KDE File dialogs very different after update, after fresh installation
Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop.
A year ago, I ran 14.04 on same machine, updated it VERY frequently, I never saw these problems. Lets call this install #1, as reference for this thread. This system has seen Kubuntu LTS since at least 12.04, Kubuntu on it kept getting better with each LTS.
Oh, before I forget, for every Kubuntu install, I quickly install Synaptic package manager as I prefer to manage my system using that tried and tested tool.
My first issue was not locking when desktop menu was opened, in early May. It wasn't super important to me, but I posted in hopes other readers would benefit from what I encountered. After almost a month with no response in any manner, I assumed nobody else saw the same issue and I had encountered more pressing issues in KDE over that time, so I simply posted that I had abandoned discussing it.
Recently, mid May 2016, after updating further (no, not upgrading) this system, something that was updated started caused file dialog issue.
The second issue is the changed operations for similar graphic elements in 'file open' and 'file save' dialogs (and print and maybe more?). Will explain more in a moment ("How Broken?"). I initially simply tolerated the file dialog issue, figuring that my concerns would be showing up for others, and after all, this was only the second time where Kubuntu 14.04 had any problem.
As time passed after mid May, update problems escalated beyond file dialogs and ultimately I suffered an intolerably borked setup, all due to simply updating the software. I posted a second problem. End of installation #1, I had to reinstall 14.04
At the conclusion of reinstalling (installation #2), before updating installation #2, the KDE file dialogs worked as they ever worked in earlier LTS releases.
At my first update to installation #2, file dialogs broke again.
How broken?
1] Both left side panel entries of file open and file save dialogs ("Places" and "Devices") are populated properly and you can highlight their contents, but are otherwise unresponsive to multiple clicks and thus, if I click a directory or a device, the expected file list update does NOT take place (clicks are merely highlighting where I clicked in the left side pane). Press enter key after highlighting in the left pane, and yes, the big right pane will refresh. NOT as expected, updating changed this since fresh install #2. Expected that clicking the entry on the left side would select it and also update the right pane, no further action.
I think this sets up the other problems, but I merely guess. The remaining problems are:
2] in the big right side pane where files are listed: I click once and release, I move the pointer and that clicked list entry is now locked onto the pointer and it moves with the pointer. Remember, this is a fresh install, updated exactly one time and this function worked as expected before I updated. I personally do not set any pointer drag lock functions between install and update which would cause this action. NB, below. Clicking the file name used to modify the file name on the
3] without pressing enter after selecting left pane items, the only way to navigate to a destination directory is to use the path stream beside "save in folder" listed above the big right side pane.
4] typeface seems to have changed as well, but I can't be certain.
5] for printing, the device selection button that appears beneath the printer selection window (beneath the big pane) is populated A] as an absolute path to and B] includes the name of the last file selected. Uh-oh.
This never was absolute path before, it used to only include a file name; it should NOT be absolute because if that filesystem is currently mounted and also resides out of view, you'd overwrite the last used file yet never know, because there is no warning about overwriting files - this is a printing dialog, print jobs that are sent to real devices can never overwrite, the actual hardware printer buffers data as sequential. I've already suffered this overwrite loss.
Interesting discovery, but limited results: somebody has decided that under System Settings for touchpads, we now need to have 'Touch to Drag' set as enabled by default. That is a personal usage preference, shouldn't really be enabled by default.
Toggling that to unchecked addresses only item 2].
Any ideas if these are related to other 'System Settings' changes that someone assumed to be desirable? I can't come up with anything at the moment.
A year ago, I ran 14.04 on same machine, updated it VERY frequently, I never saw these problems. Lets call this install #1, as reference for this thread. This system has seen Kubuntu LTS since at least 12.04, Kubuntu on it kept getting better with each LTS.
Oh, before I forget, for every Kubuntu install, I quickly install Synaptic package manager as I prefer to manage my system using that tried and tested tool.
My first issue was not locking when desktop menu was opened, in early May. It wasn't super important to me, but I posted in hopes other readers would benefit from what I encountered. After almost a month with no response in any manner, I assumed nobody else saw the same issue and I had encountered more pressing issues in KDE over that time, so I simply posted that I had abandoned discussing it.
Recently, mid May 2016, after updating further (no, not upgrading) this system, something that was updated started caused file dialog issue.
The second issue is the changed operations for similar graphic elements in 'file open' and 'file save' dialogs (and print and maybe more?). Will explain more in a moment ("How Broken?"). I initially simply tolerated the file dialog issue, figuring that my concerns would be showing up for others, and after all, this was only the second time where Kubuntu 14.04 had any problem.
As time passed after mid May, update problems escalated beyond file dialogs and ultimately I suffered an intolerably borked setup, all due to simply updating the software. I posted a second problem. End of installation #1, I had to reinstall 14.04
At the conclusion of reinstalling (installation #2), before updating installation #2, the KDE file dialogs worked as they ever worked in earlier LTS releases.
At my first update to installation #2, file dialogs broke again.
How broken?
1] Both left side panel entries of file open and file save dialogs ("Places" and "Devices") are populated properly and you can highlight their contents, but are otherwise unresponsive to multiple clicks and thus, if I click a directory or a device, the expected file list update does NOT take place (clicks are merely highlighting where I clicked in the left side pane). Press enter key after highlighting in the left pane, and yes, the big right pane will refresh. NOT as expected, updating changed this since fresh install #2. Expected that clicking the entry on the left side would select it and also update the right pane, no further action.
I think this sets up the other problems, but I merely guess. The remaining problems are:
2] in the big right side pane where files are listed: I click once and release, I move the pointer and that clicked list entry is now locked onto the pointer and it moves with the pointer. Remember, this is a fresh install, updated exactly one time and this function worked as expected before I updated. I personally do not set any pointer drag lock functions between install and update which would cause this action. NB, below. Clicking the file name used to modify the file name on the
3] without pressing enter after selecting left pane items, the only way to navigate to a destination directory is to use the path stream beside "save in folder" listed above the big right side pane.
4] typeface seems to have changed as well, but I can't be certain.
5] for printing, the device selection button that appears beneath the printer selection window (beneath the big pane) is populated A] as an absolute path to and B] includes the name of the last file selected. Uh-oh.
This never was absolute path before, it used to only include a file name; it should NOT be absolute because if that filesystem is currently mounted and also resides out of view, you'd overwrite the last used file yet never know, because there is no warning about overwriting files - this is a printing dialog, print jobs that are sent to real devices can never overwrite, the actual hardware printer buffers data as sequential. I've already suffered this overwrite loss.
Interesting discovery, but limited results: somebody has decided that under System Settings for touchpads, we now need to have 'Touch to Drag' set as enabled by default. That is a personal usage preference, shouldn't really be enabled by default.
Toggling that to unchecked addresses only item 2].
Any ideas if these are related to other 'System Settings' changes that someone assumed to be desirable? I can't come up with anything at the moment.
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