I am using the KDE Nightly Neon for *buntu and noticed something odd that I hadn't before. Normally, I believe, when the widgets were locked, the cashew would disappear and the arrangement of the widgets on the panel would compensate for the extra space.

However, when I most recently did this in the Nightly Neon, the cashew disappeared, but the widgets remained in place. Now, whether this was a design decision (not to ruin peoples layouts) or just an accident, I do not know, but it got me thinking: "Why remove the panel cashew at all?"

Normally, when you have windows open, the desktop cashew is inconveniently hidden, and besides, it doesn't have a show dashboard feature, so its rather non-functional anyways (it has applications, but they aren't functional because the desktop itself is likely inaccessible).

What I was thinking is that, since the panel cashew can always be visible, and removing it can't make any more useful room on the panel (because you can no longer rearrange the widgets) then maybe it should remain in place even when widgets were locked so not to leave the empty space.

Here, it would allow easier access to plasma functions, specifically the dashboard. I know that there is a dashboard widget, but not only is it ugly, but the cashew is a much more logical place for this purpose. Now, forcing it to stay in the corner (while I think is where I'd put it anyways) might tick people off, so it could become movable just like the desktop cashew.

The only other problem I can think of is that the dual purpose of the cashew as both a "handle" for the panel (when unlocked) and a dashboard/plasma-menu launcher (when locked) might confuse people. Also, having it not show the desktop when plasma is unlocked would be an interface hole.

That last part might make this a really dumb idea :P but I'm wondering what people think, and how that problem could easily and beneficially be mediated. Because, really, plasma is currently too difficult to access when you have windows covering it up.

Like, for example, if when the panel handle is brought up, maybe so could the dashboard? (though this would make the bottom of the desktop inaccessible)

note: in the use of the word "usable", in any of its permutations, the author is not claiming to have any knowledge of "usability" beyond simple, subjective end-user experience. However, for sensitivities sake, the author has attempted to remove any variation of the word "use" wherever possible. use use use :P okay, thats it.

edit: looks like the extra space was an accident, or at least undone, it just reverted in the nightly. However, a few other things have also broken, so I'm not sure... this is still on the table though.

I really don't like the idea of the cashew on my desktop and after reading your post it hit the spot - the cashew is not very accessible there. I almost always have my windows maximized and rarely look at my desktop. If it was possible to move it to the panel, that would be great. It's a bit ironic that you can not do it because the Cashew is not a plasmoid... :-S

Or maybe add a function to top-right screen edge to show the cashew on top of all windows. I agree this is a problem some times, but as I don't add/remove my widgets that often, I'd like to keep it optional.

LinuxIsInnovation wrote:Or maybe add a function to top-right screen edge to show the cashew on top of all windows. I agree this is a problem some times, but as I don't add/remove my widgets that often, I'd like to keep it optional.

I dunno about other people, but that would just irritate me as the cashew would always pop up when I'm trying to close windows.

Oh, and maybe the panel not re-arranging to make up the cashew space is just a bug in trunk, and will be fixed?

Screen corner actions do not get activated just on touching. Say for example, I have top left cornet set for "Present windows". Touching the corner will not initiate the plugin. There is a small timout (about 10ms) until the plugin is triggered. So if you touch the top right corner while clicking on the close button, you'll not trigger the cashew in most cases.

LinuxIsInnovation wrote:Screen corner actions do not get activated just on touching. Say for example, I have top left cornet set for "Present windows". Touching the corner will not initiate the plugin. There is a small timout (about 10ms) until the plugin is triggered. So if you touch the top right corner while clicking on the close button, you'll not trigger the cashew in most cases.

Oh right... well last time I had a top-right activation, it kept getting triggered when trying to close windows, but that was quite a while ago.

Corners are certainly an issue. The problem with the dashboard plasmoid (other than the icon being illogical and cluttered) is that it isn't in a corner. Corners are the easiest places to access common functions:

Top left: present windows
Top right: close window (I use it for Desktop Grid as well)
Bottom left: kicker

That leaves the bottom right. However, the bottom right is taken by the panel cashew when widgets are unlocked, which isn't as critical a function (you only use it when you want to alter your panel, which is way less often than the dashboard, which is supposed to be part of your work-flow).

I'd personally find it annoying to have the cashew pop up over the close button. Testing it out. I find I don't usually activate the corner, but I can see it irritating people as a default. Setting dashboard to a corner might be an improvement, though (this would bring the cashew with it). This would have to integrate somehow into the Screen Edges dialogue.

My opinion is that user need to push the cursor against the screen edge too much before the PresentWindow-plugin is activated. I feel it should work right away when the cursor touches the screen edge, without need to push it against it.

Is it only me or does somebody else feel the same?

LinuxIsInnovation wrote:"Present windows". Touching the corner will not initiate the plugin. There is a small timout (about 10ms) until the plugin is triggered.