Arch Linux

babba

Member

Registered: 2025-10-17

Posts: 3

[SOLVED] KDE - Missing Expose* shortcuts in kglobalacceld

I wanted to add a keyboard shortcut to show all windows in current desktop, but I could not find any "Present window" shortcut in "System Settings -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts". I looked into how to invoke the effect from the CLI:

qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Expose"

but nothing happens. Trying to invoke the overview effect works fine:

qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Overview"

Next I listed all shortcuts with

qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.shortcutNames

and found out that all "Expose*" shortcuts are missing: this is the diff I get comparing the output of the same command run on a Fedora machine (same "kglobalacceld" version):

diff --git a/archlinux.txt b/fedora.txt
index 66f2a96..6fd093b 100644
--- a/archlinux.txt
+++ b/fedora.txt
@@ -3,10 +3,20 @@ Cycle Overview
 Cycle Overview Opposite
 Decrease Opacity
 Edit Tiles
+Expose
+ExposeAll
+ExposeClass
+ExposeClassCurrentDesktop
 Grid View
 Increase Opacity
 Kill Window
 Move Tablet to Next Output
+MoveMouseToCenter
+MoveMouseToFocus
+MoveZoomDown
+MoveZoomLeft
+MoveZoomRight
+MoveZoomUp
 Overview
 Setup Window Shortcut
 Show Desktop

Now, for the life of me, I can't find out why this happend and, most importantly, how to fix it. Can anyone help me finding out what is the problem?

pacman -Q plasma-desktop -> plasma-desktop 6.4.5-4

pacman -Q kglobalacceld -> kglobalacceld 6.4.5-1

Last edited by babba (2025-11-03 15:43:28)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,924

Re: [SOLVED] KDE - Missing Expose* shortcuts in kglobalacceld

Those are Kwin effects, maybe expose/present windows is disabled in the window effect settings? Not on my Arch so can't check precisely but I'd check in that direction. Though I faintly remember something about the overview supplanting the expose effect.

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 70,981

Re: [SOLVED] KDE - Missing Expose* shortcuts in kglobalacceld

/usr/lib/kconf_update_bin/kwin-6.1-remove-gridview-expose-shortcuts - but dunno why.
I'd assume they got merged into the  Overview effect?

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babba

Member

Registered: 2025-10-17

Posts: 3

Re: [SOLVED] KDE - Missing Expose* shortcuts in kglobalacceld

Thank you both for your answer, sorry for my late reply!
Indeed, the "new" overview effect is supposed to cover the same use case as the expose one (I have no idea though if KDE folks want to remove them), but my machine is not the most performing one, so this new overview effect tends to stutter more often than not. I wanted to give it a try to the "old" expose ones, but well...

/usr/lib/kconf_update_bin/kwin-6.1-remove-gridview-expose-shortcuts - but dunno why.

I am not familiar with these kconf_update_bin executables, any idea where I can look to understand exactly what they do/how do they behave? I mean, if I move/remove the binary you mentioned and reboot, it should be enough, I guess

Those are Kwin effects, maybe expose/present windows is disabled in the window effect settings?

Checked already, there is no mention of them in window effects; but the same is true for my fedora machine, so I think that is not the problem

seth

Member

From: Don't DM me only for attention

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 70,981

Re: [SOLVED] KDE - Missing Expose* shortcuts in kglobalacceld

I am not familiar with these kconf_update_bin executables

Doesn't matter - was just supposed to show that those shortcuts were deliberately removed w/ kwin 6.1

my machine is not the most performing one, so this new overview effect tends to stutter more

Have you filed a bug upstream?
This might be configurable away (disable the window labels or something like that)

---

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babba

Member

Registered: 2025-10-17

Posts: 3

Re: [SOLVED] KDE - Missing Expose* shortcuts in kglobalacceld

I am not familiar with these kconf_update_bin executables

Doesn't matter - was just supposed to show that those shortcuts were deliberately removed w/ kwin 6.1

my machine is not the most performing one, so this new overview effect tends to stutter more

Have you filed a bug upstream?
This might be configurable away (disable the window labels or something like that)

ok, so the gist of it is that the expose effects are supposed to be missing, me trying to "recover" them is more work than it's worth. I'll just stick to the overview effect, and no I did not file an issue upstream, I did not even thought that could be an option tbh. I'll look into what can be done.
Thank you for your help!