- KDE Plasma 6 will require users to double-click on files and folders to open them by default.
- This change is controversial for those familiar with single-click behavior in KDE Plasma.
- Click behavior in KDE Plasma 6 is configurable, allowing users to choose between single-click and double-click.
This is one of the first things I always tweak in KDE, so I love this change, but I’m curious how others feel.
Single click is for web page links, not my computer.
Way too easy to accidentally run a program with single click
not really, just set to “always ask” or when opening an executable.
Which is just another, less convenient way of turning a single click into two, no?
You’re not running executables from a file manager very often with Linux
… I am, though.
I’m talking about the typical user. There shouldn’t be a need for them to be doing that.
no, because it only applies to executables.
idk about you, but I only run executables from dolphin once every full moon, or so. And even if it was frequently, it doesn’t come close to the number of folders I open that only need a single click.
I guess it depends on habits, then. I use them all the time. Not as much as folders, but enough that I would rather the 2 have the same behavior.
Right. I use a proper launcher for anything I execute constantly - like Gnome shell or KRunner on KDE. Scripts I usually run in the terminal to see their output. So it’s really rare for me to run anything by clicking on it using Dolphin.
It should throw up a prompt to ask, if you really want to run it. You might have disabled that…
You mean… a prompt that needs a second click to run the program?
I appreciate the joke, but well, yes. The difference being that it’s only for executables and you need to do click-move-click rather than the usual double-click, so it’s even harder to accidentally trigger.
Yes, mine does that. Files open with one click, programs need confirmation.
I honestly forgot that single-click is the default behavior in Plasma. I set up new desktop environments so rarely, and this is such an infuriating default behavior that I change it immediately. Glad to hear this is changing.
Main reason is Distros reverting that anyways. It was always doubleclick on Kubuntu and Fedora KDE afaik
I really like single click but since this is just about the new default then I don’t really care
For all those single-click fans:
- how do you quickly rename a file?
- how do you even drag-drop instead of opening stuff?
- how do you select files?
- how do you live?
Saying “well kids use web stuff and Android and dont know what a single click is” is basically neglecting the use of a mouse. I love at least 3 buttons, hovering and fast clicks.
Q1: Select (see Q3) + F2
Q2: Same way as double-click people. A file only opens if I click, not when I press the mouse button and drag the file around.
Q3: I draw a small selection frame over it, or press the control key when clicking (I have the hand there any, especially if my next input will be Ctrl+C/X and Ctrl+V
Q4: I just do. Sometimes I relax by playing shooters with the “invert mouse” option turned on :D
I have never had a cell phone or smart phone in my life, single-click was the default when I switched to Linux, I gave it a try and I liked it.
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F2
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Click and hold
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Many ways, usually I just drag a box around the files. If there’s many in different places, ctrl + click
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More convenient without having to double click everything lol
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Single click is so much better. Vastly superior.
How do I live? Without carpal tunnel.
I don’t use KDE but I suppose the click is detected on button release, not during the press. It should adress all these questions.
The click is detected immediately, see @Jomosoto@discuss.tchncs.de’s comment.
Not in any KDE release I know, and I’ve been using it since KDE 3.
Tested right this moment: if I press the mouse button down on a video, nothing happens. If I release it keeping the cursor within a ~5 pixel radius, the movie plays. If I move the cursor further than ~5 pixels, it begins a drag-and-drop operation.
- Ctrl + Click, F2
- Just drag and drop the file
- Ctrl + Click
I prefer single click, but I agree that there are situations where double click is more convenient
That sounds way worse than double click haha. I have set F2 to Volume (the rest is the normal F keys)
Volume what? Mute?
I’m a single click person, but I welcome this change. Those who like single click already know where to change it. This is good for new users.
It makes file system navigation much faster and more pleasant imo, I’m definitely reverting this.
Doubt you’ll have to revert this. I don’t think they switch you back to defaults when updating.
How do you select without executing?
CTRL + Click
There’s a little + that you can click on the icons.
Or, you can use the keyboard arrows and spacebar.Not sure if there’s others.
Edit: Just found another one actually. Middle-clicking selects without opening.
This works better than the little + on the icons because the + behaves like a “ctrl-click.”I’ve always used the little plus sign on icons. It’s ingrained into my brain. I even did the same on windows before switching to Linux 6 years ago. Single click and the little check box on Windows.
personally, I don’t like the plus icons (I’d prefer it if they were simple checkboxes), so any one of:
- (mouse-only) drag a selection box from an empty area
- (mouse-only) right click directly, already opening the context menu to copy, cut, rename, share, etc - which is often the goal when selecting a single item.
- Ctrl+Click
- Shift+Click
- (kb-only) Arrow keys
I haven’t tried it but if it works the same as a mobile OS you long click to select. Single click to execute.
Edit: apparently that’s not how it works. There is a checkbox on every icon that you have to click directly on the check box to select/unselect.
This is wholesome in a strange way.
As someone who hasn’t touched KDE in years, can someone fill me in: How did you previously select a folder without opening it?
Drag a selection box around it, or use ctrl. Or right click.
Normal people won
They can change the default settings as long as they leave the option to change it available.
I’m actually kinda suspicious any Linux user would actually want a single click default.
I don’t know how requiring clocking twice instead of once is good
Avoids misclicks from opening stuff by mistake just for that alone is worth it to me.
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I meant misclicks like clicking by mistake, like you clicked the item while trying to click something else or simply clicking by mistake the physical button of the mouse… Maybe uncommon… true but when it happens that a folder or full app opens is annoying.
Why would you be suspicious of that?
My parents found single-click much more intuitive, because everything else (web browser, phone) uses single-click.
My parents still double click everything on their mobile…
Double click to open files/folders Single click to highlight file/folders Hover to focus on window
Perfection
This + some other quirks are what have kept me off KDE for a good while. I understand wanting to do things differently, possibly easier – but it’s hard to break old habits.
So instead of changing to double click from the settings, you switched DEs?
It’s not so crazy. Most people choose a DE for the defaults
I’m sorry, but this to me, sounds insane and kind of lazy. You can’t go to the settings and make a couple of changes??? People really can’t do that?
Kinda disappointed actually. It’s in my top ten best features if KDE. Single click is so much faster and easier. No other OS has gotten this right.
As long as they dont take it away. But since most people now won’t know it’s there they are unlikely to find out just how great it is.
Windows had it for ages
Windows had it for ages
Windows single click never worked right. I don’t use the little check box or selection. I use both Windows and Linux, and windows stays in Double click even though I have been doing single on KDE since as long as I can remember.
My problem with it: It was not consistent when using KDE:
In Dolpin, it’s a single click…
When downloading something in Firefox and choosing the location, it’s a double click.
Firefox doesn’t use the KDE file picker by default. You can set
widget.use-xdg-desktop-portal.file-pickerto 1 to use the desktop environment’s native picker.
