Bug 442273

Summary:	application window opens in the currently-active virtual desktop, not the virtual desktop where it was launched
Product:	[Plasma] kwin	Reporter:	Henry Pfeil <hpfeil>
Component:	general	Assignee:	KWin default assignee <kwin-bugs-null>
Status:	REPORTED ---
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	dev.bacteriostat, nate, solouno66
Priority:	NOR	Keywords:	usability
Version:	5.22.5
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Manjaro
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Henry Pfeil 2021-09-10 16:54:12 UTC

SUMMARY

Software like Qt Creator, or Firefox, takes a minute from the time it is invoked until its window appears on the desktop. While waiting, I may go to another desktop to read a just-arrived e-mail message. Even though I launched the application from, for example, desktop 4, its window appears in desktop 5.

Would it not be more elegant if the application window opened on the same desktop from which it was launched? Open Qt Creator on desktop6, go to my e-mail desktop3, Creator window opens in desktop6. When I'm finished with my sub-task, I go back to my IDE desktop6 and Creator is up and running.

Instead, while I'm reading a message on desktop3, Creator's window opens and obscures the message window I'm reading. Seems a bit intrusive, perhaps even a violation of the Law of Least Astonishment.

Same with Firefox or any other program that takes a significant amount of time after launch before its window opens.

Seems like the program busies itself setting up data structures, initialization, allocating memory and all, then when it is ready to open its application window, only then does it check to see which desktop on which to open its window, which could be different than the desktop from which it was launched. There must be a way to lock the application window to the launch desktop, even if the currently-active desktop is different.

Linux/KDE Plasma: Slackware 15.0
KDE Plasma Version: 5.22.5
KDE Frameworks Version:  5.85.0
Qt Version: 5.15.3

Comment 1 jmg 2021-12-06 16:53:24 UTC

Hello,

I'm also encountering this issue.

Any updates?

Comment 2 Vlad Zahorodnii 2022-01-26 16:48:15 UTC

The main problem is that kwin doesn't know where exactly apps have been started. Not sure that this is actionable.

Comment 3 Bacteria 2022-05-25 08:33:25 UTC

Indeed, this is an annoying bug specially with heavier electron apps that can take 4-5 seconds to launch.

Comment 4 Henry Pfeil 2024-05-09 18:36:16 UTC

Should kwin keep track of the desktop upon which it was launched? Is adding a new variable holding the launch-desktop number, then checking it before painting the window too difficult a task? If so, please close this issue as not-gonna-fixit, rather than leaving it open for years. Maybe change it to wishlist?

Comment 5 Henry Pfeil 2024-06-08 02:11:51 UTC

Obviously not about to be addressed by a competent advanced-degreed computer scientist. I am withdrawing this bug as won't ever happen.

Comment 6 Nate Graham 2024-06-08 02:26:08 UTC

Please don't be vindictive. If this is a real issue, it needs to stay open.