Bug 908444 – kde-apps/konsole: CR: Please add USE flag to disable the SSH Manager plugin

• Product: Gentoo Linux
• Status: UNCONFIRMED ---

[Description Markus Wernig 2023-06-13 13:21:26 UTC]

The SSH Manager plugin for kde-apps/konsole was enabled by default in #814911.

Unfortunately, the plugin is not suited for all existing SSH setups (i.e. those who manage SSH connections differently while still using the KDE Konsole).

It is also very intrusive, as it parses the command line for anything SSH-related and takes actions (often unexpected) based on that. It also seems to import the connections found in ~/.ssh/config and build parts of its own configuration on that (undocumented). Changes to the imported settings are not stable, though (seem to fall back to some default when ~/.ssh/config is changed) and are not mirrored back to ~/.ssh/config.

Some of this seems to come from less than optimal design choices.

Since it is not possible to disable individual plugins separately in Konsole (which uses plugins, but does not have a plugin manager), all users are currently forced to use the plugin (which kind of beats the purpose ...).

While that may me useful for users who have no other way of managing their SSH connections, or want to use the plugin, it is very tedious for all others. The intrusive nature of the plugin keeps causing all kinds of detrimental effects up to the point to rendering Konsole useless for use with SSH (at least in my case).

The problems were discussed upstream (https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=461085, https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=461084), and the developer of the SSH Manager plugin declared themselves willing to add a way to disable the plugin, but unable to do so now because of lack of time.

Therefore I would request to add a local USE flag to the Konsole ebuild that allows to disable compilation of the SSH Manager plugin.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open konsole
2. type an ssh-related command like "ssh somehost"
3. Watch in awe how konsole suddenly changes profiles, keyboard settings, environment etc. based on what it thinks suited to that command
Actual Results:  
There is no way to disable that behaviour.

Expected Results:  
It should be possible to disable the SSH Manager plugin

[Comment 1 Markus Wernig 2023-06-13 14:13:22 UTC]

Created attachment 863773 [details, diff]
ebuild diff that introduces the local sshplugin USE flag and uses it

[Comment 2 Peter Levine 2023-06-13 23:21:35 UTC]

Should "quickcommandsplugin" be added for consistency?  Or a USE_EXPAND variable like KONSOLE_PLUGINS="quickcommands ssh"?

[Comment 3 Markus Wernig 2023-06-14 09:48:06 UTC]

The quickcommands plugin is not as intrusive as the ssh manager. If not configured, it does nothing. Whereas the ssh manager is automatically active.

So, while I do not have a strong opinion on this, I think it is not necessary to add an option to disable compilation of the quickcommands plugin.