Bug 1043686

I see this in my ~/.xsession-errors file too:

~]$ grep -i background .xsession-errors
QColor::setNamedColor: Unknown color name 'BACKGROUND'
QColor::setNamedColor: Unknown color name 'BACKGROUND'
QColor::setNamedColor: Unknown color name 'SELECT_BACKGROUND'
QColor::setNamedColor: Unknown color name 'BACKGROUND'
QColor::setNamedColor: Unknown color name 'BACKGROUND'
QColor::setNamedColor: Unknown color name 'SELECT_BACKGROUND'

I searched the source code for the string "SELECT_BACKGROUND" and this was the only reference I found.  From kcontrol/krdb/krdb.cpp:

    419   if (exportColors)
    420   {
    421     KGlobal::dirs()->addResourceType("appdefaults", "data", "kdisplay/app-defaults/");
    422     KGlobal::locale()->insertCatalog("krdb");
    423 
    424     QString preproc;
    425     QColor backCol = newPal.color( QPalette::Active, QPalette::Background );
    426     addColorDef(preproc, "FOREGROUND"         , newPal.color( QPalette::Active, QPalette::Foreground ) );
    427     addColorDef(preproc, "BACKGROUND"         , backCol);
    428     addColorDef(preproc, "HIGHLIGHT"          , backCol.light(100+(2*KGlobalSettings::contrast()+4)*16/1));
    429     addColorDef(preproc, "LOWLIGHT"           , backCol.dark(100+(2*KGlobalSettings::contrast()+4)*10));
    430     addColorDef(preproc, "SELECT_BACKGROUND"  , newPal.color( QPalette::Active, QPalette::Highlight));
    431     addColorDef(preproc, "SELECT_FOREGROUND"  , newPal.color( QPalette::Active, QPalette::HighlightedText));
    432     addColorDef(preproc, "WINDOW_BACKGROUND"  , newPal.color( QPalette::Active, QPalette::Base ) );
    433     addColorDef(preproc, "WINDOW_FOREGROUND"  , newPal.color( QPalette::Active, QPalette::Foreground ) );
    434     addColorDef(preproc, "INACTIVE_BACKGROUND", KGlobalSettings::inactiveTitleColor());
    435     addColorDef(preproc, "INACTIVE_FOREGROUND", KGlobalSettings::inactiveTitleColor());
    436     addColorDef(preproc, "ACTIVE_BACKGROUND"  , KGlobalSettings::activeTitleColor());
    437     addColorDef(preproc, "ACTIVE_FOREGROUND"  , KGlobalSettings::activeTitleColor());

And indeed, I have a bunch of properties in my X resources with invalid color names:

~]$ xrdb -query
*Box.background:        BACKGROUND
*Box.foreground:        FOREGROUND
*Button.activeBackground:       BACKGROUND
*Button.activeForeground:       FOREGROUND
*Button.background:     BACKGROUND
*Button.foreground:     FOREGROUND
*Button.highlightBackground:    BACKGROUND
*Button.highlightColor: FOREGROUND
*Canvas.activeBackground:       WINDOW_BACKGROUND
*Canvas.activeForeground:       WINDOW_FOREGROUND
*Canvas.background:     WINDOW_BACKGROUND
*Canvas.foreground:     WINDOW_FOREGROUND
*Canvas.highlightBackground:    WINDOW_BACKGROUND
*Canvas.highlightColor: WINDOW_FOREGROUND
*Canvas.selectbackground:       SELECT_BACKGROUND
...
...

Clearing out the X resources fixes the problem:

~]$ xrdb -load /dev/null
~]$ xrdb -query
~]$ wish
%

A workaround is to go to
  KDE System Settings -> Application Appearance -> Colors -> Options
and disable the checkbox for
  Apply colors to non-KDE4 applications
and logout and login again.

Non-KDE apps may not look as pretty, but at least they'll run.

*** Bug 1053891 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

This request was not resolved in time for the current release.
Red Hat invites you to ask your support representative to
propose this request, if still desired, for consideration in
the next release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Since the problem described in this bug report should be
resolved in a recent advisory, it has been closed with a
resolution of ERRATA.

For information on the advisory, and where to find the updated
files, follow the link below.

If the solution does not work for you, open a new bug report.

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2014-1274.html

*** Bug 1070246 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***