Bug 502739 - Delay between an applet fully pops up and it gets focus, when using Plasma themes other than Breeze
Summary: Delay between an applet fully pops up and it gets focus, when using Plasma th...
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: plasmashell
Classification: Plasma
Component: Panel (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 6.3.4
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: 1.0
Assignee: Plasma Bugs List
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-04-13 12:01 UTC by Jin Liu
Modified: 2025-07-11 16:42 UTC (History)
5 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In: 6.5.0
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
screencast (1.18 MB, video/mp4)
2025-04-13 12:01 UTC, Jin Liu
Details
digital clock (428.11 KB, video/mp4)
2025-07-09 09:55 UTC, Jin Liu
Details
systemsettings (325.49 KB, image/png)
2025-07-09 16:27 UTC, Jin Liu
Details

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Description Jin Liu 2025-04-13 12:01:21 UTC
Created attachment 180225 [details]
screencast

SUMMARY
When using Plasma themes (including Breeze Light and Breeze Dark) other than Breeze, there is ~1 second delay between an applet fully extends and it gets focus. 

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Systemsettings - Colors & Themes - Plasma Style
2. Select "Breeze Light". Apply.
3. Click on Kickoff.

OBSERVED RESULT
See attachment. After Kickoff fully pops up, it only gets the focus ~1 second later (notice the box around the Vivaldi icon changes from light blue to darker). The light blue indicator bar on the panel also appears ~1 second later.

EXPECTED RESULT
No delay (as when Plasma theme is Breeze).

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Operating System: Arch Linux 
KDE Plasma Version: 6.3.4
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.12.0
Qt Version: 6.9.0
Kernel Version: 6.14.2-arch1-1 (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 12 × AMD Ryzen 5 5600H with Radeon Graphics
Memory: 15.0 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: AMD Radeon Graphics
Comment 1 TraceyC 2025-04-14 19:54:27 UTC
Thanks for the screen recording, I see what's happening on your system. I'm not able to reproduce this on git-master on Solus, or on Neon Testing.

In a VM with Solus on Plasma 6.3.4, I also see no difference between menu responsiveness using Breeze or Breeze Dark. The focus is slow to change, because it's a low powered VM, but both themes show the same slowness, Breeze is not any better

I'll leave this open and hopefully someone else can reproduce or provide more insight
Comment 2 Niccolò Venerandi 2025-06-05 08:40:26 UTC
Hi! Your recording seem to have a lot of artifacts. Are you able to provide a clean one? May this be related to some graphical issue?
Comment 3 Jin Liu 2025-06-05 08:43:21 UTC
(In reply to Niccolò Venerandi from comment #2)
> Hi! Your recording seem to have a lot of artifacts. Are you able to provide
> a clean one? May this be related to some graphical issue?

No, I don't see any artifacts in the recording. (If you didn't mean the mouse click effect.)
Comment 4 Jin Liu 2025-06-05 08:44:54 UTC
(In reply to Niccolò Venerandi from comment #2)
> Hi! Your recording seem to have a lot of artifacts. Are you able to provide
> a clean one? May this be related to some graphical issue?

Do you have a screenshot of artifacts in the recording?
Comment 5 Niccolò Venerandi 2025-06-05 09:03:23 UTC
Ah, it seems like downloading and using mpv works around that; both vlc and the browser showed dialogs flickering and green overlays. Nonetheless, I can't seem to reproduce this regardless of the theme I'm using :-/ Does this still happen on a fresh user / machine?
Comment 6 Jin Liu 2025-06-05 09:08:48 UTC
(In reply to Niccolò Venerandi from comment #5)
> Ah, it seems like downloading and using mpv works around that; both vlc and
> the browser showed dialogs flickering and green overlays. Nonetheless, I
> can't seem to reproduce this regardless of the theme I'm using :-/ Does this
> still happen on a fresh user / machine?

Yes, it does.

Operating System: Arch Linux 
KDE Plasma Version: 6.3.91
KDE Frameworks Version: 6.14.0
Qt Version: 6.9.1
Kernel Version: 6.14.7-arch2-1 (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: Wayland
Processors: 12 × AMD Ryzen 5 5600H with Radeon Graphics
Memory: 16 GiB of RAM (15.0 GiB usable)
Graphics Processor: AMD Radeon Graphics
Comment 7 Jin Liu 2025-06-05 09:33:41 UTC
I also noticed that both SystemMonitor and Weather applets don't have the delay. So it seems to only happen with applets taking keyboard focus.
Comment 8 John Kizer 2025-06-21 17:19:27 UTC
Hi - mentioning keyboard focus got me thinking, I wonder if there's some possible connection to input methods? Do you have extra software in use to control input in multiple languages, perhaps, that might somehow be interacting with those Plasma styles?
Comment 9 Bug Janitor Service 2025-07-06 03:47:23 UTC
🐛🧹 ⚠️ This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least 15 days. Please provide the requested information, then set the bug status to REPORTED. If there is no change for at least 30 days, it will be automatically closed as RESOLVED WORKSFORME.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures, please read https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 10 Jin Liu 2025-07-09 09:55:28 UTC
(In reply to John Kizer from comment #8)
> Hi - mentioning keyboard focus got me thinking, I wonder if there's some
> possible connection to input methods? Do you have extra software in use to
> control input in multiple languages, perhaps, that might somehow be
> interacting with those Plasma styles?

I'm using fcitx5, but uninstalling it doesn't fix the problem.

BTW, the digital clock applet, with calendar plugins enabled, also has a large delay showing those calendar events. (See attachment.) IDK if that might hint about the source of the problem.
Comment 11 Jin Liu 2025-07-09 09:55:51 UTC
Created attachment 183080 [details]
digital clock
Comment 12 TraceyC 2025-07-09 16:23:41 UTC
I had an idea, looking at my settings. In System Settings -> Window Behavior -> Focus tab
What do you have selected for "Window activation policy"? Can you share a screenshot of that settings page? Thanks.
Comment 13 Jin Liu 2025-07-09 16:27:44 UTC
Created attachment 183094 [details]
systemsettings

(In reply to TraceyC from comment #12)
> I had an idea, looking at my settings. In System Settings -> Window Behavior
> -> Focus tab
> What do you have selected for "Window activation policy"? Can you share a
> screenshot of that settings page? Thanks.

As I said, I can reproduce this in a new user, so all settings are default.

Screenshot attached.
Comment 14 TraceyC 2025-07-09 16:49:01 UTC
Thanks for the screenshot. Using those settings, I still can't reproduce here on git-master.
Comment 15 Jin Liu 2025-07-10 05:33:51 UTC
I found that it's tied to the global scale factor. At 100% it's barely noticeable. At 200% there's about one-second delay. At 300% it's about two seconds.
Comment 16 Jin Liu 2025-07-10 05:35:25 UTC
BTW, my screen is 3200x2000.
Comment 17 TraceyC 2025-07-10 16:35:42 UTC
(In reply to Jin Liu from comment #15)
> I found that it's tied to the global scale factor. At 100% it's barely
> noticeable. At 200% there's about one-second delay. At 300% it's about two
> seconds.

Thanks, that's a useful detail.  With Plasma 6.4.2, I do see a noticeable delay (not 3 seconds, but visible) on displays set to
3840x2400 @ 300%
3440x1440 @ 300%

The good news is that I don't see this on Plasma git-master with a display at 3440x1440 @ 300% (the same LG monitor as the other test system).  The fix should be available on your system when it updates to 6.5.0. This is scheduled to be released in October.

https://community.kde.org/Schedules/Plasma_6

I'm marking this as fixed for now. If you can still reproduce this in 6.5.0 or later, please set this report to REOPENED. Thanks!
Comment 18 Jin Liu 2025-07-11 10:08:23 UTC
Unfortunately, I can still reproduce in the latest master. It's the same: the larger global scaling factor, the longer delay.
Comment 19 TraceyC 2025-07-11 16:42:41 UTC
(In reply to Jin Liu from comment #18)
> Unfortunately, I can still reproduce in the latest master. It's the same:
> the larger global scaling factor, the longer delay.

Interesting. There might be a difference related to the GPU or something else different between my system with git-master and yours.

On my system, there's an integrated AMD GPU, I see your system also has an AMD.
I'll set this to confirmed, since you're able to reproduce in git-master, and let the developers take it from here.