Bug 461157

Summary:	Wayland: Panel set to "Windows can Cover" does not release focus properly, compared to X11
Product:	[Plasma] plasmashell	Reporter:	Manuel C <manuel.manu.delfin>
Component:	Panel	Assignee:	Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs-null>
Status:	RESOLVED UNMAINTAINED
Severity:	minor	CC:	nate, niccolo.venerandi
Priority:	NOR	Keywords:	wayland-only
Version First Reported In:	5.26.2
Target Milestone:	1.0
Platform:	Arch Linux
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Manuel C 2022-10-29 13:05:11 UTC

SUMMARY
I just switched from X11 to wayland, and noticed a regression:

I have a panel that is set to "Windows can Cover." When switching to a window that covers this panel, either by clicking or scrolling through the on-panel task manager, the panel instantly gets covered.
This didn't happen on X11, where it stayed above the window, until I move the mouse off.
This means I can now no longer switch through several windows by scrolling, if one of them is maximized over the panel.  

I don't know if this changes this behaviour in general, but in "Window Behaviour," I have the window activation policy set to "Focus follows mouse (mouse precedence)" in addition to "Click raises active window."


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Set panel to "Window can cover"
2. Open any window covering the panel
3. Switch to the window, clicking on its task manager entry

OBSERVED RESULT
The panel instantly gets covered and looses focus


EXPECTED RESULT
The panel stays in focus above the window


SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux: Arch Linux, Kernel 6.0.5-arch1-1 (amd64)
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version: 5.26.2
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.99.0
Qt Version: 5.15.6

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Graphics Platform: Wayland (1.21.0)

Comment 1 Manuel C 2022-10-29 13:17:55 UTC

ADDENDUM: On X11, the panel stays open while the mouse is over it, regardles of windows covering it, and then once the mouse moves off it, after a short delay, it lowers itself to its covered position. I really hope this behaviour can be replicated in Wayland.

Comment 2 Manuel C 2022-10-29 13:31:55 UTC

One more thing I found, that should probably be tacked onto this issue, since it kinda depends on the same functionality:
When moving the mouse to the screen edge of the panel, it gets raised into focus.
On X11, unless you click on it to raise it explicitly, it goes back to its previous position, shortly after moving the mouse off it.
On Wayland, it moves to the top and stays there indefinitely, until I click on a window to cover it again.

Comment 3 Nate Graham 2022-11-01 15:14:25 UTC

Can reproduce the issue.

Comment 4 Nate Graham 2023-10-23 18:21:28 UTC

I'm afraid the "Windows Can Cover" Panel visibility mode has been removed for Plasma 6 and we aren't planning to bring it back. In its place, we plan to implement an "intelligent auto-hide" or "dodge windows" mode, per Bug 349785. This should hopefully be much better than "Windows Can Cover" ever was, and offer support for its use cases.

Thanks for your understanding!