Bug 189409

Which window manager are you using ? Thanks

Hi,
KWin from KDE 4.
One mention, focus doesn't simply go away while typing in the terminal, it is indeed somehow related to switching windows.
Thanks for the fast reply.

I'm seeing something very similar. I have a quite slow machine so switching desktops and apps is quite slow. It's a laptop with intel graphics, with an external monitor showing the same as the laptop screen (not sure if that is relevant). KDE 4.2.3, kubuntu jaunty, but this bug has been present the whole of kde 4.

When I switch really fast between apps or desktops, then keyboard focus is totally, no keyboard input causes any effect (except switch x terminal, ctrl-alt-delete etc). If I press the window menu in the top right corner on any app causes keyboard focus to return.

I too have experienced difficult to reproduce focus problems. Mainly cause of multiple, and I do mean multiple Windows -or- Widgets open. Have my xinitrc configured to open two terminal Windows right from boot-up. Have them open ALL the time. In addition I can have one or more root terminal Windows open. In addition I almost always have VMware running with Windows 2k -or- Vista. In addition there will be multiple Firefox Widgets opened. Oh and probably Thunderbird.  Now with this menagerie I can "loose focus" on one or more. They will go transparent and not come back. Also just recently "lost" the Task Bar, or Panel. Only had the two terminal Windows and One Firefox and one Thunderbird open. I wanted to check the date and hovering over the time did not show it. Clicked on the time and nothing. Moved cursor over the panel ... nothing. The task bar stayed showing but nothing could be done with it. Right clicked on desktop, got menu, re-started machine. On the re-boot ... again I could not get any action from the task bar. Went to my Home Page and clicked on a couple of items which caused more windows to be opened. Also clicked on the cashew in upper right corner -but- did nothing. Just looked and closed it. Viewed a few more things including this KDE4 area and all of a sudden I had control back on the Task Bar..?.? For a time period, it was only a decoration at the bottom of my screen. Now it is working again.
   In addition, I have moved my mouse to the Task Bar, over a windows grouping and had the selections 'pop' up above the task bar. I would click on one for selection and it would get focus -but- the pop up would not go away until I clicked on the main selection in the task bar. This is also inconsistent.
KDE4 version: 4.3.81 (KDE 4.3.81 (KDE 4.4 >= 20091204)) "release 2"
System: dual core 3.2Ghz, 4GB RAM, 600GB HD, Two DVD's, GeForce 7300 LE and a whole bunch of other stuff. It's an HP m7480n.

I'm sorry. I read the details after I commented above. My system is openSuSE 11.2 not Ubuntu or Debian.

To make this clear, the problem I was reporting is a minor focus lose only: the windows lose keyboard focus, but nothing else. Clicking brings keyboard focus back, and Alt+Tab and all other keyboard combinations work. This was only an annoyance when working with the keyboard.

However, I haven't even seen this bug lately, so I guess it was some obscure Qt quirk that got fixed.

What comments 3 and 4 describe looks much more serious and is not what I was seeing.

No Alex, your instance was not totally obscure. I to have experienced your problem. "Focus" seems to be an issue when you get Multiple Windows or Widgets going here in KDE4. I am forcing myself to stay in KDE4 and not load up the version of KDE3.5 that is supposed to work with this latest version of SuSE. Somebody's gota test it. The latest and greatest KDE4.4 has some interesting features. Give it a try, if you haven't already.

Update: Today, Dec 20, 2009 I sign on got my usual two terminal windows, started Firefox and Thunderbird. Reading e-mails and clicking on items that took me over to Firefox to view WebSites. Also, started replying to e-mails. Needed to check the date for one reply, I'm forgetful, and when I moved my mouse to the Task Bar over the time I -did not- get the date. I clicked on the time and still got nothing. Then I moved over the rest of the Task Bar .. and nothing. Did not get the usual Thumbnails. However, the window that I was in, or switched to, would be hi-lighted on the Task Bar. The other three would be dark -but- I could not click on the items in the task bar and get switched. Had to move the windows that were covering others and then click on the one that I wanted. It then became the hi-lighted one on the Task Bar. I can -not- select anything from the task bar.

This is continuation of Comment #8... I tried a Warm Boot Re-start and it did -not- correct the problem. I next tried a Power Down and Off and it did -not- correct the problem. Last time this happened, I vaguely remember clicking on the Cashew and then closing it while reading the KDE Web Page. All of a sudden it was working. This time that has -not- happened. I'm apparently stuck with a non-functioning task bar. I can switch windows I have open by clicking on them and the item in the task bar will change to highlited -but- I can not do it via the task bar. Nothing, nada, zip.

Hi Chuck,
It's bit hard to follow your reports and replicate the behaviour you describe. It is better to make the messages more concise and more divided in steps.

Ok. Possibly an easy update. I am using:
KDE4 version: 4.3.81 (KDE 4.3.81 (KDE 4.4 >= 20091204)) "release 2"
  and I have:
System: dual core 3.2Ghz, 4GB RAM, 600GB HD, Two DVD's, GeForce 7300 LE and a
whole bunch of other stuff. It's an HP m7480n.

I just recently had a number of Terminal Windows open and Firefox and Thunderbird. I was bouncing back and forth between Thunderbird and Firefox via HTML links included in e-mails. Viewing mpeg, YouTubes, mvm etc. I had previously gotten an Update of SMPlayer and thought that might have been the cure because I wasn't experiencing any problems.

Then I had to go over to Windows via my dual boot (cause shame on me I don't have the Linux Printer set up yet). Anyway, upon coming back to Linux I was looking at my screen and was thinking that I would like it to show a little longer before going into the screen saver. Now then:
1. I had just re-booted ... leaving Windows XP ... Selecting Linux.
2. Linux comes up with sign-on screen... I sign-on.
3. My home Desktop comes up with 116683-hatterem 1024x768 background.
   (resembles the Northern Lights)
4. Also showing is my two terminals I start in xinitrc.
5. Because of the above mentioned decision, I minimized the two terminals and then I right-clicked on the Desktop to get the settings. I had forgotten that the screen saver is set via the Config Settings in the Launcher.
6. I closed the Desktop Menu that I had opened and then "attempted" to open the Launcher. Nothing, nada, zip.  My task bar had become a decoration again. The selection for this WebPage "Bug 189409 - Terminal" is high lighted in the task bar and the rest are grayed out. 'IF' I select one of the other Windows by clicking on the window the High Lighting of the Task bar with follow.
---------------------------------------------------------------
| Win-1 Hi-Lited   | Win-2 Greyed    | Win-3 Greyed   |
---------------------------------------------------------------
     I click on Win-2 itself NOT the task bar entry and 
---------------------------------------------------------------
| Win-1 Greyed     | Win-2 Hi-Lited  | Win-3 Greyed   |
---------------------------------------------------------------
-BUT- I can not click on anything on the task bar and get a response. I can not hover over an item and get a thumbnail. Can not hover over the time and get the Date.  Task Bar is nothing more than a Decoration ... at this point in time.

The "corrections" have come from opening and closing windows on the desktop. After I finish this entry I will try to make a record of the sequences of window openings and closings to get the correction and report the results in a new comment.

Allllrighty... as promised. The conditions:
   OS is openSuSE 11.2 with Task Bar inoperative
   Two Terminal Windows - both minimized.
   Firefox 3.5.6; two Tabs, this bug and openSuSE Home page.
   Thunderbird 3.0 - open to my main mail with report about this bug.
   Desktop Settings - from right click on Desktop

1. Closed Firefox - no change
2. Closed Thundirbird - no change
3. Closed Desktop Settings Dialog - no change
   -just have Desktop with Icons and two terminals minimized that I can not open
4. Started VMware - Got VMware main page (I have an Icon for it on my Desktop)
   Opened - no change
   PowerOn to my Win2k Virtual - no change
5. Click on Cashew in upper right corner.
   VMware minimized and I got the Cashew menu. - no change
   Clicked Cashew again, menu disappears and VMware Maximizes. - no change
6. Click on Firefox Icon and it opens to the openSuSE Home page.
   Task Bar is now working again!!
7. Opened and closed Desktop Settings - no problems experienced
8. Shutdown Virtual Win2k - still ok
9. Closed VMware - still ok
Looks ok again. So I don't know what is causing the Task Bar lock ups but I will keep an eye on it.

  One more Update then I will quit and just put up with it or switch back to an earlier version.
  As an experiment I Dual Booted over into Win XP and looked on the Net for some info on a cp1700 printer. After exhausting myself I came back to Linux. Right off the bat, without doing a thing, just my home page showing with the two terminals, I could not use the Task Bar. It was/is dead. Tried the trick above and it did not correct it this time. Anyway... there is a problem. If you need further testing ... just let me know.

  Hello, I lied. One more Update. In my observances I have found that IF I Dual Boot over the WinXP and then come back to Linux (openSuSE 11.2) that is when I loose the TaskBar. IF the TaskBar is alive and active when I PowerOff, then when I fire the machine back up the TaskBar is ok. Yes, I know it shouldn't make any difference ... but it does.
  Now I'll quit and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Let us know if you still have focus issues w/ a later 4.4.x version.

Hi,

It certainly happens with 4.4.3, and maybe it happens with 4.4.4 which just entered in Debian and I did not see it yet.

It also happens on Windows, with Kate. Sometimes when I alt+tab around and come back to Kate, the focus seems to be nowhere, not in the editor and not on the menu bar. Given this, this may be a Qt issue. I am under the impression that pressing tab will give focus to the editor component, though.

I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do with this obscure bug, since it happens rarely and randomly. I still don't wish to close it.

Thanks,
Alex

I believe all the lost  focus issues have been fixed in late KDE 4.5.x versions.

If you still have issues on a recent version (preferable 4.6.x), comment again please.

Please re-open.  I'm using Konsole Version 2.6.3 (KDE 4.6.4) (debian sid) and i still see this bug.  I have 10 virtual desktops and each one has a konsole.  Each console has multiple tabs.  I bounce around the windows quickly using a keyboard short cut (control-alt-arrow).  Up, right. Then down, left.  Then up right...  Sure enough i'll come to a konsole tab and as i type, nothing is printed.  asdfasdfasdf, nothing!  In fact all konsole tabs are locked up.  All except for one.

Here's the interesting thing.  I'll traverse across all my konsole tabs.  I'll eventually find one were suddenly asdfasdfasd is printed!  I see this as it's printed.  Then all konsoles return to normal.

However there is what i call "Level 2" of this bug, where after keyboard focus is restored, that all keyboard input in the Konsole is wacky.  I type d, i get an s.  I type d again, the s gets erased!  It's like Konsole had a brain seizure.