Up to openSuse 12.2, navigation in the KDE starter menu has been possible by
Firstly, leaving the input line via cursor DOWN
Secondly, entering the first key of the list item to navigate to it.
With openSuse 12.3 and 13.1, this feature has been lost. Is there a way to activate it again?:X
I am on 12.2 I never did what you describe, but I just tried and it functions as you describe.
I use however the “classic” menu (or how it is called, not the default one of the two).
With 12.2 the starter menu (kickoff) works as desired. Even “trivial” systems like mobile phones let you navigate in address lists using the number keys. So I am at a loss why has KDE dropped this feature?:X
I do also have a 13.1 system here and tested there. It works. I can move through the (sub)menus and start items by typing the underscored character in the item name there. Or am I now doing something different from what you do? I do not quite undeerstand what you mean with “Firstly, leaving the input line via cursor DOWN”. I click on the menu Icon, then type the character that is underscored to get a sub menu, etc. and then the last typing is the character of a program trhat then starts.
BTW asking “So I am at a loss why has KDE dropped this feature?” here is not very effective. We are not the KDE developers. For such basic questions you better go to the KDE forums: http://forum.kde.org/
Hello Henk,
I wonder whether we are talking about the same menu. When I click on the starter icon, a menu appears but no entry has an underscored character. Maybe that is the cause for typing a key not working. But then … why have your items have underscores and mine not?
Sorry for the remark concerning KDE features. But You certainly understand how frustrating it is to loose features like keyboard navigation in menus that really are standard. I still hope that maybe it is simply a question of settings.
Regards Harald
Personally I hate the standard menu and use the old style. The new style seems occurred but I guess it may be better for real simple beginners 
I told you from the beginniing that I use the “classic” menu (or how it is called, not the default one of the two). Gogalthorp calls it “old style”. And I also described extensive what I do and see, just to make sure we are talking abou the same thing. Apparently not. You seem to use the default style, which I rejected from it’s emergence. When you say you do not have those underscored characters that uniquely identify eacht entry in a (sub)menu, my tests are of course useless.
I do understand your frustration about a feature that becomes vaporware at a change of version without further explanation Or even with explanation. I myself have a few with KDE-PIM. But, as I also mentioned the KDE forums are a much better place to discuss this. That is the place where you can find fellow frustrated users (not only openSUSE ones) about a subject. Also you have a chance that devs tune in there. At least that is my experience with my KDE-PIM lost features/regressions. We, your fellow openSUSE users, are most probably unable to explain you why this is dropped. At he most some of us could tell you where to switch it on when they found it (so you askiing about it here is welcome and not useless). But reasoning behind it?