Can KWin prevent windows from raising themselves from their v.desktop to the current v.desktop?

[Duncan]

Duncan posted on Fri, 16 Dec 2022 00:19:44 -0000 (UTC) as excerpted:

> René J.V. Bertin posted on Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:21:36 +0100 as excerpted:
> 
>> Firefox 109 has a new trick up its sleeve: opening an URL from, say,
>> KMail cause the FF window that will host the new tab to raise itself
>> (as before)
>> AND now also to switch to the current virtual desktop.
>> 
>> I don't want that; is there a way to disallow this behaviour in KWin?
>> (I haven't found ...).
> 
> Punting ATM [but] IIRC yes, there's an option for it[...]
> Will try to post a followup

FWIW couldn't find the git commits for it again but *DID* find the config 
option...

Well, sort of.  There's two settings available while the old behavior was 
a third that doesn't seem to be available any longer in that exact form.  
I can see why it was confusing and they changed it, and had been hit by it 
myself a couple times, but still, the old behavior did have its uses and 
should therefore arguably still be an option, even if it really shouldn't 
be the default (or only available behavior as it was before) because it 
/is/ confusing.

Anyway, option location:

(Plasma) systemsettings > workspace > window management > window behavior 
> advanced > virtual desktop behavior:

Alternatively command line: kcmshell5 kwinoptions (brings up window 
behavior, go from there).

Alternatively keyword "behavior" in krunner (brings up several options 
including window behavior, select that and go from there).

Actual setting:

When activating a window on a different virtual desktop:

Options:

* Bring (existing) window to current virtual desktop

IIRC this is the new default, and seems to be the behavior you're 
describing as unwanted.

* Switch to that virtual desktop (and raise the existing window there)

This is what I chose as it makes more sense to me.

Old and definitely confusing but arguably could-be-useful behavior, now 
missing option:

* Only switch to that desktop if manually activating a window, via alt-
tab, taskbar, etc.  If an existing window on a different virtual desktop 
is activated automatically (like when clicking a link opens a new tab to 
the linked URL in an existing browser window on a different virtual 
desktop), raise that window on its existing virtual desktop but do NOT 
switch desktops.

Of course besides being confusing it's just harder to clearly explain in a 
short form similar to the above choices, and it'd certainly be the most 
esoteric choice, so I can't really blame them for losing it, but it's 
still lost behavior that some people might miss...

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman