Recently I updated to KDE 4.3, and there are two visual changes that I really don't like at all:


The black box around the name that appears when you click on a desktop icon.


The out-of-focus effect on logout makes most wallpapers I have look like they have very jagged edges.

I know these kinds of things are very small and most people don't even notice them, but they kind of bother my KDE 4.3 experience (damn you pixel-perfection!).

My questions are:
How do you report visual "bugs" like these? b.k.o doesn't seem to me the right place to describe something like this.
Am I the only one that doesn't like these things?

Also, if anyone has other small visual things that bother you, feel free to post

I agree, the black box is annoying. I haven't noticed the second bug, though.

The second "bug" is in fact a feature, and can be disabled in System Settings > Desktop > Desktop Effects > All Effects. I believe you are looking for the "Logout" effect.

I'd say the first one should be reported as a Plasma bug (folderview belongs to plasma), and the second as a KWin bug (since it's a KWin effect).

bcooksley wrote:The second "bug" is in fact a feature, and can be disabled in System Settings > Desktop > Desktop Effects > All Effects. I believe you are looking for the "Logout" effect.

I know it is an effect, but the blurring is new in 4.3, and that's the part I don't like.
Also disabling it causes a strange bug ( https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=202930 ).

I'll try to report the first one, but it will be probably closed as wontfix or something

I've just reported the first one: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=203071 .


I also added some suggestions. If someone's interested, do chime in on that bug report what you think

As for the second one, I tried e-mailing the creator of the blur effect first (Martin Gräßlin) to ask him what he thinks.

So I got an answer from Martin Gräßlin (thanks!) and he said that the jagged blur effect is because of current limitations (not being able to use shaders on most cards).

He also pointed out how to disable it:
- open ~/.kde/share/config/kwinrc (or ~/.kde4/share/config/kwinrc in some distros)
- add

Code: Select all

[Effect-Logout]
UseBlur=false


restart kwin and you're done

But when you disable the focus blur logout effect (I hate it) you get a very glary effect instead that also makes me feel uncomfortable. I just want a darkening effect like in KDE3: nothing blurry (I'm short-sighted and it really makes me feel sick), nothing glary. But with compositing enabled you don't seem to have any other choice by now?

JaKi wrote:But when you disable the focus blur logout effect (I hate it) you get a very glary effect instead that also makes me feel uncomfortable. I just want a darkening effect like in KDE3: nothing blurry (I'm short-sighted and it really makes me feel sick), nothing glary. But with compositing enabled you don't seem to have any other choice by now?

What do you mean a "glary effect"? Do you mean this?
Can you post a screenshot to exemplify it?

Yes, that's it. It's a very very uncomfortable brightness that hurts in the eyes and that slowly turns to grey.

JaKi wrote:Yes, that's it. It's a very very uncomfortable brightness that hurts in the eyes and that slowly turns to grey.

Have you tried following the instructions I posted for disabling the blur effect? That way you get the fade out just like it was in 4.2.