Bug 479332 - No keyboard navigation to and through process list
Summary: No keyboard navigation to and through process list
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: plasma-systemmonitor
Classification: Applications
Component: general (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 6.0.4
Platform: Compiled Sources Linux
: NOR major
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KSysGuard Developers
URL:
Keywords: accessibility, usability
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-01-03 00:10 UTC by Ilya Bizyaev
Modified: 2025-07-08 22:55 UTC (History)
8 users (show)

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Description Ilya Bizyaev 2024-01-03 00:10:14 UTC
SUMMARY

Plasma 5's process list (Ctrl+Esc) was keyboard-navigable enough that launching it, finding the process, selecting it, and terminating or killing it could all be done with the keyboard (Tab, arrow keys, Delete/Shift+Delete). I am unable to do any of that with plasma-systemmonitor in Plasma 6, which makes it a regression.


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Launch System Monitor with a keyboard shortcut (will be Meta+Esc in the final release; I have it assigned to Ctrl+Alt+Delete for now).
2. Struggle to switch the page from “Overview” to “Processes” (I was not able to find a way).
3. Click “Processes” with your mouse.
4. Try to search for “dolphin” and terminate it. The search field is preselected, but no sequence of Tab and the down arrow gets me to Dolphin in the process list.

EXPECTED RESULT
• I expect PageUp/Down, possibly with a modifier, to switch pages.
• I expect Tab and up/down arrow keys to navigate me through the Processes page.
• I expect Shift+Delete to kill the app, as opposed to terminating it with Delete. Currently, both keys display the exact same action dialog of “End Process”.
• I expect the “End Process” button in the said dialog to be preselected, and left-right arrow keys to switch between them.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: openSUSE Tumbleweed 20231226
KDE Plasma Version: 5.91.90
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.248.0
Qt Version: 6.6.1
Graphics Platform: Wayland

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
As a partial workaround, you can configure System Monitor to make “Processes” the home page — that will not make it keyboard-navigable though.
Comment 1 Ilya Bizyaev 2024-01-03 00:14:22 UTC
Also, in the old process list, I could even access the context menu of a process by pressing Enter.
Comment 2 Michal Kec (MiK) 2024-04-30 12:12:34 UTC
I can second this. There's no easy way to list & control processes in Plasma since KSysGuard widget removal in Plasma 6 (KDE Neon).

I consider the new System Monitor a handy tool for its - well system monitoring - tasks. Neat charts, great customization. But for this task it is too slow and heavy. Main issues are keyboard navigation and the performance mentioned at bug #479321.

I also miss the possibility to watch the system monitor charts and process list at the same time.