519561 2026-04-29 07:13:09 +0000 Virtual keyboard unusable on Plasma Wayland for non-touch desktop (Maliit non-functional, Onboard unstable, wvkbd unsupported) 2026-05-06 18:54:09 +0000 1 1 4 Plasma plasmashell Input Method widget 6.6.4 Kubuntu Linux RESOLVED DUPLICATE 466948 NOR normal 1.0 0 seeknknow plasma-bugs-null aleixpol duha.bugs kdedev 0 oldest_to_newest 2512745 0 seeknknow 2026-04-29 07:13:09 +0000 SUMMARY No functional virtual keyboard solution on Plasma Wayland for non-touch desktop use (Maliit non-functional, Onboard unstable, wvkbd unsupported) --- STEPS TO REPRODUCE 1. Log into KDE Plasma Wayland session on a non-touch desktop system 2. Enable virtual keyboard (Maliit) in System Settings → Input Devices → Virtual Keyboard 3. Attempt to invoke virtual keyboard via system tray or text field focus 4. Alternatively, install and run Onboard or wvkbd --- OBSERVED RESULT * Maliit: * Service starts but keyboard does not appear * No reliable manual invocation on non-touch systems * Onboard: * Launches and functions partially * Crashes on close (segmentation fault observed) * UI positioning issues under Wayland * Settings dialog crashes * wvkbd: * Fails to start with error: ``` virtual_keyboard_manager not available ``` * Indicates missing or inaccessible Wayland protocol support --- EXPECTED RESULT A virtual keyboard solution should: * Be manually invokable regardless of touchscreen presence * Appear and hide reliably without crashing * Function consistently under Wayland * Integrate with KDE Plasma input system * Provide equivalent functionality to: * Windows On-Screen Keyboard * Onboard under X11 --- SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS Linux/KDE Plasma: Kubuntu 26.04 LTS KDE Plasma Version: 6.6.4 KDE Frameworks Version: 6.24.0 Qt Version: 6.10.2 Kernel Version: 7.0.0-14-generic (64-bit) Graphics Platform: Wayland CPU: 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11700K (16 threads) Memory: 32 GiB RAM GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 --- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This represents a usability and accessibility gap in Plasma Wayland for non-touch desktop users. Common real-world scenarios affected include: * Accessibility use cases (temporary or permanent) * Hardware failure (keyboard unavailable) * Remote or kiosk-like environments * Mouse-only workflows Current state: * KDE-supported virtual keyboard (Maliit) is effectively limited to touch-based interaction * Third-party keyboards are either unstable (Onboard) or blocked due to missing Wayland protocol support (wvkbd) This results in no reliable fallback input method on a standard desktop system. This is not a niche edge case; it is a basic input fallback expected in a modern desktop environment. Improving: * Maliit desktop usability (non-touch invocation) * Wayland protocol support for virtual keyboards * Stability of existing tools under Wayland would significantly improve usability and platform completeness. 2514161 1 kdedev 2026-05-06 18:54:09 +0000 Thanks for the feedback. This has been requested in bug 466948, so I'll merge this report in with that one. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 466948 ***