Bug 461016 - Enabling touch mode is unnecessary when the DPI scaling is high and the screen resolution is low
Summary: Enabling touch mode is unnecessary when the DPI scaling is high and the scree...
Status: RESOLVED INTENTIONAL
Alias: None
Product: kwin
Classification: Plasma
Component: core (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 5.26.1
Platform: openSUSE Linux
: NOR minor
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KWin default assignee
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-10-26 13:16 UTC by Fushan Wen
Modified: 2022-12-02 00:24 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
Touch Mode On.png (246.52 KB, image/png)
2022-10-26 13:16 UTC, Fushan Wen
Details
Touch Mode Off.png (259.06 KB, image/png)
2022-10-26 13:17 UTC, Fushan Wen
Details

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Description Fushan Wen 2022-10-26 13:16:27 UTC
Created attachment 153216 [details]
Touch Mode On.png

SUMMARY
I am using an 8-inch tablet running Plasma 5.26. I noticed the touch mode was enabled automatically, but since the screen size is small and the screen resolution is only 1920x1200. With 200% scaling, the extra spacing in the task manager and the system tray seems unnecessary because those icons are already large enough. Also the title bar is too big.


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. 
2. 
3. 

OBSERVED RESULT


EXPECTED RESULT


SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Windows: 
macOS: 
Linux/KDE Plasma: 
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version: 5.26.1
KDE Frameworks Version:5.99 
Qt Version: 5.15.6

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Comment 1 Fushan Wen 2022-10-26 13:17:09 UTC
Created attachment 153217 [details]
Touch Mode Off.png
Comment 2 Nate Graham 2022-10-26 19:16:30 UTC
For that particular hardware, 200% scale might be excessive and would indeed result in a low effective resolution. That said, looking at your screenshot, the one with Touch Mode enabled looks like it's showing the typical information density and large touch targets that we're aiming for on a  touch device. So to me this looks like RESOLVED INTENTIONAL.

Regardless, it's for this reason that we let you turn off touch mode. We can't anticipate every possible combination of scale and resolution to do this automatically, or people's preferences for higher density.

IMO the real issue here is that you're using the desktop shell which is not really optimized for tablets; it's intended for 2-in-1s and convertibles. On a tablet with a very small 8 inch screen, we would want form factor-specific optimizations such as:

- Maximizing all windows by default
- Hiding window titlebars by default
- Hiding the Panel or marking it as "Windows Can Cover" by default
- Using a hardware button or a gesture to close or switch between windows

...and so on. We could make Plasma Desktop do that (and this could benefit the Steam Deck use cases too), but at a certain point it might make more sense to use Plasma Mobile instead.
Comment 3 Bug Janitor Service 2022-11-28 16:13:31 UTC
A possibly relevant merge request was started @ https://invent.kde.org/frameworks/qqc2-desktop-style/-/merge_requests/205
Comment 4 Bug Janitor Service 2022-12-01 16:36:11 UTC
A possibly relevant merge request was started @ https://invent.kde.org/frameworks/plasma-framework/-/merge_requests/661
Comment 5 Fushan Wen 2022-12-02 00:22:07 UTC
Git commit 740e160f71fcac4d9c0680bad14cd607e9bedd78 by Fushan Wen.
Committed on 02/12/2022 at 00:21.
Pushed by fusionfuture into branch 'master'.

PC3: allow touch scrolling even when tablet mode is off

If touch input is detected, TextArea should also allow to be scrolled by
touch input regardless of whether tablet mode is disabled. This helps
people whose device has small screens and have to disable tablet mode.

M  +4    -4    src/declarativeimports/plasmacomponents3/TextArea.qml

https://invent.kde.org/frameworks/plasma-framework/commit/740e160f71fcac4d9c0680bad14cd607e9bedd78
Comment 6 Fushan Wen 2022-12-02 00:24:39 UTC
Git commit cb6404df107f5b258eb0558461adda02793d0bba by Fushan Wen.
Committed on 02/12/2022 at 00:21.
Pushed by fusionfuture into branch 'master'.

TextArea: allow touch scrolling even when tablet mode is off

If touch input is detected, TextArea should also allow to be scrolled by
touch input regardless of whether tablet mode is disabled. This helps
people whose device has small screens and have to disable tablet mode.

M  +4    -4    org.kde.desktop/TextArea.qml

https://invent.kde.org/frameworks/qqc2-desktop-style/commit/cb6404df107f5b258eb0558461adda02793d0bba