Right now, in trunk, it can't be disabled in any way using both config file and systemsettings. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Install latest live plasma pacakges 2. Add at least 2 layouts Actual Results: There'll be big OSD on the screen, which can't be disabled. Expected Results: There should be options either to disable OSD partially, or to at least make it less annoying. Right now it distracts a lot.
This was changed for 5.2 to be only on keyboard activation. I.e not plasmoid or auto switching. It should be a lot less annoying. Lets re-discuss when we've got seen how this behaves.
Thanks, I'll try to compile it today or tomorrow. Though I'd like to have ability to turn it off, because when I type a lot in different languages (like document, or something like that) it'll still be pretty annoying even if it shows only on switch.
I'm happy to revisit it in a month or two. There have been some other comments here: https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=285&t=122714&start=105 I don't like the idea of forming opinions before they've tried something it makes it hard to determine real results. Adding options for me is a last resort as it's usually a sign that the defaults are rubbish. (i.e that maybe we should just kill the OSD)
I can think of when "OSD" is useful - when you have keyboard-less environment, like Tablet, and only if there is a way to change keyboard layout with gestures. But on desktop or notebook, IMHO, it's still annoying - any animation will distract from a work you are doing right now.
I am on Plasma 5.5.5 (Kubuntu Xenial package) and I am still seeing an OSD when switching keyboard layouts. I am switching layouts using a keyboard shortcut while writing texts. The OSD then appears as a big square in the centre of my screen, hiding the text document that I am currently working on, requiring me to wait for 1-2 seconds until resuming my typing. The OSD has an additional fade-out animation that makes it more prominent and harder to ignore. I request this bug to be reopened, since the original problem persists and has apparently not been fixed [1]. There has been some more discussion on this recently (https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=131991). The only way to influence the behaviour seems to be to disable OSD for all notifications, which I don't want to do (OSD for screen brightness changes etc. is useful). Disabling all Plasma OSDs by editing a global configuration file can surely not be the solution that we want to suggest to users here. Personally, I think that an OSD for keyboard layout changes is unnecessary in general, so it should be disabled by default or possibly entirely. Alternatively, one could add an option to the existing notification system settings to configure it. It is quite surprising to a user that the most prominent event notifications that Plasma issues are not configurable in this (otherwise very lengthy and comprehensive) dialogue. [1] The discussion here suggests that the OSD has been changed to be "less annoying". I don't think the project should be satisfied with this outcome. KDE should not be annoying at all.