https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=476496
Bug ID: 476496
Summary: Hovering over a window raises it in the task
switcher's "recently used" order when hover-to-focus
is enabled
Classification: Plasma
Product: kwin
Version: 5.27.9
Platform: Archlinux
OS: Linux
Status: REPORTED
Severity: normal
Priority: NOR
Component: tabbox
Assignee: kwin-bugs-n...@kde.org
Reporter: adam.m.fontenot+...@gmail.com
Target Milestone: ---
SUMMARY
This boils down to breaking user expectations. Users who set hover-to-focus
will often hover over multiple windows when moving the cursor from one window
to another, but even though the intermediate windows are (briefly) focused, the
user does not thereby show any intent to use the windows. In hover-to-focus
mode (as well as any other mode), intent to use a window is only signaled by
some other keyboard / mouse input on the window surface or when the window is
raised.
The result is a very annoying experience for hover-to-focus users who are
switching back and forth between two windows with the task switcher (alt-tab).
They will frequently end up switching to windows that they never intended to
raise when the task switcher is activated.
One proposed workaround is to use the "stacking order" in reversed mode (with
the normal shortcut set to reverse and vice versa), which works around this
specific issue because stacking order waits for the window to be raised before
it affects the task switcher behavior. The problem with this is that stacking
order *is not* what's wanted here, because stacking order includes windows set
to "keep above" (always on top). If you are working on two windows that are not
(both) set to keep above, activating the task switcher will switch to the
window at the top of the stack, i.e. the window set to keep above.
As far as I can see, other than adding a third sort order option to meet this
need, the only possible way to get the behavior users of hover-to-focus expect
is to change the "recently used" option so that hovering / focusing a window
isn't enough for it to be considered "recently used". Focusing a window simply
does not have those semantics when hover-to-focus is enabled. Changing this
shouldn't affect any other use cases, because the only way to focus a window
without hover-to-focus is to raise it.
STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Enable hover-to-focus. Make sure the task switcher is set to "recently used"
sort order.
2. Open three windows (e.g. kwrite). Type in one, move the cursor to the third
while passing over the second, and click and type into the third.
3. Activate the task switcher (e.g. alt-tab).
OBSERVED RESULT
The task switcher activates the second window.
EXPECTED RESULT
The task switcher activates the most recently used window, i.e. the first
window.
SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: Arch Linux
KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.9
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.111.0
Qt Version: 5.15.11
Kernel Version: 6.5.9-arch2-1 (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: X11
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
I was asked to recreate this bug for the current KWin version. The previous bug
was https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=443237
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