Bug 498869 - With "MS Window 9x" style, keyboard focus seems to be invisible on most UI elements
Summary: With "MS Window 9x" style, keyboard focus seems to be invisible on most UI el...
Status: RESOLVED DOWNSTREAM
Alias: None
Product: systemsettings
Classification: Applications
Component: general (show other bugs)
Version: 6.2.4
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Plasma Bugs List
URL: https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG...
Keywords: accessibility
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-01-19 00:51 UTC by Ellie
Modified: 2025-01-22 01:25 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

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


Attachments
Screenshot with annotations illustrating the affected areas where keyboard focus seems to misbehave (384.85 KB, image/png)
2025-01-19 00:51 UTC, Ellie
Details
Screenshot showing that in some popup dialogs, the keyboard focus seems to work as intended (182.00 KB, image/png)
2025-01-19 00:52 UTC, Ellie
Details

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Description Ellie 2025-01-19 00:51:49 UTC
Created attachment 177519 [details]
Screenshot with annotations illustrating the affected areas where keyboard focus seems to misbehave

SUMMARY

When using the builtin Windows 9x theme of KDE and a dark color scheme, it seems to be that 50%+ of elements in the KDE system settings don't render any sort of keyboard focus at all, requiring to press tab followed by space or arrow keys to mess around until something reacts and you figure out what is focused. Some other elements seem to render the keyboard focus using a wrong color, using black on dark gray rather than white. Only the search box seems to work as intended. While this could be blamed on the theme, most popup dialogs seem to have a perfectly working white on dark gray and easy to see keyboard focus on all the buttons, so this seems to be some KDE system settings problem. However, e.g. Spectacle is also affected.

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. Choose builtin 9x theme for application style
2. Choose Materia Manjaro Dark High contrast as Colors style
3. Check the regular settings UI in systemsettings for keyboard focus behavior, and compare to any popup dialogs like e.g. the "Pair New Device" dialog in bluetooth settings where it works as intended

OBSERVED RESULT

In most settings panes, the keyboard focus doesn't seem to be working as intended. It's either not visible at all, or barely visible with wrong colors. In the popup dialogs however it works, suggesting that the color theme was meant to have a proper focus color set. Also, when I try other dark color styles, the problem seems to persist.

EXPECTED RESULT

Keyboard focus works directly with dark color styles combined with the builtin 9x application style.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS

Windows: 
macOS: 
(available in the Info Center app, or by running `kinfo` in a terminal window)
Linux/KDE Plasma: postmarketOS v24.12 based on 3.21.2 with kernel 6.12.9-0-edge (64-bit)
KDE Plasma Version: 6.2.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.8.0
Qt Version: 6.8.0

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Comment 1 Ellie 2025-01-19 00:52:58 UTC
Created attachment 177520 [details]
Screenshot showing that in some popup dialogs, the keyboard focus seems to work as intended
Comment 2 Nate Graham 2025-01-21 20:19:52 UTC
Do you see the same thing if you switch back to the default Breeze theme? If not, then it's a theme bug.
Comment 3 Ellie 2025-01-21 20:42:42 UTC
When I apply Application Style "Breeze Dark" then re-apply Colors variant "Materia Manjaro Dark HighContrast" I can confirm it works. When I then re-apply "MS Windows 9x" Application Style then re-apply Colors variant "Materia Manjaro Dark HighContrast" it breaks. So it does seem to be an "MS Window 9x" built-in style bug.
Comment 4 Nate Graham 2025-01-21 21:21:22 UTC
I had a feeling, thanks.
Comment 5 Ellie 2025-01-21 21:24:40 UTC
Sorry for the uninformed and time-wasting question, but should I report the issue somewhere else? I'm not quite sure where MS Windows 9x bug reports would go, it seems to somehow be part of KDE but I can't quite tell.
Comment 6 Nate Graham 2025-01-22 00:32:32 UTC
I think it might come from Qt? Maybe? But to be honest I don't know where it comes from. All I know is that it's not KDE code.