Launchers not kept separated although "Keep launchers separate" is set

[Michael24]

Unfortunatley on my new laptop this setting does nothing for me:
forum DOT manjaro DOT org/uploads/default/original/3X/d/1/d118b5305beacffe7cc812ed6824aa93c4ebe48c.png

If i switch to the symbols only taskbar the Option is not even there!

But on my desktop (running Q4OS Plasma / same Version of KDE / Same Taskbar Settings) it works great.
I tried different distros (MX Linux KDE, Debian KDE, Q4OS KDE & Kubuntu) and the issue is replicable on all of them.

What i want to archive is this (perferably with the icons only Taskbar):
forum DOT manjaro DOT org/uploads/default/original/3X/9/7/978ff365c714703c83bdaf5c17a6efb4b4d66eb5.png

Any ideas what the issue could be?
I cant really understand why it works on my desktop and not on my laptop.

Laptop inxi -Fz:

System:
  Kernel: 6.9.12-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.5
    Distro: MX-23.4_KDE_x64 Libretto September 15 2024
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Notebook product: V5xTNC_TND_TNE v: V540TNx
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Notebook model: V5xTNC_TND_TNE v: V540TNx
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: 3mdeb v: Dasharo (coreboot+UEFI) v0.9.1
    date: 11/21/2024
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 74.8 Wh (94.3%) condition: 79.3/79.0 Wh (100.3%)
CPU:
  Info: 16-core (6-mt/10-st) model: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H bits: 64
    type: MST AMCP cache: 24 MiB note: check
  Speed (MHz): avg: 472 min/max: 400/4500:4800:3800:2500 cores: 1: 400
    2: 400 3: 400 4: 400 5: 1998 6: 400 7: 400 8: 400 9: 400 10: 400 11: 400
    12: 400 13: 400 14: 400 15: 400 16: 400 17: 400 18: 400 19: 400 20: 400
    21: 400 22: 400
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel driver: i915 v: kernel
  Device-2: NVIDIA AD106M [GeForce RTX 4070 Max-Q / Mobile] driver: nvidia
    v: 535.183.06
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.9 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915
    resolution: 2880x1800~120Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 24.2.2-1~mx23ahs renderer: Mesa Intel Arc
    Graphics (MTL)
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Meteor Lake-P HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
  Device-2: NVIDIA driver: snd_hda_intel
  API: ALSA v: k6.9.12-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active
Network:
  Device-1: Intel driver: iwlwifi
  IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
    driver: r8169
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel type: USB driver: btusb
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 state: up address: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 3.73 TiB used: 24.53 GiB (0.6%)
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: GOODRAM model: SSDPR-PX700-04T-80
    size: 3.73 TiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 3.67 TiB used: 24.53 GiB (0.7%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 252 MiB used: 274 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 10 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) file: /swap/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 42.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 408 Uptime: 4m Memory: 93.95 GiB used: 2.39 GiB (2.5%)
  Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.26

[johnandmegh]

Hi! I wanted to make sure I’m understanding the situation clearly - on the device that has the behavior you want, do you have an Icons-Only Task Manager on your panel, where clicking on a pinned application icon creates a second icon for that application? Is the goal to always have something you can click on to create a new window/instance of an application?

Also, one general note - each distribution you’ve mentioned trying out ships out-of-date, unsupported versions of KDE software. MX, Debian and Q4OS all use Debian repositories and will be the furthest out-of-date, but even Kubuntu freezes its KDE Plasma/Frameworks versions before a specific version releases, and generally does not distribute updates (at least in official repositories) past that point. Those operating systems definitely have their use cases, but in my opinion you’re most likely to get the best KDE Plasma experience when using a Linux distribution that more closely follows upstream development.

[Michael24]

@johnandmegh

Hi! I wanted to make sure I’m understanding the situation clearly - on the device that has the behavior you want, do you have an Icons-Only Task Manager on your panel, where clicking on a pinned application icon creates a second icon for that application? Is the goal to always have something you can click on to create a new window/instance of an application?

That is correct.
I tried Q4OS Plasma with the same KDE Version on both devices. On the Desktop it works, on the Laptop it does not.

Also, one general note - each distribution you’ve mentioned trying out ships out-of-date, unsupported versions of KDE software. MX, Debian and Q4OS all use Debian repositories and will be the furthest out-of-date, but even Kubuntu freezes its KDE Plasma/Frameworks versions before a specific version releases, and generally does not distribute updates (at least in official repositories) past that point. Those operating systems definitely have their use cases, but in my opinion you’re most likely to get the best KDE Plasma experience when using a Linux distribution that more closely follows upstream development.

That might be true but i want debian as the Foundation (reliability is the number 1 priority) and i’m very happy with Q4OS overall.

I’m using MX Linux on the Laptop because the hardware is still pretty new and stock Debian as well as Q4OS aren’t fully compatible yet because i need at least kernel version 6.8. Even if i install a newer kernel on Q4OS or stock debian, installing the nvidia driver does not work or breaks the OS (depending on how you install it) and i have found no fix for that so far.

[johnandmegh]

Hmm, are you able to grab:

• Screenshots of the arrangement you have on the device that’s doing what you want (desktop?)
• Screenshots of the configuration/settings windows for the Task Manager widget on that device
• The Info Center details for the device that’s doing what you want?

That might help bring to the surface what’s configured differently between the two devices.

Thanks!

[Michael24]

Screenshots from my Desktop where everything works as it should:
postimg DOT cc/gallery/cH551jp
(Sorry i cannot attach them in the forum as a new user)

On my Laptop i have configured everything EXACTLY THE SAME but it does not keep the launchers seperate there unfortunately…

Inxi -Fz from the Desktop:

System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-26-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.5
    Distro: Q4OS 5.6.1-n1
Machine:
  Type: Server Mobo: Supermicro model: X9SRA/X9SRA-3 v: 0123456789
    serial: <superuser required> BIOS: American Megatrends v: 3.0b
    date: 12/06/2013
CPU:
  Info: 6-core model: Intel Xeon E5-1660 v2 bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache:
    L2: 1.5 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1200 min/max: 1200/3700 cores: 1: 1200 2: 1200 3: 1200
    4: 1200 5: 1200 6: 1200 7: 1200 8: 1200 9: 1200 10: 1200 11: 1200 12: 1200
Graphics:
  Device-1: AMD Ellesmere [Radeon Pro WX 5100] driver: amdgpu v: kernel
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: amdgpu
    unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa dri: radeonsi gpu: amdgpu
    resolution: 2560x1440~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 Graphics
    (polaris10 LLVM 15.0.6 DRM 3.49 6.1.0-26-amd64)
Audio:
  Device-1: AMD Ellesmere HDMI Audio [Radeon RX 470/480 / 570/580/590]
    driver: snd_hda_intel
  Device-2: VIA VT1720/24 [Envy24PT/HT] PCI Multi-Channel Audio
    driver: snd_ice1724
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-26-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: active
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network driver: e1000e
  IF: eno1 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Intel 82574L Gigabit Network driver: e1000e
  IF: eno2 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 28.2 TiB used: 1.7 TiB (6.0%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST4000NM0033-9ZM170 size: 3.64 TiB
  ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST4000NM0033-9ZM170 size: 3.64 TiB
  ID-3: /dev/sdc vendor: Samsung model: SSD 850 EVO 1TB size: 931.51 GiB
  ID-4: /dev/sdd vendor: Samsung model: SSD 850 EVO 1TB size: 931.51 GiB
  ID-5: /dev/sde vendor: Samsung model: SSD 850 EVO 1TB size: 931.51 GiB
  ID-6: /dev/sdf type: USB vendor: Seagate model: ST20000NM007D-3DJ103
    size: 18.19 TiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 779.67 GiB used: 94.51 GiB (12.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sde1
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 138.32 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
    dev: /dev/sde2
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 48.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: amdgpu temp: 63.0 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: amdgpu fan: 1289
Info:
  Processes: 346 Uptime: 4d 3h 39m Memory: 125.75 GiB used: 8.3 GiB (6.6%)
  Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.26

[dzon]

If you want a task of a launcher on the panel, the “mother” app has to be added as widget, not pinned to taskbar.

[Michael24]

@dzon

If you want a task of a launcher on the panel, the “mother” app has to be added as widget, not pinned to taskbar.

THANK YOU!!!
This actually was the problem. I didn’t know there are 2 ways to add programs to the taskbar.