Bug 182073 - shift key not working from remote keyboard
Summary: shift key not working from remote keyboard
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: krfb
Classification: Applications
Component: general (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Platform: openSUSE Linux
: VHI normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: George Goldberg
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2009-01-27 11:11 UTC by Mike Lewis
Modified: 2010-08-17 16:38 UTC (History)
14 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In: 4.5.1


Attachments
xev output if typed from a remote VNC client (3.38 KB, text/plain)
2010-06-23 13:49 UTC, Volker Simonis
Details
xev output if typed in locally (2.26 KB, text/plain)
2010-06-23 13:52 UTC, Volker Simonis
Details

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Description Mike Lewis 2009-01-27 11:11:36 UTC
Version:           Desktop Sharing 1.0 (using KDE 3.5.10)
OS:                Linux
Installed from:    SuSE RPMs

Linux is running on a laptop with a Swiss/German keyboard. Remote is Windows running either ultravnc or tightvnc (also a Swiss/German keyboard). The shift key on the client keyboard does not cause upper case characters to be input. The AltGr key inputs characters that bear no resemblance to the keyboard inscriptions. Euro symbol cannot be input. Etc.
Comment 1 George Goldberg 2009-09-05 13:20:19 UTC
I think this is actually a much more general problem than just for Swiss/German keyboards. I'm experiencing it here with default US english ones (and also en_GB).

I don't yet have any idea about what the fix is, however.
Comment 2 Jonathan E. Snow 2009-09-28 17:13:55 UTC
Confirm, US keyboard running on both machines. Shift key has no effect, except for some keys such as numbers. 

This reduces the usefulness of krfb/krdc a lot.
Comment 3 Tamás Németh 2009-10-15 20:32:55 UTC
neither does work altgr.
Comment 4 Tamás Németh 2009-10-15 21:01:34 UTC
Moreover, I also observed that from Windows' UltraVNC LATIN-2 characters not present in LATIN-1 charset (e.g. ő, ű) don't work either.

And additionally sometimes the characters typed once at VNC client show up repeated 2-4 or even 6-8 times.
Comment 5 Khem Raj 2009-11-04 01:56:07 UTC
I can confirm the same problem on Kubuntu 9.10 running KDE 4.3.2
Comment 6 Peter Alexander 2010-01-31 07:19:40 UTC
Hi. Is anybody looking into this bug yet? I can confirm this problem using krdc (gentoo kde branch 4.4) and krfb (kubuntu recent). 

/etc/X11/xorg.conf
===================
Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier     "Generic Keyboard"
    Driver         "kbd"             
    Option         "CoreKeyboard"    
    Option         "XkbRules" "xorg" 
    Option         "XkbModel" "pc104"
    Option         "XkbLayout" "us"  
    Option         "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"
    Option         "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
EndSection
Comment 7 Mihai Moldovanu 2010-02-23 01:02:05 UTC
I can confirm the bug is still present in KDE 4.4.0.

Shift key is not working from remote keyboard. 

However, sometimes if i press both shifts and caps lock is on it produces the intended results once in 20 - or 30 key stokes. Seems like a timer problem ?
Comment 8 Klaus Wriessnegger 2010-04-06 16:29:51 UTC
I have KDE 4.3.1 on a standard openSUSE 11.2 installation and face exactly the same problem!!!

Did anybody of the authors in this thread now got a solution or workaround or is this bug fixed?
Comment 9 sachse 2010-06-23 01:36:47 UTC
I use gentoo with german keyboard layout.
Since version kde 3.5.x tho now 4.3.5 the problem is permanently existent.
Comment 10 Volker Simonis 2010-06-23 13:49:12 UTC
Created attachment 48261 [details]
xev output if typed from a remote VNC client

Contain the output of xev for the input sequence "Shift-press Shift-realease 'c'-press 'c'-release Shift-press 'c'-press 'c'-release Shift-release" if typed from a remote VNC client.
Comment 11 Volker Simonis 2010-06-23 13:52:23 UTC
Created attachment 48262 [details]
xev output if typed in locally

Contains the output of xev for the input sequence "Shift-press Shift-realease 'c'-press 'c'-release Shift-press 'c'-press 'c'-release Shift-release" if typed in locally
Comment 12 Volker Simonis 2010-06-23 13:53:43 UTC
Please, please fix this problem. 

The whole DesktopSharing/krfb is useless if you can't use the shift key!!!

Here are some more details which may help to find the problem:

Kubuntu 10.04 on x86_64
KDE 4.4.2
Desktop Sharing: 1.0

1. One (although cumbersome) way to work around the problem is to enable "Use sticky keys" under "Settings -> System Settings -> Personal -> Accessibility -> Modifier Keys". You can then type "Shift" from the remote host and the next (and only the next) key pressed will be correctly interpreted as "Shift-<key>". Alternatively you can press "Shift" twice, then every key will be interpreted as "Shift-<key>" until you press "Shift" again.

2. Strange enough, I found that two keys are nevertheless working: "Shift-8" returns "(" and "Shift-9" ")" on a German keyboard. Would be nice if we could get some more keys working in conjunction with "Shift":)

3. Attached you can find the two file xev_bad.txt and xev_good.txt. They contain the output of xev for the input sequence "Shift-press Shift-realease 'c'-press 'c'-release Shift-press 'c'-press 'c'-release Shift-release". The first one, xev_bad.txt contains the output if the sequence is typed from a remote VNC client (TightVNC ver. 3.3, OpenSuse 10 x86) while the second one, xev_good.txt contains the output if typed locally.

Hope this helps.
Regards,
Volker
Comment 13 George Goldberg 2010-07-10 15:40:35 UTC
There's a patch floating around somewhere for this. I'll try and track it down next week, and if it works I'll commit it.
Comment 14 George Goldberg 2010-08-17 16:33:35 UTC
SVN commit 1164722 by gberg:

Fix shift modifier key not working when pressed on remote keyboard.

Patch by Dariusz Mikulski.

BUG:182073

 M  +2 -2      events.cpp  


WebSVN link: http://websvn.kde.org/?view=rev&revision=1164722
Comment 15 George Goldberg 2010-08-17 16:38:18 UTC
SVN commit 1164724 by gberg:

Backport r1164722: Fix shift modifier key not working when pressed on remote keyboard.

Patch by Dariusz Mikulski.

CCBUG:182073


 M  +2 -2      events.cpp  


WebSVN link: http://websvn.kde.org/?view=rev&revision=1164724