Bug 466251

Summary: Global scale setting changes back to 100% if I open a directory in Dolphin as root, but Display Configuration shows the Global Scale is still 200%
Product: [Plasma] kwin Reporter: Terry Forsythe <terry.forsythe>
Component: generalAssignee: KWin default assignee <kwin-bugs-null>
Status: CLOSED NOT A BUG    
Severity: major CC: nate
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: 5.27.1   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Neon   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Terry Forsythe 2023-02-22 17:41:38 UTC 
SUMMARY
***
I have 4k displays, and have my Global scale set to 200%.  Up until today's update it was working fine.  After today's update, if I open a directory as root in Dolphin, my global scale reverts back to 100%.  In Display configuration it still indicates 200%.  To reset it, I change the Global scale to some other value, select apply, then again select 200% and it goes back to 200%.  If I again open a directory as root, the Global scale again goes back to 100%.
***


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1.   In settings, Display and Monitor --> Display Configuration, set Global scale to 200%.
2.   With the "Open Dolphin as root" plugin installed in Dolphin, from within Dolphin open a directory as root.

OBSERVED RESULT
1.  Global scale reverts back to 100%.
2.  Display Configuration still shows Global scale set to 200%.

EXPECTED RESULT
1.  When the Global Scale is set to 200%, it will stay at that setting.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: KDE Neon 5.27
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.1
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.103.0
Qt Version: 5.15.8

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This is a new issue that just started after I updated KDE Neon today, 22 Feb. 2023.
Comment 1 Terry Forsythe 2023-02-22 17:53:44 UTC 
I solved the issue by reinstalling the "Open as root" plugin.
Comment 2 Terry Forsythe 2023-02-22 17:57:38 UTC 
Well, I thought I solved the issue.  After I opened up /etc/default/grub in Kate the global scale again went back to 100%.
Comment 3 Terry Forsythe 2023-02-22 18:45:16 UTC 
There should be one more step in STEPS TO REPRODUCE:

3.  Open a text file with Kate.
Comment 4 Nate Graham 2023-02-22 19:31:58 UTC 
Your preferred scale factor is stored in your home directory.

When you open Dolphin as the root user, it reads settings from the root user's home directory, not yours.

If you want to be able to manage root-owned files using Dolphin and keep your user settings in the process, I *strongly* recommend installing kio-admin and using that instead of launching Dolphin as root.
Comment 5 Terry Forsythe 2023-02-22 20:05:51 UTC 
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #4)
> Your preferred scale factor is stored in your home directory.
> 
> When you open Dolphin as the root user, it reads settings from the root
> user's home directory, not yours.
> 
> If you want to be able to manage root-owned files using Dolphin and keep
> your user settings in the process, I *strongly* recommend installing
> kio-admin and using that instead of launching Dolphin as root.

Thank you!  That solved the issue.
Comment 6 Terry Forsythe 2023-02-23 14:39:09 UTC 
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #4)
> Your preferred scale factor is stored in your home directory.
> 
> When you open Dolphin as the root user, it reads settings from the root
> user's home directory, not yours.
> 
> If you want to be able to manage root-owned files using Dolphin and keep
> your user settings in the process, I *strongly* recommend installing
> kio-admin and using that instead of launching Dolphin as root.

kio-admin is working fine in my Neon system.  

kio-admin is not in the official Arch repository, so I installed it from the AUR on my Arch system.  But in Arch kio-admin keeps prompting me to enter my password to open files that should not need a password to be accessed (e.g., files in my home directory and files on my NAS).  Maybe kio-admin is not completely compatible with Arch, or there is a configuration file somewhere that needs to be tweaked.  I don't know.  In the terminal I searched for a kio-admin man page, but my system did not find one.

Anyway, to solve this issue in Arch I logged in as root and changed the Global scale to the desired scale.  Logged in as myself I reinstalled "Open as Root".