Bug 503120

Summary: Plasma session with Xwayland disabled exits unexpectedly when `systemctl --user daemon-reload` is run
Product: [Plasma] plasmashell Reporter: Daniel Hast <danielrh+kdebugs>
Component: Startup processAssignee: Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs-null>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: crash CC: kde, kdedev, nate
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: 6.3.4   
Target Milestone: 1.0   
Platform: Ubuntu   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-workspace/-/commit/4e79a89d6ed117761c2f9e2801c9ecc045b57b10 Version Fixed In: 6.5.0
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Daniel Hast 2025-04-21 15:21:40 UTC 
SUMMARY
If Xwayland is disabled, running `systemctl --user daemon-reload` causes the Plasma session to exit abruptly.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Disable Xwayland in Plasma, for example by running `systemctl --user edit plasma-kwin_wayland.service` and adding the following lines in the service file override:

[Service]
ExecStart=
ExecStart=/usr/bin/kwin_wayland_wrapper

2. Restart the computer and log in via the graphical interface as usual.
3. In a terminal, run `systemctl --user daemon-reload`.

OBSERVED RESULT
The Plasma session immediately exits, closing all open applications and logging out the user.

EXPECTED RESULT
Running `systemctl --user daemon-reload` shouldn't cause the Plasma session to exit.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: Kubuntu 25.04
KDE Plasma Version: 6.3.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.12.0
Qt Version: 6.8.3

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Also tested on Fedora Kinoite 42; the same thing happens. The bug does not occur if Xwayland is enabled.

I couldn't manage to get a backtrace; as far as I can tell, the Plasma shell seems to exit normally (technically not crashing), just under circumstances when it shouldn't be exiting.
Comment 1 Bug Janitor Service 2025-07-10 19:17:24 UTC 
A possibly relevant merge request was started @ https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-workspace/-/merge_requests/5668
Comment 2 Nate Graham 2025-07-11 15:31:18 UTC 
Git commit 4e79a89d6ed117761c2f9e2801c9ecc045b57b10 by Nate Graham, on behalf of Daniel Hast.
Committed on 11/07/2025 at 15:31.
Pushed by ngraham into branch 'master'.

fix(startkde): make plasma-ksmserver.service Wants instead of Requires (BUG: 503120)

### Reason for the change

This changes `plasma-ksmserver.service` from a strong dependency (`Requires=`) to a weak dependency (`Wants=`) in `plasma-core.target`. This means that, if ksmserver fails (which will happen, for example, in a Wayland session with Xwayland disabled), it will not cause the whole Plasma session to fail. (Currently this failure seems to only be triggered when the user service manager is reloaded, for example by running `systemctl --user daemon-reload`; I think this has to do with the order the services are loaded in.)

Note that `plasma-workspace-x11.target` has `BindsTo=plasma-ksmserver.service`, a strictly stronger dependency requirement, so this change has no impact on X11 sessions.

### Bugs fixed

M  +1    -1    startkde/systemd/plasma-core.target

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-workspace/-/commit/4e79a89d6ed117761c2f9e2801c9ecc045b57b10