this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2024
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  • 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.

https://archive.ph/BseL3


This is one of the first things I always tweak in KDE, so I love this change, but I'm curious how others feel.

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[–] [email protected] 191 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Single click is for web page links, not my computer.

[–] [email protected] 116 points 10 months ago (24 children)

Way too easy to accidentally run a program with single click

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Exactly. I never need to select a link on the web to do things like rename or move them, while I do that with files all the time

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[–] [email protected] 90 points 10 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It makes file system navigation much faster and more pleasant imo, I'm definitely reverting this.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (7 children)

How do you select without executing?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

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."

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

If it wasn't default, I likely would have never tried single click, which I prefer now.

[–] [email protected] 74 points 10 months ago

Single click was always the first setting I changed.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I’m actually kinda suspicious any Linux user would actually want a single click default.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (3 children)

I don't know how requiring clocking twice instead of once is good

[–] [email protected] 51 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Avoids misclicks from opening stuff by mistake just for that alone is worth it to me.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (3 children)

How do you select files? Probably double click?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

No, there are those big plus signs appearing on the top-right corner of the icon, if you click there it selects instead of opening. I guess it's a matter of habit, I can't get used to it

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 10 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

Main reason is Distros reverting that anyways. It was always doubleclick on Kubuntu and Fedora KDE afaik

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 10 months ago (2 children)

My parents found single-click much more intuitive, because everything else (web browser, phone) uses single-click.

[–] [email protected] 63 points 10 months ago (1 children)

My parents still double click everything on their mobile...

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 10 months ago (12 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 10 months ago (3 children)

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.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

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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[–] [email protected] 33 points 10 months ago

The Year of Linux on the Desktop has finally come guys.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 10 months ago (5 children)

When I first switched to KDE, this issue took up roughly 15 seconds of my time as I saw what was happening and went exploring for the setting to change the behavior. Apart from having to change the setting again from time to time, I have spent exactly zero seconds thinking about it and exactly zero seconds wondering which approach was the "best" since then. I wonder how honest it is for this site to refer to a "debate"; it's hard for me to imagine anyone giving a shit beyond setting their own system up the way they like it.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I mean, this is the Internet

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago

I used kubuntu for an year on an old ProBook and I just assumed that the trackpad buttons were broken and sent a double click.

I discovered this issue only today lol

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (6 children)

I think it's great. I think it's impossible to use dolphin with single click since it goes into folders or starts files when clicking on them once.

Anyone knows the historic reason for single click? Plasma was inspired by some older system?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago (2 children)

I think it was windows 98 that introduced "hovering on an item" = single click and single click = double click. Disabled by default of course

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago (2 children)

A day of sorrow indeed... No, joking aside. I gather most people use double click anyway, so this is a good change for that reason. I've never really understood it myself (the primary function of the left click being "select" when everywhere else it's "open" or "go to this thing"?? Alien stuff).

I'm just glad KDE listens to it's users and adapts to them. Looking forward to the release!

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago

I've been using my install script for so long, I've forgotten that single click was the default. I guess that's at least one extra line I can remove.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago

They can change the default settings as long as they leave the option to change it available.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

This is wholesome in a strange way.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago

I'm also always changing this first, so i agree with the change.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago (4 children)

I personally also welcome this change, as I have changed that setting anyway and of those people I know, they also changed that behaviour immediately. But as long as you can change it and it isn't forced on you to only use one method, it's great.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Ah yes... I remember when IE 4 came to Windows and introduced single clicking. What a terrible idea.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

So be it. I don't understand why there is so much debate around such simple setting.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 10 months ago

Same reason we debate how to pronounce GIF (it's pronounced gif, I'll have you know) or what toppings to put on pizza. Because it's entertaining for some, no matter how grating it may get for others.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I could've sworn I already double click in Dolphin.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Some distributions that ship with KDE have that option set out of the box for you already.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

Double click to open files/folders Single click to highlight file/folders Hover to focus on window

Perfection

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 10 months ago

Firefox doesn't use the KDE file picker by default. You can set widget.use-xdg-desktop-portal.file-picker to 1 to use the desktop environment's native picker.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Firefox#KDE_integration

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago (5 children)

As someone who hasn't touched KDE in years, can someone fill me in: How did you previously select a folder without opening it?

[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 months ago (1 children)
  1. click it
  2. as it instantly opens you realise you didn't change that setting yet and go change it
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[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 months ago

Drag a selection box around it, or use ctrl. Or right click.

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