Bug 463316 - Vertical non-icons-only Task Manager icons are too big
Summary: Vertical non-icons-only Task Manager icons are too big
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: Task Manager and Icons-Only Task Manager widgets (show other bugs)
Version: master
Platform: Manjaro Linux
: NOR minor
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: Plasma Bugs List
URL:
Keywords: regression
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-12-21 20:08 UTC by zorba-kde
Modified: 2023-01-17 17:55 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

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


Attachments
Vertical taskbar, icons too large. (102.15 KB, image/png)
2022-12-21 20:08 UTC, zorba-kde
Details
Customized vertical taskbar (79.12 KB, image/png)
2022-12-21 20:08 UTC, zorba-kde
Details
icons even bigger (102.33 KB, image/png)
2023-01-11 23:55 UTC, zorba-kde
Details
Old versus New (20.5 v 26.5) (36.86 KB, image/png)
2023-01-16 13:52 UTC, Conor
Details

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Description zorba-kde 2022-12-21 20:08:17 UTC
Created attachment 154732 [details]
Vertical taskbar, icons too large.

SUMMARY
Please add a setting for Task Manager icon size in vertical mode!

With the Task Manager in vertical mode, icon size isn't directly controllable by the user. The default size is kind of uncomfortably large (see attachment). The only way to make them smaller is by reducing the width of the panel until the text is invisible, but I want the text visible as well.

I've solved this locally by editing `layout.js` `preferredMaxHeight()`; right now I'm simply doing `return PlasmaCore.Units.iconSizes.medium;`. But it would be nice if this were an Appearance option.

I am happy to implement this and submit a merge request, but note that this is my first time writing QML and my first time submitting to KDE and I will probably screw it up. It may take more of your time than just doing it yourself :) But I'm still happy to! Let me know if you'd like me to give it a shot.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Move task manager panel over to the right side of the screen.
2. Make sure it's wide enough that text is readable (I'm using width 210.)
3. Be annoyed at how few tasks you can see on the screen.

OBSERVED RESULT
(See attachment)

EXPECTED RESULT
I can't find a way to attach a second attachment, so, https://i.imgur.com/4jxc2GX.png

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: Manjaro
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version: 5.26.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.101.0
Qt Version: 5.15.7

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Comment 1 zorba-kde 2022-12-21 20:08:53 UTC
Created attachment 154733 [details]
Customized vertical taskbar
Comment 2 zorba-kde 2022-12-21 20:09:56 UTC
Apparently I just had to submit it! Now, of course, I can't edit my post.

Anyway, customized vertical taskbar screenshot added; that's what I would like to add a config setting to achieve.
Comment 3 Nate Graham 2023-01-05 21:19:09 UTC
This calls out for a slightly smaller size there, not an option.
Comment 4 Nate Graham 2023-01-11 21:58:45 UTC
Git commit 337c60b5821a503c198f072bc34b3c156f1fd811 by Nate Graham.
Committed on 11/01/2023 at 21:57.
Pushed by ngraham into branch 'master'.

applets/taskmanager: use default "medium" spacing for traditional task manager

It was mistakenly using the "small" size for its margins, making icons
effectively too big for their frame compared to the icons-only version.
Changing the multiplier for the traditional task manager makes its
margins match the default margins of the icons-only version.
FIXED-IN: 5.27

M  +2    -2    applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/code/layout.js

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-desktop/commit/337c60b5821a503c198f072bc34b3c156f1fd811
Comment 5 zorba-kde 2023-01-11 23:55:49 UTC
Created attachment 155226 [details]
icons even bigger

This may be a result of me cherrypicking this change into my current version without any other possibly-related changes, but this actually makes my icons *larger*. If you think it's right, though, I'm happy to just wait to see what happens and keep using my original patch until then.
Comment 6 Nate Graham 2023-01-12 21:17:18 UTC
I guess it depends on what you think the right fix is: make the box bigger, or make the icons smaller. I went with the former, on the thinking that the margins were what was wrong, not the icon size.

Ultimately it might make sense to allow customizing the size for Traditional Task Managers that are placed in a vertical panel, just like how we do for Icons-Only Task Managers.
Comment 7 Conor 2023-01-16 13:52:51 UTC
Created attachment 155351 [details]
Old versus New (20.5 v 26.5)
Comment 8 Conor 2023-01-16 13:54:30 UTC
I'd say it just needs to go back to the way it was, I'd struggle to see the need for configuration.
Comment 9 zorba-kde 2023-01-16 15:38:29 UTC
At least for me, the icon size is what was wrong. I move the taskbar to the side partly so I can have more visible and visually-identifiable programs open at once, along with reasonably long titles so I can distinguish stuff with similar names if I need to. Big icons means fewer programs, which, to me, defeats the point.

It might be that this is a niche request (that's certainly what Microsoft decided :V) in which case I'll just live with my permanent local customizations. At the same time, I think there's *some* number of people who really hated the MS decision, and may be comfortable with a more Win10-ish design, and I think that's value in permitting that.

At which point it's either "behave like that by default, annoying anyone who liked the old option" or "provide a little slider in the config options". Which I admit I'm still a fan of, as someone who would use that option, and not as someone who would have to maintain that option :)
Comment 10 Conor 2023-01-16 15:51:48 UTC
I may not have been clear, I meant the way it has been in KDE for over a decade up until recently, small icons & text. 

It's the combination of large icons and text that seems bizarre. Don't know when the change to large icons occurred but the above screenshot is from KDE 5.20.
Comment 11 Nate Graham 2023-01-17 17:55:06 UTC
Git commit 8dc5e1926562139637363f5f9e6e8735234e2393 by Nate Graham.
Committed on 17/01/2023 at 17:54.
Pushed by ngraham into branch 'master'.

Revert "applets/taskmanager: use default "medium" spacing for traditional task manager"

This reverts commit 337c60b5821a503c198f072bc34b3c156f1fd811.

This wasn't the right fix, as it makes the icons larger and decreases
space efficiency.

M  +2    -2    applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/code/layout.js

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-desktop/commit/8dc5e1926562139637363f5f9e6e8735234e2393