways I can think of getting locked out from changing skins:

1. The skin does not provide a shortcut to the settings screen on the home screen (I personally have never seen this)
   
2. The skin has a customisable home menu and the user removes the shortcut to the settings screen (in my skin the user gets a warning when he does this)
   
3. The skin does not support touchscreen and / or mouse usage, making it hard or impossible to access certain buttons / menus. Most skins make notice of this lack of support in their description or disclaimer.
   

In cases 2 and 3 it's simply a case of not reading.

[User 231078]

correct, Cases 2 & 3 is not reading. But still could be helpfull to have an extra help, who knows what might go wrong.
maybe a 1minute timer (like in windows on a resolution change)
this gives the user a chance to look around, if he doesnt like it, or for some reason there is a loss of control (user or software) he will return to confluence.

so i have found my mistake, and have just talked to others who (thought) they had the same issue.
so when the first 2 that i talk did the same as me,
then i guess there are more people who interpret the menu in the same way. (or are just just as dumb as me)


to explain how i have interpreted the settings menu (apparently since i got xbmc):
when I started customizing things, (change scraper, subtitle service, oooh, i can also different skins!)

then the place to install all these types of add-ons is:
settings --> add-ons --> all add-ons --> (and finally: skins)

now once you change it, and it doesn't work, you want to revert...
...so you usually try to trace back your steps

from home area, under system you see:
Skin Settings: (nothing here to help me change back to first skin) ....back
add-ons: (.....yes, it was here where i installed the skin, and caused my problem... so i'm in the right place)
add-ons --> all add-ons --> skins WTF everything is greyed out,

i can't get back, I google the problem (in a way that unknowingly gets me to people with the same approach)
"xmbc skin wont let me change back"

when i look around other places
sub menu appearance (to me thats the place to change style of the skin (font, color, etc...)
the top button "SKIN" #skin name# has never been used by me. (it looked informational)
below that: settings: sends you to another sub menu in settings: skin
(here it looks like you change preferences of skins (date format, change animation types)

Thats how i interpreted the layout of kodi from day one.
and asking through IM today, it appears at least 2 friends did the same,

...
at first post, i suggested a way to filter skins that have special requirements.
maybe during first setup, get asked how you are controlling kodi?
-keyboard-mouse, remote, touchscreen.
next when you try to install skin X or Y that doesn't work for that situation, you get a warning of a high chance that you'll lose control.
..... and maybe a way to revert to confluence, or delete the current skin from the all add-ons section?

[Jeroen]

So, not a single thing you mentioned has anything to do with skins locking you out of anything, yet you are up in arms how rules should be enforced on skin developers.

Skin settings does exactly what the name implies, change settings that are related to the skin.

You say you have been using xbmc/Kodi for 5 years. Well ever since I have been, changing the skins is done by going to settings->appearance. And even though you say one of the buttons there says skin - skin name it never occurred to you to press that...?

And in Enabled add-ons->skins you could have removed it. Obviously not from get add-ons->skins as that is where you go to download. You don't expect you can remove apps from your phones App Store right?

Your suggestion about showing a warning that a skin does not support certain input devices is not a bad idea. But other than that I'm really not seeing any issue other than not paying attention, and you could have saved yourself a lot of problems by simply checking the wiki or ask on the forums.

[User 231078]

I posted about a problem i have had, and had 5 years ago. and seems others do the same.

After posting, this afternoon i found a solution, and even said "i found "my mistake""
I posted it in a general area, i didn't name any skins saying that designer is doing bad things. etc...

clearly i was in the wrong. and said so.

back when i first had the problem, the only solution i could find online was delete gui settings or reset the profile.
i found references about multiple skins not allowing you to revert to the previous skin,
or "I installed skin X or Y and afterwards i was unable to disable or delete it."

then i remember that and stay away from that skin
seems there are others who did the exact same thing.

so, i used that way until i found a skin i liked, and sticked with it ever since.

now years later i had the same problem (mistake)
so i asked if there was a way to prevent skins from doing that.

an hour later i found the solution, and suggested maybe implementing a way that it isn't so easy to make the wrong conclusion where you need to install skins....
Then people go to the correct place and do it like it should be done.

And in Enabled add-ons->skins you could have removed it. Obviously not from get add-ons->skins as that is where you go to download.

why not? you can disable and remove any other type of add-on in all sections of add-ons..
so why not skins? that is exactly what lead me to think that the problem was cause by the skin

- You install a skin, you don't like it for whatever reason...
- you go to add-ons --> skins to try to disable it or delete it, but can't, !even though there are buttons clearly designed for exactly that!
- next you try to find confluence but it isn't there.

you go to any other type of add-on that is active, and you can disable and delete it. (understandably from device and not the "store")

why not in skins?
If you disable or delete your active skin the auto action could be: revert to default skin.
or message: active skins need to be changed in "appearance"


and as a pc user, when that type of behavior happens, I think back of some malware or virus or something.
you install program B that looks better than the program you use now,
but when you install it, it isn't what you're looking for,
...also, the same option you previously used to install has options to disable or delete do not work... go figure.
and the program you used before is no longer found...

[Jeroen]

why not? you can disable and remove a scraper or audio service in all sections of add-ons..

...no. You don't understand what I'm saying.

In the add-on browser there are several entries:

-enabled add-ons
-disabled add-ons
-get add-ins
-etc

Uninstalling a skin can be done by pressing info and selecting uninstall. If you do this when in "enabled add-ons" it will be removed from the list because you uninstall it.

"Get add-ons" is where you download skins, the equivalent of an App Store. It is not a listing of skins on your system, but a listing of skins that are available to download, so obviously you can't remove it from this list. Again, you can uninstall it if it is on your system.

so why not skins? that is exactly what lead me to think that the skin creator was doing something bad

This isn't even specific to skins...this goes for all types of add-ons.

[User 231078]

sorry, none of the steps you just explained made any sence in regards to what i'm adressing,

Uninstalling a skin can be done by pressing info and selecting uninstall. If you do this when in "enabled add-ons" it will be removed from the list because you uninstall it.

"Get add-ons" is where you download skins, the equivalent of an App Store. It is not a listing of skins on your system, but a listing of skins that are available to download, so obviously you can't remove it from this list. Again, you can uninstall it if it is on your system.

you explain these 2 steps as if they are different, 1is the correct way, the other is incorrect.
but deleting an installed skin does exactly the same in in either categories.

- If i install a skin,
- i do not like it,
- So i retrace my steps, and return to ANY of the 2 lists "enabled add-ons" or "get add-ons" (makes no difference)
- and select the skin i do not like,
- uninstall and disable is greyed out!!!
... also, the skin you knew worked (default skin, or what you used before) is either not in the list, and/or can not be activated

( !!! again, this is if a person is not familiar with the "appearance" section of kodi !!! )

This isn't even specific to skins...this goes for all types of add-ons.

No, If i install a music add-on, scraper, video add-on, ......or whatever,

If i go to any of these 2: "Enabled add-ons" or "Get add-ons" i can select the add-ons, and disable or delete it.

[Jeroen]

Then something very weird is up with your install. If I go into "enabled add-ons" and select any skin I can uninstall it just like I can any other type of add-on.

[Martijn]

1) you cannot install a skin you are currently using. Switch to another skin
2) Confluence is the default shipped skin and it cannot be uninstalled
3) addons which are made mandatory by other addons cannot be removed.
4) system installed addons cannot be removed
5) millions of people use the software day by day

[User 231078]

i know now,
and once you figure out how it was supposed to work, its silly.
(and FYI i'm a very happy kodi user, so it is in no way that i hate the software)

but lets say:
if one start customizing kodi, .....they go in through the add-ons section,

• goes through the list of various types of add-ons, installs them,
  
• . . .can "disable" or "uninstall" an add-on easily in the same section!
  
• afterwards, they comes across skins and installs one there...
  
• But once installed, does not like it (for whatever reason)
  
• so the user retraces his steps to undo his action (like before with any other add-on)
  

but when he tries to, he finds non functioning buttons "uninstall" "disable" and can not uninstall the skin.

This can create confusion. "Why can't i delete this skin" ....the buttons are there, but they are not working!"

a simple message "you can not delete skins here"
or
"Please use another skin in appearance before you can delete the active skin"

or why not be able to delete your active skin in the add-ons section, and if so kodi reverts to the default skin?
because i also read some skins have appearance in another section, the user can't find it,
and the only way to go back to confluence is to install another random skin in order to get back to "appearance"

P.S. I won't be in need of any changes,
I would have no gain, or it won't make kodi easier for me ..... i'll go through appearance from now on.

But if you understand my reasoning then maybe for others who:
- might be new to kodi,
- took the same path as explained above,
- or installed a skin and can't find a way back,

A change could improve things.

[mikedeluco]

My current skin does not allow me access to setting. so im stuck.

[Robo9er]

I am also stuck in a skin. I loaded the StarWars skin and the only functionality that I have is picture addons. I never saw ANY warnings and frankly the conversation above is not helpful to resolving this issue in the least and amounts to just bantering in support that all skins are awesome.

I am a novice and I have kodi loaded on a PC with no remote, just a keyboard. I need to know how and where to get to a place where I can either deletre this skin and go back to confluence or to get to settings to change it.

How about some real help?

[Gade]

The Star Wars skin is not in the official repo. Where did you get it?

To manually delete it, you can navigate to your addons folder (on Windows something like: C:\Users\YOUR USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\) and look for a folder called something with star wars. Most likely skin.starwars...
Delete the entire folder.