https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=512977
Bug ID: 512977
Summary: “KNewStuff dialogs show only 4–5 rows with horizontal
scrolling only (usability regression vs Plasma 5)”
Classification: Frameworks and Libraries
Product: frameworks-knewstuff
Version First 6.20.0
Reported In:
Platform: Other
OS: Linux
Status: REPORTED
Severity: normal
Priority: NOR
Component: general
Assignee: [email protected]
Reporter: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected]
Target Milestone: ---
Created attachment 187359
--> https://bugs.kde.org/attachment.cgi?id=187359&action=edit
Shows the app only displaying 5 rows
📝 KDE Bug Report (Full Text – Copy/Paste Ready)
Product: Frameworks → KNewStuff
Version: 6.5.3 (Plasma 6)
Platform: Fedora 43 (x86_64), Wayland
Qt Version: 6.10.1
KDE Frameworks: 6.5.x
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti (proprietary driver)
Summary
KNewStuff (“Get New …”) dialogs in Plasma 6 enforce a fixed 4–5-row horizontal
scrolling grid with no option for vertical scrolling. This is a usability
regression vs Plasma 5, wastes screen space on widescreens, and creates
accessibility and discoverability issues. There is no setting or theme override
to change this behavior.
Steps to Reproduce
Open System Settings.
Navigate to:
Global Themes → Get New Global Themes
Wallpapers → Get New Wallpapers
Icons → Get New Icons
Cursors → Get New Cursors
Any KNS-powered add-on list
Observe the layout of the KNS dialog.
Current Behavior
All KNS dialogs show exactly 4–5 rows of items, regardless of window height.
Layout is constrained to a fixed-height grid.
There is no vertical scrolling.
All browsing must be done by scrolling horizontally using the narrow bottom
scrollbar.
Increasing window height does not reveal additional rows.
Widescreen monitors show large empty vertical space.
This design makes it slow to browse large sets of themes or wallpapers.
This behavior is identical across every KNS category and appears to be a
hard-coded layout in the QML GridView.
Expected Behavior
A vertical scrolling layout, or
A layout that expands vertically when window height allows, or
A compact list/grid mode similar to the Plasma 5 KNS interface, or
At least a user setting to switch between layout modes.
Users should be able to browse add-ons efficiently without being limited to a
fixed small number of rows.
Usability Regression (vs Plasma 5)
In Plasma 5:
KNS dialogs allowed vertical scrolling.
The number of visible rows adjusted to window size.
Browsing large lists was significantly faster.
Plasma 6 removes these capabilities.
Accessibility Impact
Horizontal scrolling is more difficult for users with motor impairments.
Reduced number of visible rows increases repetitive scrolling.
The fixed-height layout wastes space on high-resolution monitors, limiting
readability.
This may violate KDE’s own accessibility guidelines around efficient navigation
and scalable layouts.
Additional Information / Screenshots
Screenshots showing the layout on Fedora 43 (Plasma 6.5.3) demonstrate:
Large areas of unused vertical space
Only 4–5 visible rows
Horizontal scrolling required to access anything beyond the first few columns
(Attaching screenshots or linking them helps but is optional.)
Suggested Solutions (any of these would help)
Reintroduce vertical scrolling for KNS dialogs.
Allow the grid to expand based on window height.
Add a compact list mode (single-column or multi-column vertical list).
Allow themes to override KNS layout behavior.
Provide a user setting to choose between Layout Modes:
Horizontal Grid
Vertical Grid
List
Conclusion
This issue is not a distribution bug.
It is a workflow and accessibility regression caused by the fixed-row
horizontal layout that shipped with Plasma 6 KNewStuff.
Restoring vertical scroll, or even offering a layout toggle, would greatly
improve usability and restore functionality that Plasma 5 users relied on.
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