Xfce Forum

cinsk

Member

Registered: 2011-08-15

Posts: 2

Strange keyboard problem (ESC not working)

Hi,

I have a problem with my Dell Latitude D800 Laptop (Gentoo linux, Xfce 4.8.0)

When I used Gnome 2.x, my keyboard works perfectly in following keyboard setting:

$ setxkbmap -v
Trying to build keymap using the following components:
keycodes:   xfree86+aliases(qwerty)
types:      complete
compat:     complete
symbols:    pc+us+inet(pc105)+ctrl(nocaps)+terminate(ctrl_alt_bksp)
geometry:   pc(pc105)

In Xfce, I setup same configuration in keyboard setting menu.  And my ESC keyboard no longer works.

Curiously, xev(1) output when I stroke ESC shows:

PropertyNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    atom 0x152 (_NET_WM_ICON_GEOMETRY), time 6753994, state PropertyNewValue

FocusOut event, serial 34, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    mode NotifyGrab, detail NotifyAncestor

FocusIn event, serial 34, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    mode NotifyUngrab, detail NotifyAncestor

KeymapNotify event, serial 34, synthetic NO, window 0x0,
    keys:  4294967183 0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   
           0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   

which is differ from when I stoke in Gnome. (in Gnome, it shows the keycode, and key symbol "escape" correctly.

KeyPress event, serial 33, synthetic NO, window 0x2000001,
    root 0x18f, subw 0x0, time 10243344, (389,325), root:(393,371),
    state 0x0, keycode 9 (keysym 0xff1b, Escape), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "^["
    XmbLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "^["
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 33, synthetic NO, window 0x2000001,
    root 0x18f, subw 0x0, time 10243468, (389,325), root:(393,371),
    state 0x0, keycode 9 (keysym 0xff1b, Escape), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "^["
    XFilterEvent returns: False

I thought that both Gnome/Xfce keyboard configuration is nothing more a front-end to setxkbmap, no?
If so, I'm stucked, since both output of "setxkbmap -v" is same on both environments.

How can I make work my ESC keyboard? (Other keys are fine.)

Last edited by cinsk (2011-08-15 04:18:16)

cinsk

Member

Registered: 2011-08-15

Posts: 2

Re: Strange keyboard problem (ESC not working)

I found the solution, but don't know why.

It seems that application shortcut "<control>escape" in keyboard setting menu is the problem.

In my Xfce 4.8.0 (Gentoo), "<Control>escape" shortcut eat-up all "escape" key stroke.

By default, "xfdesktop --menu" binded into "<Control>escape".  Removing it or change to another shortcuts solves the problem.