Bug 358561

Summary: Kmail doesn't paste images copied along with text
Product: [Applications] kmail2 Reporter: eemantsal <infmtk>
Component: composerAssignee: kdepim bugs <kdepim-bugs>
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME    
Severity: major CC: ab4bd, montel
Priority: NOR    
Version: 5.1   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Gentoo Packages   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments: Content I want to copy/paste
Results when pasted in Kmail's composer
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]

Description eemantsal 2016-01-26 00:11:45 UTC
If I try to paste content copied from other programs, for example a web browser, in a HTML message Kmail only pastes the text. Please look these screenshots -sorry for the external link: I haven't found any way to upload images here-:
If I copy this
[url=http://subefotos.com/ver/?9f0531c30808e73452e6f160d05331f1o.png][img]http://thumbs.subefotos.com/9f0531c30808e73452e6f160d05331f1o.jpg[/img][/url]

I get this
[url=http://subefotos.com/ver/?97419c652a71fc6b8559f60637627597o.png][img]http://thumbs.subefotos.com/97419c652a71fc6b8559f60637627597o.jpg[/img][/url]

As you see the text format is more or less respected, excepting the color, which I suppose depends on my desktop theme, and the image is well placed, and sized but there's no image, just that scaled icon. Seems like Kmail can get the position and dimensions information from the original source but can't download the real image and insert it. It doesn't matter if you try to copy quickly by selecting and middle clicking or with Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, te result is always the same.
At first I though it could be Klipper's fault and not Kmail's, but not, if you try to paste the same content into a webmail composer, for example, things are correctly pasted, so it seems to be a failure in Kmail.
The only ways to insert images seem to be using the tool of Kmail's composer for inserting one image at one time, and also copying the images individually in the web browser and then pasting. This may be ok for one or two images, but if you are pasting 2 or 3 paragraphs with one or two images each it begins to suck; if you are composing 3 or 4 mails like that it becomes a real pain.

I know that many users, especially developers, think HTML email is evil, but in the "real world" is "panem nostrum quotidianum", especially in the office "echosystem", that's why I have valued this bug's severity as Major.


Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Copy some paragraph that is accompained by any image, from any webpage, for instance .
2. Paste it into Kmail's composer

Actual Results:  
Only the text with its format is copied.

Expected Results:  
All the content copied is pasted.
Comment 1 eemantsal 2016-01-26 00:19:44 UTC
Ok, this site doesn't work like KDE Forum,, so the linked images don't show correctly. Basides, once I have sent it I've seen that there is a tool for attaching files, and it seems that once sent, the bug report can't be edited. So, I have botched it. :-/. Sorry, this is the first bug report I file for KDE.
Ok, I attach the screenshots I mentioned.
Comment 2 eemantsal 2016-01-26 00:20:06 UTC
Ok, this site doesn't work like KDE Forum,, so the linked images don't show correctly. Basides, once I have sent it I've seen that there is a tool for attaching files, and it seems that once sent, the bug report can't be edited. So, I have botched it. :-/. Sorry, this is the first bug report I file for KDE.
I attach now the screenshots I mentioned.
Comment 3 eemantsal 2016-01-26 00:22:02 UTC
Created attachment 96844 [details]
Content I want to copy/paste
Comment 4 eemantsal 2016-01-26 00:22:53 UTC
Created attachment 96845 [details]
Results when pasted in Kmail's composer
Comment 5 eemantsal 2016-01-26 00:25:58 UTC
BTW, excuse the red underlines in the second image, I didn't notice I hadn't disabled the orthographic checker when I took the screenshot and the words in english were underlined, but if I paste text in my language there's nothing rare under it.
Comment 6 Laurent Montel 2016-01-26 06:00:51 UTC
indeed there is a problem to import image.
it can't load external url in composer.
I will investigate it
Comment 7 eemantsal 2016-02-26 22:17:36 UTC
Created attachment 97569 [details]
[1]

Well, it seems that I can't attache various images to a single message. I'll attach the rest in following messages. Site's developers should improve this, though.
Comment 8 eemantsal 2016-02-26 22:23:10 UTC
Damn! If I click on «Add an attachment" right up here, where I'm typing, it doesn't attach anything to my message, it just sends the attachment and forgets all my text. Please, this is a real blunder, try to fix it, site developers, I don't think disordered bug reports are the best way of optimizing developers nor reporters' time.

Ok, I goo on with what should have been posted in the former message:

Hi, Laurent.

I wanted to say this weeks before, but writing detailedly takes time, and I don't have as much as I'd want, so I haven't been able to elaborate this comment till today.

Ok, I wanted to add some details that perhaps help you, developers, to find the "culprit" in this bug. I'm ilustrating with screenshots.
As I told before, if you copy&paste a "combo" of text and image only the text is copied, and in the place where the image should be, you only get that scaled white icon I mentioned[1]. I've tried now some text and an image from https://www.kde.org/announcements/plasma-5.5.4.php?site_locale=es and noticed that if you save the mail as a draft, and go to the messages list, open your draft folder, the message, switch to HTML view, and click to authorize to load external references, you can see the correct image [2].

I also said that the only way to paste images and to be capable of seeing them in the editor is to copy and paste the images individually or inserting them with the in-app tool for adding images, but that's if you are coping content from Firefox. I've tried with Qupzilla, selecting the same paragraph with the same image inserted, and it's even worse, xD; but the interesting part is that if you drag and drop the image alone to Kmail's composer, a nice popup asks you to add the image as an attachment or as an inline image[3], and if you select to insert it inline -or however it is in french, english, or the lenguage you have your desktop- it works[4], and you can compose your HTML mail with inline images without much problem -Kmail's composer is still far from competent for HTML messages, but this way, at least you see what you are composing-. But if you try and drag&drop from Firefox, you only get the Image's URL in you message [5].
Since Qupzilla is built on QT I suppose there's some incompatibility with GTK apps like Firefox. There's a bug I'll eleborate when I have the time, that makes drag&dropped html files onto FF from Dolphin impossible to load by FF, which shows a "sympathic" serie of chinese characters in the address box. I'd bet there's some "fight" between GTK and QT, but you are the devs, so I hope you can investigate and find the precise cause.

Finally, if you save this mail as a draft -I mean the "version" that loads the images correctly in the composer- and go to see it, Kmail doesn't load the image, only shows an icon [6]. I must say that this happens to me with all the messages I get and have inline images. Of course I have set Kmail to see attachments inline.
In sum, I think there are three problems related:
- Kmail's composer can't load external references, that's why you can't see your images when composing a message, but can load them if you make them local files, vía C&P individually, for instance.
- There's some incompatibility, at least when drag and dropping between GTK and QT apps.
- Kmail's message viewer, contrarily to the composer's behavior, can't load local references -at least still images, haven't tried videos or animated GIFs- but loads perfectly external references.


I don't think I can provide more useful info, but in case I'd see anything else I'l comment here.

Regards.
Comment 9 eemantsal 2016-02-26 22:24:50 UTC
Created attachment 97570 [details]
[2]

This is the second Screenshot that this form doen't allow to attach to my detailed message...
Comment 10 eemantsal 2016-02-26 22:26:33 UTC
Created attachment 97571 [details]
[3]

Third Screenshot
Comment 11 eemantsal 2016-02-26 22:27:19 UTC
Created attachment 97572 [details]
[4]

4th
Comment 12 eemantsal 2016-02-26 22:28:02 UTC
Created attachment 97573 [details]
[5]

5th
Comment 13 eemantsal 2016-02-26 22:28:43 UTC
Created attachment 97574 [details]
[6]

and 6th.
Comment 14 Justin Zobel 2022-10-19 22:10:56 UTC
Thank you for reporting this bug in KDE software. As it has been a while since this issue was reported, can we please ask you to see if you can reproduce the issue with a recent software version?

If you can reproduce the issue, please change the status to "CONFIRMED" when replying. Thank you!
Comment 15 Bug Janitor Service 2022-11-03 05:07:14 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least
15 days. Please provide the requested information as soon as
possible and set the bug status as REPORTED. Due to regular bug
tracker maintenance, if the bug is still in NEEDSINFO status with
no change in 30 days the bug will be closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
due to lack of needed information.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures please read the
wiki located here:
https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging

If you have already provided the requested information, please
mark the bug as REPORTED so that the KDE team knows that the bug is
ready to be confirmed.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 16 Bug Janitor Service 2022-11-18 05:17:29 UTC
This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least
30 days. The bug is now closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
due to lack of needed information.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures please read the
wiki located here:
https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 17 George L. Emigh 2024-01-09 06:30:27 UTC
KMail
Version 5.24.4 (23.08.4)

Decided to try KMail again, lost faith in it at least 4 years ago, and it looks nice now, lots of good new stuff.

I can paste text into an email, but no images.

I use Spectacle to grab image snippets often, I can see the image in my Clipboard Contents, try to paste in KMail's composer and still nothing.

It's 2024, back to the old email client.