Should the show desktop button (aka peek at desktop) by on the taskbar by default)

Brainstorm
1

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I have seen some users not knowing that it did.
And it has a default shortcut (Meta-D)

It shifts the date/time to the left, making it harder to use, takes some space on the panel.
So maybe it would be best not to have it by default (to be cleare anyone could re-add it, existing install would not change).

Do you use the show destkop button ?

  • Yes, from time to time
  • Rarely, and I have it in my taskbar
  • Never, never knew what it did or don’t have a use for it
  • Never, I remove it from my plasma panel
0 voters
2

Plus the lock / show logout. It’s been there for over 20yrs for me.

desktop_Screenshot_20260407_053628

3

I removed it, but I also never use the desktop itself in the first place. I still think having the button in the default panel is a good idea for people that do, because discovering features / possibilities is always kind of hard. A user might think “ugh, it’s annoying there’s no button to show the desktop” but not make the connection to look for a panel widget. I personally always need some online thread to show me features I completely missed, just because I never tried looking for them, being firmly set in my existing workflows.

4

The survey question should also have an option for Yes, always use it.

1 Like
5

From time to time, is already a good level to keep the option, so if you are in that case, please tick this, sorry I should have added it.

6

I use it quite often since I store my “active” files on my desktop, but I prefere using the keyboard shortcut (Super + D) or switch to an empty virtual desktop

7

my widget has been replaced with Minimize all windows because that is the work flow i’m used to (sort of an arm wipe to clear the desk for something new)

the Peek at desktop Meta+D more useful as a keyboard shortcut when i just need to grab a file/folder that is hidden behind another window and drag it somewhere.

i’ve created this bug report for the Meta+D feature so that it can act as a momentary switch as well as at toggle.

so my suggestion is complete the momentary switch feature and instead of Peak at Desktop, make Minimize all windows the default widget in the task bar.

or remove it entirely, but that sort defeats the discoverability aspect of plasma.

having a standard baseline default panel with all the expected and customary tools is a good starting point for any desktop environment and the fact that plasma lets you change that is what puts it over the top, in my mind.

1 Like