Bug 514488

Summary:	Windows are stealing focus from desktop items and ruining manually made Alt+Tab orderings
Product:	[Plasma] kwin	Reporter:	Fernando Marcelino Muniz <fernandommuniz>
Component:	general	Assignee:	KWin default assignee <kwin-bugs-null>
Status:	CONFIRMED ---
Severity:	minor	CC:	hein, nate
Priority:	NOR	Keywords:	accessibility, usability
Version First Reported In:	6.5.4
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	CachyOS
OS:	Linux
See Also:	https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=514722
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments:	Issue on Plasma 6.5.4

Description Fernando Marcelino Muniz 2026-01-12 14:20:56 UTC

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Have a Dolphin window with important files in front of the Desktop.
2. Open a Desktop file.
3. Close the Desktop file's window, then press Shift+Del to delete the Desktop file.

OBSERVED RESULT
You'll delete one of your important files because the window stole focus from the desktop.

EXPECTED RESULT
It should return the focus to the Desktop file, or in case the file is not there it should just focus on the Desktop as a whole.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: CachyOS Linux 
KDE Plasma Version: 6.5.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.22.0
Qt Version: 6.10.1
Kernel Version: 6.18.3-2-cachyos (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 8 × 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-11300H @ 3.10GHz
Memory: 9 GB of RAM (8.1 GB usable)
Graphics Processor 1: Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Graphics Processor 2: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
Manufacturer: LENOVO
Product Name: 82MG
System Version: IdeaPad Gaming 3 15IHU6

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
It also steals the manually made Alt+Tab ordering; have a window in front of the desktop, open an image, minimize Gwenview, then open another image. When you try to Alt+Tab to the first image, the window will be there instead, even though you never clicked nor hovered over it.

Comment 1 Fernando Marcelino Muniz 2026-01-12 15:53:26 UTC

Created attachment 188441 [details]
Issue on Plasma 6.5.4

Window interfering despite not being interacted with.

Comment 2 Fernando Marcelino Muniz 2026-01-12 17:33:07 UTC

I thought I had already reported this, but it turns out I just had made comments on a similar issue related to Dolphin.

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=416980#c10

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=416980#c12

The Desktop needs to have focus over windows (to exclude windows from the Alt+Tab order), but not be included in the Alt+Tab order.
The Desktop also needs to regain focus whenever there's an unrelated window over the Desktop, you open an item, then close the window for the item.

I think it would enhance accessibility for managing the desktop area and items while unrelated windows are present.

Comment 3 Nate Graham 2026-01-12 18:49:13 UTC

> then press Shift+Del to delete the Desktop file.

Side note: don't do that. The trash exists for a reason, so that you don't experience data loss in situations like this.