Bug 331726

Summary:	keyboard short cut for switch keyboard locale doesn't work on lock screen
Product:	[Unmaintained] ksmserver	Reporter:	Nikolay Golub <steaveball>
Component:	lockscreen	Assignee:	David Edmundson <kde>
Status:	RESOLVED FIXED
Severity:	minor	CC:	kirelagin, mgraesslin, opensource, steaveball
Priority:	NOR
Version:	unspecified
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Arch Linux
OS:	Linux
See Also:	https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=260912 https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=331517
Latest Commit:	http://commits.kde.org/plasma-workspace/b6c4e5aa53fa0391ccb302b886a5390615a280ad	Version Fixed In:	5.3.0
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Nikolay Golub 2014-03-04 10:17:43 UTC

When screen is locked it's impossible to switch layout via defined short cut, only by mouse clicking. 



Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Make sure you have several keyboard layouts
2. Make sure you have keyboard short cut for layout switch (I use Ctrl + Space)
3. Lock screen
4. Try to change layout via short cut
Actual Results:  
Nothing changes

Expected Results:  
Keyboard layout and layout indicator should change

It's minor bug by itself, but with https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=331517 and https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=260912 working with screen locker becomes a nightmare with hard reset computer.

For example if chosen Russian layout(https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=260912), mouse is on taskbar and user press lock key(https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=331517) and password is in english, then it's impossible to unlock computer! 
It's terrible, because as I think most of KDE users use a Linux and most of Linux users prefer keyboard as main input method. And when user experiences such bugs he won't use this desktop environment

Comment 1 Kirill Elagin 2014-04-21 15:27:11 UTC

I confirm this in 4.11.5.

I should also add that we're talking here about “Alternative shortcut” which is handled by KDE. Switching handled by X works as expected, so as a workaround I have X switching set to something I never use (e.g. Shift+Caps) and use it to switch layout on the lock screen.

Comment 2 Mathieu Jobin 2014-05-13 13:02:45 UTC

I believe this is quite major bug...
 
users have no other options than
- leaving their session behind and opening a new session (two sessions for one user is bad)
- holding on to power button, shutting computer badly
- waiting and asking a root admin to restart lightdm/kdm or X or computer

here's the scenario. we're running kde 4.13 under Kubuntu 14.04

my wife is Japanese, I installed kde-l10n-ja which magically set up ibus (thanks for that)
we've added the Japanese Anthy keyboard.

her keyboard input is often set to japanese... 
her session goes locked, she can't unlocked it with japanese keyboard

need an input switcher of some sort... keyboard shortcut might be enough for advance users, but in many case, people will want to have the little icon with the menu

thanks

Comment 3 Mathieu Jobin 2014-05-19 03:51:42 UTC

my wife found a work around... she can type her password with japanese and press F8 to turn it into single-byte ascii 

works

Comment 4 Martin Flöser 2015-02-10 12:06:39 UTC

Git commit b6c4e5aa53fa0391ccb302b886a5390615a280ad by Martin Gräßlin.
Committed on 10/02/2015 at 09:43.
Pushed by graesslin into branch 'master'.

[screenlocker] Support global shortcut for changing keyboard layout
FIXED-IN: 5.3.0
REVIEW: 122508

M  +2    -1    ksmserver/screenlocker/globalaccel.cpp

http://commits.kde.org/plasma-workspace/b6c4e5aa53fa0391ccb302b886a5390615a280ad

Comment 5 Mathieu Jobin 2015-06-16 14:45:59 UTC

Thanks for the patch.

when someone use a tool for asian languages.

such as SCIM, FCITX or IBUS 

is there anyway, switching keyboard layout for those could work on the screenlocker as well?

I wonder where the integration should happen?

- input system modules for the breeze sddm/screenlocker theme? 
- ingration of those system with KDE keyboard settings ? https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=109845
- or something can be done in screenlocker?
- or something should be done by each of those IM to support screenlockers and such ?

thanks