Bug 507822

Summary:	Allow app icons dropped into panel spacers adjacent to task manager to be added to task manager
Product:	[Plasma] plasmashell	Reporter:	Tech-Tac <im.tech.tac>
Component:	Panel	Assignee:	Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs>
Status:	CONFIRMED ---
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	kdedev, nate, niccolo.venerandi
Priority:	NOR	Keywords:	usability
Version First Reported In:	6.4.3
Target Milestone:	1.0
Platform:	Other
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Tech-Tac 2025-08-03 18:04:06 UTC

SUMMARY
When using panel spacers next to the icons task manager (i.e. for centering or spacing), the area the task manager occupies on the panel shrinks to only fit the current set of icons which makes adding new ones by dragging and dropping harder, because dragging an app icon say from kickoff to an empty area on such panel would add it as its own widget on the panel and not to the task manager.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Set up a panel such that a task manager is surrounded by flexible spacers.
2. Drag an app icon/.desktop link into a large empty area on the panel

OBSERVED RESULT
App link gets added as a widget which may later confuse users on why they cant reorder it with the other task manager icons.

EXPECTED RESULT
Allow spacer to bypass dragged app links to the nearest adjacent task manager on the panel.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
KDE Plasma Version: 6.4.3
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.16.0
Qt Version: 6.9.1

Comment 1 Tech-Tac 2025-08-03 18:08:50 UTC

Or alternatively, add an option to Icons-Only Task Manager to center its icons while preserving its current width filling behavior.

Comment 2 TraceyC 2025-08-04 22:43:18 UTC

I confirm the difficulty in trying to drag an icon from the App Menu to the Task Manager on the side of a spacer. It would be useful to make this easier for folks.