Bug 457550 - keyboard layouts should allow only one main layout within total (main and spare) of two to unlimited
Summary: keyboard layouts should allow only one main layout within total (main and spa...
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: Keyboard Layout widget (show other bugs)
Version: 5.25.4
Platform: unspecified All
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: Andrey
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-08-06 11:45 UTC by David Chmelik
Modified: 2023-12-15 18:56 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

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Description David Chmelik 2022-08-06 11:45:40 UTC
SUMMARY
Keyboard layouts require minimum 2/3 (of three) layout to be non-spare (if there are only two, neither can be spare) and I thought had maximum but the latter was either older v5.n or fluke or confusion/imagination (so may not matter).

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Add keyboard layouts (such as dialects/languages).
2. Try to make them spare.

OBSERVED RESULT
For a layout to be non-spare you're required to add two more layouts but then only one can be spare.  People accidentally press layout which immediately may change to something unexpected/unknown... exacerbated by you don't even seem to be able to have custom layout name anymore, nor flag simultaneously, so won't necessarily even know it changed.

EXPECTED RESULT
Any & all extra layouts should be able to be spare (or not, and not necessarily in order) so one can require drop-down (to avoid confusion/reboot) instead of minimum 2/3 (of three) non-spare and press layout to change (often accident).  There should be no maximum fewer than all layouts.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
UNIX/GNU/Linux/KDE Plasma: FreeBSD 5+, Slackware 8+, NetBSD 1+, Neon *
KDE/Plasma Version: 3, 4, 5 to 5.25.4
KDE/Frameworks Version: 3, 4, 5 to 5.96.0
Qt Version: 3, 4, 5 to 5.15.5
Comment 1 David Chmelik 2022-08-06 11:50:35 UTC
Since resultant zero usability causes people to reboot I want to change it to major/grave (beyond crash, which isn't a crash but for usability major/grave and even actually critical (though I'd prefer that describe worst/system crashes)).
Comment 2 Andrey 2022-08-07 19:48:13 UTC
(In reply to David Chmelik from comment #0)
> People accidentally press layout which
> immediately may change to something unexpected/unknown... exacerbated by you
> don't even seem to be able to have custom layout name anymore, nor flag
> simultaneously, so won't necessarily even know it changed.

Sorry I can hardly imagine what the problem is.
On Wayland, we have OSD on layout change feature.
Also, there is still a possibility to have custom layout name, it somewhat hidden though - just double click on flag in Label column of keyboard layout setting KCM, - it will swap to a text editable field where you can set the name.
Comment 3 Nate Graham 2022-08-08 17:40:07 UTC
I believe this is what the bug report is about:

> Any & all extra layouts should be able to be spare (or not, and not necessarily in order) so one can
> require drop-down (to avoid confusion/reboot)

So you want to make it so that the Keyboard Layout System Tray applet never changes layout when clicked, and you have to explicitly choose a layout from context menu to switch? Do I have that right?
Comment 4 David Chmelik 2022-08-09 00:52:13 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #3)
> So you want to make it so that the Keyboard Layout System Tray applet never
> changes layout when clicked, and you have to explicitly choose a layout from
> context menu to switch? Do I have that right?

That's the main/last part; yes: there's no reason users should be forced to have two main layouts rather than maximum one or any number they choose.. even all main layouts, on the other hand, anything from one to all main, or any combination of main and spare.
Comment 5 Andrey 2022-08-09 06:19:51 UTC
I think we could remove min two main layouts restriction as I can't recall if it gives us any real benefits.
Regarding custom order,  it's more subtle and looks like a feature request rather than bug.
Comment 6 Nate Graham 2022-08-10 13:55:48 UTC
> I think we could remove min two main layouts restriction as I can't recall if it gives us any real benefits.
Sounds good. Let's get a different bug report to track that, since it's something different from the main thrust of this issue. Bug reports/feature requests need to be about one thing and only one thing.
Comment 7 David Chmelik 2022-08-11 00:55:18 UTC
(In reply to Andrey from comment #5)
> I think we could remove min two main layouts restriction as I can't recall
> if it gives us any real benefits.

Such number of minimum to (possible/past) maximum layouts are the issue (as in original bug description/title) and minimum two main ones has only ever been hindrance for me and everyone I know.  When labels could be flags only without text it was exacerbated due to dialects: no way knowing one is using their country's English or international layout only for dialect/characters elsewhere (unfortunately requiring same flag).  For that case for average users who forget, they accidentally press it and don't notice anything until things start going wrong.  They use Wayland, but I don't; proper technical writing is full term then define acronym afterwards, but anything 'on layout change' is zero help if a user comes to a PC after change was made.

I've always only known main layouts as those not allowing drop-down and spare layouts as those requiring; this issue never has primarily been about drop-down which is only an effect of specific numbers of layouts.  Rewriting the issue to a derived aspect is over-simplification but in fact complication.  I never asked to require drop-down for main layouts, just that being forced to have two minimum (and any maximum other than all) is a bad number (as described and not everyone is bilingual nor necessarily even uses more than one dialect) (so I won't be writing a duplicate report what I already very clearly put as first part of original description/title).
Comment 8 Andrey 2022-08-11 13:19:11 UTC
Sorry, the Summary you provided is not descriptive. It's not possible to understand what is it about just by looking on that.
It's very hard to track such reports, thanks for understanding.
Returning corrected description.
Comment 9 Andrey 2022-08-11 13:46:58 UTC
Usually, you should put it clear the problem you faced, not how it should be implemented
Comment 10 David Chmelik 2022-08-11 14:03:03 UTC
(In reply to Andrey from comment #8)
> Sorry, the Summary you provided is not descriptive.

It was but needed more detail.

> Returning corrected description.

That new one seemed excessive and I never mentioned pointing devices (but that it's not about those, only minimum main & possibly-seen maximum total layouts): some X window managers (WM) & desktop environments (DE) don't need pointing devices and if that is (or will be) possible with X/KDE then I'd want to learn/use (can be faster with more keyboard keystrokes).