How do I get an active Battery Status Icon down in the lower right corner of KDE Plasma?

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aesc

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Hello, I'm a new Linux user, about three weeks. Currently I'm using the KDE Desktop with Solus and wanting to make changes to the Tray or Taskbar or whatever it's called. I'd like to add a Battery Status Icon down at the bottom right since I'm using a Laptop. Or what I need is a good KDE Plasma Tutorial.
 


@aesc it's been two days now, and 107 views, since you posted this Thread.

If you wonder why no-one has responded so far, I can likely explain it to you, just ask.

From your picture here

https://www.linux.org/threads/post-a-screenshot-of-your-desktop.124/post-164925

I take it that you know that by clicking the hollow caret at right of your System Tray, you can get Battery Status, is that so, and do you simply want to make it show permanently?

Wizard
 
@aesc it's been two days now, and 107 views, since you posted this Thread.

If you wonder why no-one has responded so far, I can likely explain it to you, just ask.

From your picture here

https://www.linux.org/threads/post-a-screenshot-of-your-desktop.124/post-164925

I take it that you know that by clicking the hollow caret at right of your System Tray, you can get Battery Status, is that so, and do you simply want to make it show permanently?

Wizard
Most of my efforts have been directed to familiarization of apps, not so much with Desktop customization, especially since I'm now on my third different Distro/Desktop. I'm unable to locate "hollow caret" you mentioned. I've clicked everywhere on the screen, both right and left click. Unable to locate any battery status in any menu, in any list of drop downs or pop ups. I am able to locate Power Settings, Advanced Power Settings and energy management settings, but so far nothing about obtaining any desktop battery icons. Also, there are no battery status Widgets available either. As you know, I posted a Print Screen, Screenshot of my Desktop in the one other thread, if you care to examine it closely, take another look at it, you will see that the "hollow caret" is not there, is not visible, nothing is there to the right of the digital clock display. Well, I'll have to figure this out, or maybe there is a way to Reset the entire KDE Desktop to the original default settings? Hope you had a good laugh, take care.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I installed KDE Plasma over Ubuntu to see if I can help, but your interface may be a bit different.

Right click in the system tray, and select Configure System Tray.
Click the Entries section in the left pane. (on my system, looks like a bell)
Find the Battery icon and select Always Shown.

Screenshot from 2022-07-07 12-39-02.png
 
I installed KDE Plasma over Ubuntu to see if I can help, but your interface may be a bit different.

Right click in the system tray, and select Configure System Tray.
Click the Entries section in the left pane. (on my system, looks like a bell)
Find the Battery icon and select Always Shown.

View attachment 13108
That information is very helpful. I could be wrong, but it appears that Solus is using a modified or simplified version of the KDE Desktop. Configure System Tray is not even a visible option, or something in the Desktop got broken. At this point I'm thinking of installing a full authentic KDE Plasma Desktop, or I'm going to switch to Kubuntu or KDE Neon. Thank you
 
I've clicked everywhere on the screen,...

No, you haven't. From your picture at Post a Screenshot of your Desktop -

N7C7NQw.png


Click where the arrow head is and see what options are revealed.

For your edification - left below is a hollow or empty up caret, right is a solid up caret, such as shown by @SlowCoder

QSGYf5Y.png
and
Uug3l7A.png


If those options included battery, I was then going to show the following


hcIeSK6.png


If you move your pointer just left of the speaker icon so the smart tip for it disappears, and then right-click, you will likely get the option as @SlowCoder has depicted, for Configure System Tray and follow through from there. Some of your entries there may show as Auto, but clicking them will still allow you to choose Always Shown and it will appear in real time.

So that is where I was leading to, before @SlowCoder stole my thunder :)

or I'm going to switch to Kubuntu or KDE Neon.

You'll get the same there.

In my stable of 70+ Linux Distros I have the following KDEs:
  • Archman KDE
  • Debian Bullseye KDE
  • KDE Neon
  • Kubuntu 20.04 'Focal Fossa'
  • Kubuntu 22.04 'Jammy Jellyfish'
  • Manjaro KDE and
  • Q4OS
It applies to them all.

Here endeth the Lesson.

Wizard
 
Last edited:
No, you haven't. From your picture at Post a Screenshot of your Desktop -

N7C7NQw.png


Click where the arrow head is and see what options are revealed.

For your edification - left below is a hollow or empty up caret, right is a solid up caret, such as shown by @SlowCoder

QSGYf5Y.png
and
Uug3l7A.png


If those options included battery, I was then going to show the following


hcIeSK6.png


If you move your pointer just left of the speaker icon so the smart tip for it disappears, and then right-click, you will likely get the option as @SlowCoder has depicted, for Configure System Tray and follow through from there. Some of your entries there may show as Auto, but clicking them will still allow you to choose Always Shown and it will appear in real time.

So that is where I was leading to, before @SlowCoder stole my thunder :)



You'll get the same there.

In my stable of 70+ Linux Distros I have the following KDEs:
  • Archman KDE
  • Debian Bullseye KDE
  • KDE Neon
  • Kubuntu 20.04 'Focal Fossa'
  • Kubuntu 22.04 'Jammy Jellyfish'
  • Manjaro KDE and
  • Q4OS
It applies to them all.

Here endeth the Lesson.

Wizard
I haven't??? I beg your pardon? YES I hath, haveth (very old English spelling on purpose) I already did as you suggested multiple times, even before YOU suggested it. I did "hover" over each and every icon, and also in between each and every icon, I also clicked on, expanded the little up arrow, where your colorful RED arrow has pointed me to. There inside the expanded whatever it's called are Clipboard, Night Color Control, Brightness, KDE Connect, Lock Keys Status and NO Battery icon or Battery status. I even added a Battery and Brightness Widget, it told me there was no battery! So it's some sort of installation issue, I'm thinking that my installation wrongly determined that this is a tower computer rather than a laptop? But thank you so very very very very very very very very very very very much.
 
@aesc it's been two days now, and 107 views, since you posted this Thread.

If you wonder why no-one has responded so far, I can likely explain it to you, just ask.

From your picture here

https://www.linux.org/threads/post-a-screenshot-of-your-desktop.124/post-164925

I take it that you know that by clicking the hollow caret at right of your System Tray, you can get Battery Status, is that so, and do you simply want to make it show permanently?

Wizard
I installed a Battery and Brightness Widget, O Mighty Wizard, and it says that there is NO Battery! So the problem goes deeper, probably related to the installation, it may not have recognized that this is a Laptop? By the way, in my brief use of Ubuntu, it did show a Battery Status icon in the lower right corner, but that was Gnome. Now O Mighty Wizard, would you be so magnanimous as to show me how to cancel my account here at linux.org, close it down, or delete it? Or should I take a deeper and darker route and get myself kicked off???
 
You're welcome - that was for the thank you you gave me for saving you the time trying Kubuntu and KDE Neon only to find the same issue.

Quite likely that Solus have put their own stamp on KDE, then, which is one of a number of reasons I do not use Solus. I would favour that likelihood over an install issue.

My next step I would have suggested, once we learned that the battery widget is not in your list, would have been to direct you to articles such as

https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/422237/see-battery-percentage-on-the-panel-in-plasma-5-8

.. which is a few years old but likely could be adapted for your circumstances. I found that yesterday after Googling

kde missing icons make permanently visible

,,,but that was Gnome.

Yes, it's on Lubuntu by default as well as a number of other Distros.

You're welcome also for the hours I spent researching your problem in order to try to help you where 106 others passed you by, likely because of your attitude displayed elsewhere.

Now in all honesty, this site is the best on the web for providing distro-agnostic support information. If you wish to have your Membership terminated, you can either ask through Contact us (might take a week) or ask again through here and I can press a button.

If you choose to stay with us, I would advocate your considering the following
  • Take a good look at mellowing your attitude
  • Take your meds if you are on The Spectrum (works for me)
  • Bear in mind that all our Helpers here and all but two of our staff are unpaid volunteers who
    • Don't need to take crap or abuse
    • Don't need their less than perfect English corrected
I'll give you a couple of days if you need to think about, and feel free to Converse with me if you have any questions you would rather keep private.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
You're welcome - that was for the thank you you gave me for saving you the time trying Kubuntu and KDE Neon only to find the same issue.

Quite likely that Solus have put their own stamp on KDE, then, which is one of a number of reasons I do not use Solus. I would favour that likelihood over an install issue.

My next step I would have suggested, once we learned that the battery widget is not in your list, would have been to direct you to articles such as

https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/422237/see-battery-percentage-on-the-panel-in-plasma-5-8

.. which is a few years old but likely could be adapted for your circumstances. I found that yesterday after Googling

kde missing icons make permanently visible



Yes, it's on Lubuntu by default as well as a number of other Distros.

You're welcome also for the hours I spent researching your problem in order to try to help you where 106 others passed you by, likely because of your attitude displayed elsewhere.

Now in all honesty, this site is the best on the web for providing distro-agnostic support information. If you wish to have your Membership terminated, you can either ask through Contact us (might take a week) or ask again through here and I can press a button.

If you choose to stay with us, I would advocate your considering the following
  • Take a good look at mellowing your attitude
  • Take your meds if you are on The Spectrum (works for me)
  • Bear in mind that all our Helpers here and all but two of our staff are unpaid volunteers who
    • Don't need to take crap or abuse
    • Don't need their less than perfect English corrected
I'll give you a couple of days if you need to think about, and feel free to Converse with me if you have any questions you would rather keep private.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
Yeah, I don't like your 'tude either dude. One way or another I'm outta here, Arrivederci. Oh, your free volunteering is certainly appreciated by many, even me, so pat yourself on the back. If it took you hours, well I suppose it was because you enjoyed the challenge or the reward of discovery, or you feel good about helping others (more happiness in giving). Yes, we/us Linux beginners often struggle, but that doesn't mean we are all computer illiterates. Really, seriously you think I don't know how to hover or click on a tray or icons? Can't figure out the simple little things? Once I have more familiarization and refine my search syntax I'll be able to (hopefully) find the answers I'm looking for. I installed Linux on my new laptop because I just don't like Micro$oft Windows, not because I'm in competition with everyone else here. FINI
 
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye.
 
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