Version: (using KDE KDE 3.3.1) Installed from: Debian testing/unstable Packages the kfile jpeg plugin rotates the thumbnail image according to the EXIF orientation (if "Use thumbnails embedded in files" is checked). This image is returned to the kio::previewjob which will save the thumbnail in ~/.thumbnails/. This is contrary to the FreeDesktop Thumbnail specification which doesn't mention the EXIF orientation and ends up confusing apps which also use the ~/.thumbnails repository, but handle EXIF orientation on their own. The correct behavior is to save the images without rotation and rotate at the application end. One more reasoning behind this bugreport is that not every application is EXIF aware and if you open up the app in them, they look differently oriented than the thumbnail. A classic example is konqueror which will show the thumbnails EXIF oriented, but on opening the image in the embedded viewer (kview_part(?)) will show the image differently oriented
This is related to Bug 97048.
I am experiencing this as well (see also Bug 88112). This would require that the JPEG EXIF info in the thumbnail is preserved, however, so that apps that respect EXIF can rotate thumbs and images in the same way.
Thank you for the bug report. As this report hasn't seen any changes in 5 years or more, we ask if you can please confirm that the issue still persists. If this bug is no longer persisting or relevant please change the status to resolved.