On some servers, opening nvim gives an unreadable palette: the text is almost
black on an almost black background.
Reported by the operator 2026-09-18. Not yet reproduced or root-caused.
Suspects, in the order they will be checked
nvim/.config/nvim/init.lua:675 sets opt.termguicolors = true
unconditionally. A terminal chain that cannot carry 24-bit colour then gets
RGB escapes anyway, and the active scheme (nightfly) defines its colours
almost entirely as guifg/guibg - so a failed RGB path leaves very dark
navy on very dark grey, which is the reported symptom.tmux/.tmux.conf.local:342-343 sets default-terminal "tmux-256color" and
adds the Tc truecolor override only for an outer xterm-256color. Two ways
that misses: a host whose terminfo database has no tmux-256color entry
(older ncurses), and an outer terminal that reports anything else.
What has to be measured before changing anything
Per host: whether terminfo carries tmux-256color, the tmux version (Tc
needs >= 2.2), the nvim version, and what nvim actually resolves Normal to.
Which hosts show the problem, and whether it happens inside tmux, outside it,
or both.
Acceptance
A host that cannot carry truecolor must still render a readable buffer, and the
fix must be proven by a red-proof: reproduce the unreadable state, apply the
change, show the same environment rendering readable colours.
On some servers, opening nvim gives an unreadable palette: the text is almost
black on an almost black background.
Reported by the operator 2026-09-18. Not yet reproduced or root-caused.
Suspects, in the order they will be checked
nvim/.config/nvim/init.lua:675setsopt.termguicolors = trueunconditionally. A terminal chain that cannot carry 24-bit colour then gets
RGB escapes anyway, and the active scheme (
nightfly) defines its coloursalmost entirely as
guifg/guibg- so a failed RGB path leaves very darknavy on very dark grey, which is the reported symptom.
tmux/.tmux.conf.local:342-343setsdefault-terminal "tmux-256color"andadds the
Tctruecolor override only for an outerxterm-256color. Two waysthat misses: a host whose terminfo database has no
tmux-256colorentry(older ncurses), and an outer terminal that reports anything else.
What has to be measured before changing anything
Per host: whether terminfo carries
tmux-256color, the tmux version (Tcneeds >= 2.2), the nvim version, and what nvim actually resolves
Normalto.Which hosts show the problem, and whether it happens inside tmux, outside it,
or both.
Acceptance
A host that cannot carry truecolor must still render a readable buffer, and the
fix must be proven by a red-proof: reproduce the unreadable state, apply the
change, show the same environment rendering readable colours.