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Linux: Unable to grab a tab from a non-focused window

  • 14 replies
  • 0 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by Jon

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Firefox for Linux has a bug where it is unable to drag a tab from a non-active window. As in, if the window focus is on Firefox window A and I try to drag a tab from Firefox window B to window A, I have to click first the window. I can't just intuitively drag the tab from a non-active window, because it will get ignored. It will just activate the window, ignoring the drag.

Firefox for Linux, running on Nobara KDE latest desktop. Confirmed also on KDE Neon latest desktop.

Firefox for Linux has a bug where it is unable to drag a tab from a non-active window. As in, if the window focus is on Firefox window A and I try to drag a tab from Firefox window B to window A, I have to click first the window. I can't just intuitively drag the tab from a non-active window, because it will get ignored. It will just activate the window, ignoring the drag. Firefox for Linux, running on Nobara KDE latest desktop. Confirmed also on KDE Neon latest desktop.

All Replies (14)

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Just to clarify, if the window is active (as in, I just clicked in it), then I can drag tabs no problem, from that active window to any other window as well. But if I try to start on a non-active window, the process is ignored.

This is more glaringly obvious if you try to move a bunch of tabs from one window to another. The first one you might be able to move in a single gesture, but when you try to drag the second, you'll realize you first need to click back on the window to activate it again.

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This makes ZERO sense to me.  ;-)) You should install OBS, record the issue, and then post it on YouTube or the site of your choice.



Operating System: openSUSE Leap 15.6 Beta KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.10 KDE Frameworks Version: 5.114.0 Qt Version: 5.15.12 Kernel Version: 6.4.0-150600.9-default (64-bit) Graphics Platform: X11 Processors: 16 × AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850HS with Radeon Graphics Memory: 62.1 GiB of RAM Graphics Processor: AMD Radeon Graphics Manufacturer: HP Product Name: HP EliteBook 865 16 inch G9 Notebook PC

Modified by jonzn4SUSE

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I just installed OBS and made a video. Sending you an email to see if it's what you're doing.

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Thanks jon4SUSE, I didn't receive any video. Basically, if you have 2 (or more) firefox windows, you can't drag a tab from one to another in one single mouse drag. You need to first get the window active/focus with a first mouse click, then you can drag from that window.

This becomes more noticeable if you try to grab a bunch of tabs all in the same direction, from firefox window A to firefox window B, you might happen to have the correct window active on the first tab, but by repeating the gesture a second time it you'll notice the issue. (Since you dragged the tab from A to B, now B is active, which is where you dropped the tab, and when you try to drag again from A, since B is still active, you'll need to first click window A in order to be able to drag again. It's not a smooth drag, you always need to click first).

KDE PLasma 5.27.9 KDE Frameworks: 5.111.0 QT Version: 5.15.11 Kernel: 6.6.8-200.fsync.fc38.x86_64 Platform: Wayland.

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Here's a link.

Modified by jonzn4SUSE

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Lol...Touché, thanks. You selected multiple tabs in order to move them all at once. I meant, one by one...that's when the problem is more easily reproducible. It might not be a common behavior like this, but basically it happens anytime you try to drag a tab from a non-active window. It will reject the drag, will take it as a click instead, and activate the focus on that window instead of doing a drag. I tried the repetitive example with multiple tabs because regardless where the focus might be at the starting point, after one drag you already have the focus on the destination window, not the source...and then the problem should show.

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I can move 1 or more tabs. This is why you need to show the issue or it will just sit here.

Modified by jonzn4SUSE

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Uhmmm I am sure I posted the comment with the link. But seems it...disappeared?

Please delete if it shows as dupe later, on my screen my own comment is missing!

So, here's the video I just made with OBS. https://youtu.be/GR9WWYpgm7g

I don't have any mouse clicking visual aid, but I guess you can hear the clicks through the noise. I am dragging every single time. But only every second one of them is registered as a drag. The first one, every time, is taken as a "click to activate the focus on the unfocused window".

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It works for me on Ubuntu Wayland so it's probably a KDE/Plasma issue. Does it still happen with the latest Nightly?

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Thanks for the video, really appreciate it. I also feel it's something with your Desktop, setting, or theme, but I've never had this issue under KDE. Do you have the same issue under X11? See what happens using a live usb stick.

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Using the latest Neon user live stick (20240321-0715), which automatically boots on wayland, which itself came with Firefox 124.0 and KDE Plasma 6.02, Frameworks 6.0.0, QT 6.6.2 and Kernel 6.5.0 I didn't get this problem, and everything seemed to work as expected.

Right now I'm on FF 121.0, Plasma version 5.27.9, Frameworks 5.111.0, Qt 5.15.11 and Kernel 6.6.8....and the problem seems to continue.

EDIT: I seem to be failing to install FF nightly on Nobara, when I try: $ sudo dnf copr enable proletarius101/firefox-nightly I get the error: Error: It wasn't possible to enable this project. Repository 'epel-38-x86_64' does not exist in project 'proletarius101/firefox-nightly'. Available repositories: 'fedora-38-x86_64', 'fedora-rawhide-x86_64', 'fedora-39-x86_64', 'fedora-40-x86_64', 'fedora-eln-x86_64', 'centos-stream-8-x86_64', 'opensuse-tumbleweed-x86_64', 'epel-8-x86_64', 'fedora-37-x86_64

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Just to continue the tests (I thought this affected more people), I can replicate it on mu current Nobara install as well on LibreWolf (124.0.1-1) that has no extensions running other than the default ublock... but completely unrelated Ungoogled Chromium (123.0.6312.58) works as it should, allowing me to drag the tabs from unfocused windows.

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Does it still happen with the flatpak package?

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Correct...it still happens on flatpak. Thanks for following up!