Bug 386361 - "Switch User": Start new session automatically / Make big icons clickable
Summary: "Switch User": Start new session automatically / Make big icons clickable
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: general (show other bugs)
Version: 5.10.5
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: David Edmundson
URL:
Keywords: usability
: 399117 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2017-10-30 15:13 UTC by Gregor Mi
Modified: 2019-09-17 17:34 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In: 5.17.0


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Description Gregor Mi 2017-10-30 15:13:37 UTC
I see some optimization potential in the Switch User area.

First, here are two scenarios when the function "Switch User" is triggered (e.g. from the application launcher)

(1) If there is only one active session we get this screen:

A big [(+) New Session] icon and two buttons below:
[Cancel] and [Switch]

(2) When there is another session, we have something like:
[Avatar of the other user's session], [New Session Icon]
[Cancel] and [Switch]

For scenario (1) I wonder: if there is only one option ("New session"), why not start the new session automatically? The description of the "Switch User" action already says "Start a parallel session as a different user". So it feels odd to have to do one more click. And: the big New Session icon is currently not clickable. One has to click the relatively small "Switch" button. Intuitively, I am always tempted to click the big "+" icon.

For scenario (2) I propose to also make the big icons clickable so that one click automatically triggers the Switch action.

Another related observation: When I choose Switch User from the Lock screen and there is an unused session this unused session is not always shown to be chosen (I could not figure out when it is shown and when not).
Comment 1 Halla Rempt 2018-10-12 08:38:07 UTC
I also keep clicking on the big plus icon, instead of the button.
Comment 2 David Edmundson 2018-10-13 18:17:27 UTC
Note that switch user has changed for 5.15; we basically no longer have the switch user dialog, always the lock screen version.

That gets rid of one of the concerns about having new session then another option.

However, you still have the big plus and a small button beneath it.

The reason the big plus (currently) isn't a button is that it's part of a listview of potentially N sessions you have to swipe.
Comment 3 Halla Rempt 2018-10-13 18:21:48 UTC
Hm that's curious, because then I would expect all existing sessions to be visible, or at least a few more. I'm still unable to prevent myself from clicking on it, so maybe this particular item should be clickable?
Comment 4 Nate Graham 2018-10-13 22:12:33 UTC
*** Bug 399117 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 5 Nate Graham 2018-10-13 22:12:48 UTC
Agree with both. So much that I filed a dupe! I think it's pretty important that switching users when you're the only user omit the screen entirely and just take you back to SDDM; the intermediate screen is totally useless.
Comment 6 Nate Graham 2019-08-20 02:13:51 UTC
Here's a patch that fixes the issues described here: https://phabricator.kde.org/D23283
Comment 7 Nate Graham 2019-09-17 17:34:48 UTC
Git commit c87d90645dab4a4899dbb50950ff9cc422f96f57 by Nate Graham.
Committed on 17/09/2019 at 17:34.
Pushed by ngraham into branch 'master'.

When asked to switch sessions, jump to session creation if there's nothing to switch to

Summary:
TL;DR version: whenever you currently would be taken to a session switcher page where the only possible action is to go to SDDM and start a new session, instead just show SDDM immediately instead.

Currently, the session switcher screen suffers from a few UX problems:
- There's a fake "start new session" item that looks like a button but isn't clickable
- Asking to switch users always goes to the screen where you can switch to existing sessions even if there are no existing sessions to switch to, which is an unnecessary extra step

This patch aims to solve those problems in the following ways:
- Don't show a fake "start new session" item in the Breeze theme; instead add a real button in the UI to do this
- When asked to show the session management screen and there is only one session so the on;y thing you could do on that screen is create another session, instead just go to session creation directly
- For themes where the fake "start new session" button is shown, use a better icon that doesn't make it look like a clickable button
FIXED-IN: 5.17.0

Depends on D23279

Test Plan:
1. Have only one session > Kickoff/Kicker/dash/Krunner > Switch User -> you go directly to SDDM where you can start a new session
2. Start a new session, then Switch user again -> you go to the session management screen where you can switch to the other session, or start a new one

Videos:
Clicking "Switch User" when there are no other sessions: {F7264475}

Clicking "Switch User" when there is another session to switch to, and then switching to it: {F7264476}

Clicking "Switch User" when there is another session to switch to, and then starting a new session: {F7264480}

Switching between multiple sessions in the session switcher: {F7264483}

If the fake "New Session" item is shown (e.g in other themes), here's what it now looks like: {F7264485}

Reviewers: #plasma, #vdg, GB_2, mart

Reviewed By: #plasma, #vdg, GB_2, mart

Subscribers: GB_2, gregormi, broulik, plasma-devel

Tags: #plasma

Differential Revision: https://phabricator.kde.org/D23283

M  +1    -1    components/sessionsprivate/sessionsmodel.cpp
M  +46   -10   lookandfeel/contents/lockscreen/LockScreenUi.qml

https://commits.kde.org/plasma-workspace/c87d90645dab4a4899dbb50950ff9cc422f96f57