UPDATE: enabling
https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kubuntu-ppa/backports/ubuntu/
https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/kubuntu-ppa/backports-extra/ubuntu/
has brought my plasma up to 5.27
Operating System: Kubuntu 22.04
KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.8
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.104.0
Qt Version: 5.15.3
Kernel Version: 6.2.0-34-generic (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: X11
and now the shifting behavior for the trash can has stopped, at least.
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.
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when i enter edit mode and resize or move widget to my liking (indicated in red)…
i only get to enjoy that desktop until the next time i restart and then it will either move or resize itself to the states shown in the pics
what is going on? and how can get my edits to stick without the system constantly fighting me?

bottom right corner of primary monitor
bottom left corner of primary monitor
note: that i have both the default folder widget and the transparent folder widget and the both exhibit the same behavior after restart.
also note: the transparent folder widget allows placement right up to the left side panel, where the default folder widget does let me place it that close.
Operating System: Kubuntu 22.04
KDE Plasma Version: 5.24.7
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.98.0
Qt Version: 5.15.3
Kernel Version: 6.2.0-33-generic (64-bit)
Graphics Platform: X11
Processors: 8 × Intel® Core™ i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz
Memory: 11.7 GiB of RAM
Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960/PCIe/SSE2
follow up:
i’m seeing this bug reported as “fixed” in various versions of plasma (including mine) but it’s not fixed… and seems to be related to the timing of when the panels appear and “change” the desktop resolution.
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=413645
this one says it was fixed on 5.24.8
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=460618
and this one says 5.27
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=464373
i could turn on the backports repositories and get access to plasma 5.25, or i suppose the other more risky option is to upgrade to 22.10 and get a yet newer version.
but are there any other options that i’m missing? (wayland ?)
from the screenshots you’ve shared (so many screen shots
your panels are thin because tehy are horizontal where mine are 48pixels thick becuause they are vertical
i’m wondering if that greater offset is why the issue manifests where if the offeset is small enough (say 28px) then it doesn’t cross into the next snap point for placing widgets so it doesn’t manifest.
just a wild guess… i’m tempted to try wayland first, but i’m afraid it will break more things that it fixes.
i could take the backport upgrade path, but can i just upgrade these plasma files with the 5.24.7 version, or would i need to include a bunch of other stuff?

i installed the wayand thing and my baloo has gone nuts indexing a bunch of new files… seems to be calming down now
but the widget issue remains, still resizes itself.
talking to myself again…
i’ve “resolved” this by avoiding the problem (becoming a pattern with KDE) but i think my new approach is actually better so i’ll share it.
from the folder widget that is aimed at my windows data on another drive i simply dragged the folder to the panel on the side of the screen and selected “add icon”
a folder icon linked to that directory on my D: drive appears in the panel and works to bring up a dolphin view of that windows folder… repeat for all the other folders, now i have an array of folders in my side panel and no longer need the folder widget at all.
but i’m not done yet… the array is rather boring looking with all the folders looking the same (and no previews), but when i enter edit mode for the panel there appears a “configure” option for each folder and that offers up the ability to change the icon.
clicked on that, searched ALL for the folder names (pictures, music, etc) and found monchrome icons that look the part (used table for the desktop one as i think it looks more like a desktop).
and voila same access to my windows data with far less screen real estate.

another (minor) KDE success story, there’s always another way with KDE.