I have this problem only with my Logitech K360 keyboard. It is connected together with a mouse to one unifying receiver. After reboot the meta key opens the Application Launcher as intended. But after some time (maybe a minute, maybe more, less than an hour), it stops working. I couldn't yet pinpoint the issue any further.
OK, I pinpointed it now: The Meta key stops working directly after first time hitting Alt+Tab to open the Window Switcher / Tabbox.
Interesting, I'm wondering whether alt changes the modifier somehow. What's your keyboard layout?
Btw X11 or Wayland or both?
Problem only on X11.
good, that should make investigation easier. Try to use xev to see which key events are generated. My theory is that there is a mismatch. That the logitech somehow generates multiple press events which are then not matched by a release. Or that somehow the keygrab steals events, but that wouldn't make any sense.
There is no difference in the output of xev: Before Alt+Tab (i.e. Meta works): KeyPress event, serial 40, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, root 0x4e9, subw 0x0, time 30763207, (961,1097), root:(3189,1138), state 0x10, keycode 133 (keysym 0xffeb, Super_L), same_screen YES, XLookupString gives 0 bytes: XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: XFilterEvent returns: False KeyRelease event, serial 40, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, root 0x4e9, subw 0x0, time 30763409, (961,1097), root:(3189,1138), state 0x50, keycode 133 (keysym 0xffeb, Super_L), same_screen YES, XLookupString gives 0 bytes: XFilterEvent returns: False After Alt+Tab (i.e. Meta works not): KeyPress event, serial 40, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, root 0x4e9, subw 0x0, time 30773771, (961,1097), root:(3189,1138), state 0x10, keycode 133 (keysym 0xffeb, Super_L), same_screen YES, XLookupString gives 0 bytes: XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: XFilterEvent returns: False KeyRelease event, serial 40, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, root 0x4e9, subw 0x0, time 30773991, (961,1097), root:(3189,1138), state 0x50, keycode 133 (keysym 0xffeb, Super_L), same_screen YES, XLookupString gives 0 bytes: XFilterEvent returns: False Also when I kill kwin in running session and then start it again, problem is gone until I press the next time Alt+Tab.
what is xev showing for "Alt+Tab"?
See https://phabricator.kde.org/D4164 for my latest findings.
Duplicate of bug 370920?
Damn, I forgot about that one (although I created it^^). But, nope, they are independent.
I have a similar issue, Meta key stops working some time after booting, but I have a different keyboard (CM Storm QuickFire Ultimate), and I don't use Alt-Tab. Could this be related?
What's the state of this? Did we fix it?
Haven't noticed it for a while. So I close the bug for now.
I think this is still relevant on the latest version of the plasmashell (KDE Neon user edition, 5.11.4). Starting Computer, super key works fine (toggles Menu) After a while: nothing happens when pressing the super key. Restart kwin (killall kwin_x11 && kstart5 kwin_x11): Super key is working again. In my tests it had nothing to do with the Alt+Tab shortcut.
Possibly related bugs https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=390858 and https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=370920