Bug 498436

Summary:	Switching between windows often causes the text cursor to disappear
Product:	[Plasma] kwin	Reporter:	kde
Component:	wayland-generic	Assignee:	KWin default assignee <kwin-bugs-null>
Status:	REPORTED ---
Severity:	normal	CC:	john.kizer
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	6.2.5
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Debian unstable
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description kde 2025-01-09 16:21:06 UTC

SUMMARY

Switching between windows often causes the text cursor to disappear.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Position text cursor in a text entry area (e.g., LibreOffice Writer document, Firefox text entry area, such as a Reddit comment box).
2. Use Tab+Shift to switch windows to another window with a text entry area.
3. Move the mouse cursor around within the new window (without necessarily clicking anywhere).
4. Use Tab+Shift to return to the original window.

OBSERVED RESULT

The text cursor in the original window disappears, and doesn't reappear until a keyboard key is pressed.

EXPECTED RESULT

The text cursor should remain visible.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS

Linux/KDE Plasma: Debian Sid
KDE Plasma Version: 6.2.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.8.0
Qt Version: 6.7.2

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Searching the web, I came across many other reports of similar problems, but I did not find any relevant bug reports here (although I may have missed them):

https://forums.opensuse.org/t/invisible-text-cursor-in-libreoffice/180241/8
https://discuss.kde.org/t/do-you-find-that-the-text-cursor-sometimes-disappears-in-firefox-on-kde-wayland/13503

Comment 1 John Kizer 2025-01-13 20:44:16 UTC

Hi - just to check, is this:

* A visual glitch only - typing inserts text where the cursor had been before, and causes it to reappear?
* The cursor actually moving off of the intended space - typing inserts text somewhere else, because the cursor has moved?

Does the missing cursor end up in applications other than Firefox or LibreOffice?

Thanks!

Comment 2 kde 2025-01-14 02:17:09 UTC

(In reply to John Kizer from comment #1)
> Hi - just to check, is this:
> 
> * A visual glitch only - typing inserts text where the cursor had been
> before, and causes it to reappear?

Yes, exactly.

> Does the missing cursor end up in applications other than Firefox or
> LibreOffice?

Not that I've experienced. To be clear, the problem in not with the mouse cursor, but with the "text insertion" cursor (I'm not sure what the technical name for it is). In other words, the mouse cursor remains visible, and I can move it around - but I can't be sure where typed text will appear until I start typing, at which point the text insertion cursor reappears.

Comment 3 John Kizer 2025-01-14 06:07:08 UTC

Thanks - is LibreOffice running connected to GTK or Qt on your system? (Checking Help > About LibreOffice may indicate that with what it says after "VCL: ")

If it's GTK...I'm suspecting this is https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/merge_requests/8085

Comment 4 John Kizer 2025-01-14 06:11:33 UTC

Sorry for the double email, accidentally Ctrl+Q in my browser window! Just wanted to finish that thought - the description of issues that led to the GTK merge request I linked to there sound very much like yours: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/6405 and https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/issues/4979

Comment 5 Bug Janitor Service 2025-01-29 03:47:09 UTC

🐛🧹 ⚠️ This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least 15 days. Please provide the requested information, then set the bug status to REPORTED. If there is no change for at least 30 days, it will be automatically closed as RESOLVED WORKSFORME.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures, please read https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!

Comment 6 kde 2025-01-30 18:13:35 UTC

(In reply to John Kizer from comment #3)
> Thanks - is LibreOffice running connected to GTK or Qt on your system?
> (Checking Help > About LibreOffice may indicate that with what it says after
> "VCL: ")

"VCL: kf6 (cairo+wayland)"

Does that help? Is there anything else I should check?

> If it's GTK...I'm suspecting this is
> https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gtk/-/merge_requests/8085

Comment 7 John Kizer 2025-01-30 19:46:48 UTC

Thanks for confirming! I can't think of anything else personally to check now, hopefully others may be able to help reproduce and narrow down a cause.