Bug 467741 - Panel and panel widgets lack transparency
Summary: Panel and panel widgets lack transparency
Status: RESOLVED NOT A BUG
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: Panel (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 5.27.4
Platform: Arch Linux Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: Plasma Bugs List
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2023-03-24 07:10 UTC by etfaker
Modified: 2023-05-24 15:19 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

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


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Description etfaker 2023-03-24 07:10:49 UTC
SUMMARY
***
Hardware: Thinkpad T14s Gen 3 AMD (Ryzen Pro 6850u)
OS: Archlinux
Kernel: Linux
KDE Plasma, Wayland
Latest stable updates installed
***


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Set task bar to "Task Manager"
2. Set it to be translucent or adaptive
3. Enable "Blur" in settings -> Desktop effects (initially the checkbox had "..." instead of a checkmark)
4. The taskbar will never be transparent, no matter what settings I choose in "blur"

OBSERVED RESULT
See screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/PyS7A5X.png

sudo lspci -k | grep -A 3 -E "(VGA|3D)":
pcilib: Error reading /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000:00:08.3/label: Operation not permitted
33:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Rembrandt [Radeon 680M] (rev d1)
        Subsystem: Lenovo Device 50b4
        Kernel driver in use: amdgpu
        Kernel modules: amdgpu


EXPECTED RESULT
Taskbar should become transparent

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: Arch Linux
KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.3
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.104.0
Qt Version: 5.15.8

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
I have the same settings on another laptop where everything works fine (Thinkpad X1 Extreme Gen 1).
Comment 1 Nate Graham 2023-04-04 22:23:39 UTC
The panel has no shadow either. I wonder if desktop effects are not working or something. Do you also see no transparency or no blur in the background of panel pop-ups? If yo hit Meta+D to show the desktop, does it animate?
Comment 2 etfaker 2023-04-05 05:20:37 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1)
> The panel has no shadow either. I wonder if desktop effects are not working
> or something. Do you also see no transparency or no blur in the background
> of panel pop-ups? If yo hit Meta+D to show the desktop, does it animate?

Panel pop ups have no transparency.
Meta+D shows the desktop.
Minimizing / Moving windows shows transparency.

I made a video to show it: https://files.bestmail.ws/Arch/KDE_Transparency.mkv
Comment 3 Nate Graham 2023-04-05 15:08:41 UTC
Have you changed any settings in System Settings > Workspace Behavior > Desktop Effects? The "Highlight changed settings" feature in System Settings will tell you.
Comment 4 etfaker 2023-04-05 15:38:36 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #3)
> Have you changed any settings in System Settings > Workspace Behavior >
> Desktop Effects? The "Highlight changed settings" feature in System Settings
> will tell you.

The things that are highlighted there:
Accessibility:
- Zoom (unchecked)
Appearance:
- Background Contrast (checked)
- Blur (checked) with default settings
- Sheet (checked)
- Translucency (checked) with default settings
- Squad (unchecked)
Focus:
- Dim Screen for Administrator Mode (checked)
Peak at Desktop Animation:
- Eye on Screen (checked)
- Window Aperture (unchecked)
Virtual Desktop Switching Animation:
- Slide (unchecked)
Window Management:
- Desktop Grid (unchecked)
- Present Windows (unchecked)

All other options are not highlighted.(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #3)
> Have you changed any settings in System Settings > Workspace Behavior >
> Desktop Effects? The "Highlight changed settings" feature in System Settings
> will tell you.

(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #3)
> Have you changed any settings in System Settings > Workspace Behavior >
> Desktop Effects? The "Highlight changed settings" feature in System Settings
> will tell you.

The things that are highlighted there:
Accessibility:
- Zoom (unchecked)
Appearance:
- Background Contrast (checked)
- Blur (checked) with default settings
- Sheet (checked)
- Translucency (checked) with default settings
- Squad (unchecked)
Focus:
- Dim Screen for Administrator Mode (checked)
Peak at Desktop Animation:
- Eye on Screen (checked)
- Window Aperture (unchecked)
Virtual Desktop Switching Animation:
- Slide (unchecked)
Window Management:
- Desktop Grid (unchecked)
- Present Windows (unchecked)

All other options are not highlighted.
Comment 5 etfaker 2023-04-05 15:51:21 UTC
Btw, out of the whole "plasma" and "plasma-meta" group/package I do not have the following packages installed.
Basically because I installed plasma-desktop and then added the additional components I required.

List of not installed packages from plasma / plasma-meta:
extra/archlinux-appstream-data                  20230220-1    18,98 MiB      18,11 MiB
extra/bubblewrap                                0.8.0-1        0,08 MiB       0,04 MiB
extra/flatpak                                   1:1.15.4-1     6,89 MiB       1,76 MiB
extra/gdb                                       13.1-2        10,91 MiB       4,31 MiB
extra/gdb-common                                13.1-2         0,92 MiB       0,08 MiB
extra/libmalcontent                             0.11.1-1       0,20 MiB       0,04 MiB
extra/libsoup                                   2.74.3-1       2,66 MiB       0,45 MiB
extra/ostree                                    2023.2-1       4,36 MiB       0,78 MiB
community/plymouth                              22.02.122-7    1,88 MiB       0,97 MiB
community/python-psutil                         5.9.4-1        2,11 MiB       0,36 MiB
extra/qt5-webview                               5.15.8-1       0,21 MiB       0,05 MiB
extra/source-highlight                          3.1.9-10       3,18 MiB       0,66 MiB
extra/xdg-dbus-proxy                            0.1.4-1        0,05 MiB       0,02 MiB
extra/breeze-plymouth                           5.27.3-1       0,16 MiB       0,09 MiB
extra/discover                                  5.27.3-1       4,72 MiB       1,00 MiB
extra/drkonqi                                   5.27.3-1       2,79 MiB       0,54 MiB
extra/flatpak-kcm                               5.27.3-1       0,24 MiB       0,07 MiB
extra/ksshaskpass                               5.27.3-1       0,10 MiB       0,03 MiB
extra/kwrited                                   5.27.3-1       0,05 MiB       0,02 MiB
extra/oxygen                                    5.27.3-1      17,74 MiB       2,91 MiB
extra/plasma-sdk                                5.27.3-1       1,92 MiB       0,44 MiB
extra/plymouth-kcm                              5.27.3-3       0,27 MiB       0,07 MiB
extra/plasma-browser-integration   5.27.3-1       0,41 MiB       0,12 MiB
extra/plasma-vault                 5.27.3-1       1,33 MiB       0,30 MiB
extra/plasma-welcome               5.27.3-1       1,24 MiB       0,78 MiB
extra/plasma-workspace-wallpapers  5.27.3-1      90,73 MiB      89,66 MiB
community/python-psutil            5.9.4-1        2,11 MiB       0,36 MiB
extra/plasma-meta                  5.27-3         0,00 MiB       0,01 MiB

Plasma group: https://archlinux.org/groups/x86_64/plasma/
Plasma-meta package: https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/any/plasma-meta/

But I don't think any of those packages are related to the transparency?
Comment 6 etfaker 2023-04-07 08:40:19 UTC
Update: I just installed the newest version 5.27.4 but still have the same issue.
Comment 7 etfaker 2023-04-25 05:14:25 UTC
Not sure if this helps but:
My taskbar windows have little preview thumbnails when hovering over them with the mouse cursor.
As soon as the task bar windows "stack" (as in, too many windows in the taskbar so it starts stacking windows of the same group) the preview thumbnail will not work anymore and just be a "gray bar" without any content.
Comment 8 etfaker 2023-04-25 05:56:27 UTC
.. or not.. the thumbnails now work fine again when stacking. Must have been a different issue.
Comment 9 etfaker 2023-05-24 08:59:14 UTC
Bump.. still not working. Is there any other place I should ask for help?
Comment 10 veggero 2023-05-24 09:10:08 UTC
Are you using Breeze?

Can you include a recording where you switch wallpapers whilst in adaptive mode, and where you switch between adaptive, transparent and opaque?
Comment 11 etfaker 2023-05-24 09:21:12 UTC
(In reply to veggero from comment #10)
> Are you using Breeze?
> 
> Can you include a recording where you switch wallpapers whilst in adaptive
> mode, and where you switch between adaptive, transparent and opaque?

I am on breeze twilight.
Here is the requested video: https://files.bestmail.ws/Arch/KDE_2.mkv
Anything else I should record?
Comment 12 veggero 2023-05-24 09:24:32 UTC
(In reply to etfaker from comment #11)
> (In reply to veggero from comment #10)
> > Are you using Breeze?
> > 
> > Can you include a recording where you switch wallpapers whilst in adaptive
> > mode, and where you switch between adaptive, transparent and opaque?
> 
> I am on breeze twilight.
> Here is the requested video: https://files.bestmail.ws/Arch/KDE_2.mkv
> Anything else I should record?

Erm, it looks like the transparency is working as intended! It's a subtle effect, but you can see the colors of the panel changing depending on the wallpaper.

If you'd prefer to see more of the wallpaper you can either try to tone down the blur radius in settings, or switch to a more transparent theme.
Comment 13 etfaker 2023-05-24 09:38:05 UTC
(In reply to veggero from comment #12)
> (In reply to etfaker from comment #11)
> > (In reply to veggero from comment #10)
> > > Are you using Breeze?
> > > 
> > > Can you include a recording where you switch wallpapers whilst in adaptive
> > > mode, and where you switch between adaptive, transparent and opaque?
> > 
> > I am on breeze twilight.
> > Here is the requested video: https://files.bestmail.ws/Arch/KDE_2.mkv
> > Anything else I should record?
> 
> Erm, it looks like the transparency is working as intended! It's a subtle
> effect, but you can see the colors of the panel changing depending on the
> wallpaper.
> 
> If you'd prefer to see more of the wallpaper you can either try to tone down
> the blur radius in settings, or switch to a more transparent theme.

With "Adaptive" the taskbar should become transparent when all windows are minimized (so the desktop is present) and become less transparent when a windows is open.
In the transparent mode I should see a bit of my desktop wallpaper but in my video it only shows a different kind of grey color than compared to the non-transparent mode.

Could you point me to where exactly I can change the blur radius? How ever, I believe I already tried bumping all "transparency settings" to maximum :P
Comment 14 veggero 2023-05-24 09:42:45 UTC
The "different shade of gray" is because your wallpaper is gray; the blur is very strong, so you only really see the average color, which is gray. And it's quite subtle, so it ends up being "just a different shade of gray". This is by design! We didn't want to overdo transparency.

To lower down the blur radius, go into System Settings > Workspace Behaviour > Desktop Effects > Blur > Settings icon. Tone down the strength.
Comment 15 etfaker 2023-05-24 09:45:29 UTC
(In reply to veggero from comment #14)
> The "different shade of gray" is because your wallpaper is gray; the blur is
> very strong, so you only really see the average color, which is gray. And
> it's quite subtle, so it ends up being "just a different shade of gray".
> This is by design! We didn't want to overdo transparency.
> 
> To lower down the blur radius, go into System Settings > Workspace Behaviour
> > Desktop Effects > Blur > Settings icon. Tone down the strength.

Maybe we are getting closer to the issue.
Setting both slides in blue settings to the lowest doesn't do anything at all to the taskbar (tested  this with the taskbar in translucent mode).
Putting the sliders to the maximum doesn't change anything again.

So it looks like that setting is getting ignored completely?
Comment 16 Nate Graham 2023-05-24 15:18:18 UTC
As far as I also can tell, there is no issue here; your screen recording shows everything working correctly.
Comment 17 etfaker 2023-05-24 15:19:22 UTC
(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #16)
> As far as I also can tell, there is no issue here; your screen recording
> shows everything working correctly.

That is interesting because on my second laptop I can get the taskbar transparent enough to actually see the wallpaper (but blurred) through the taskbar.