dialect applet crashes

[Georg Duffner]

Dialect applet crashes on startup. Clicking on it results in crashing again.
I have installed AWN 0.3.9.1~bzr1754-1.9.10 from awn-testing ppa on karmic/64bit with gnome-shell built from source.
Video card is GF8400GS, binary driver is v185.18.36.

Terminal output:

Screen is composited
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Updating gtk theme colours
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Updating dialog colours
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Spawned awn-applet[11286] for "yama.desktop", UID: 1258822895, XID: 46137397
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Spawned awn-applet[11288] for "file-browser-launcher.desktop", UID: 1258822653, XID: 46137398
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Spawned awn-applet[11289] for "taskmanager.desktop", UID: 1, XID: 46137399
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Spawned awn-applet[11290] for "showdesktop.desktop", UID: 1258821370, XID: 46137400
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Spawned awn-applet[11291] for "shinyswitcher.desktop", UID: 1258821069, XID: 46137401
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Spawned awn-applet[11292] for "dialect.desktop", UID: 1259330494, XID: 46137402
** (avant-window-navigator:11285): DEBUG: Spawned awn-applet[11293] for "weather.desktop", UID: 1258821100, XID: 46137403
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/avant-window-navigator/applets/dialect/dialect.py", line 518, in <module>
    applet = Dialect('dialect', awn.uid, awn.panel_id)
  File "/usr/share/avant-window-navigator/applets/dialect/dialect.py", line 95, in __init__
    self.error_check()
  File "/usr/share/avant-window-navigator/applets/dialect/dialect.py", line 168, in error_check
    self.set_layout()
  File "/usr/share/avant-window-navigator/applets/dialect/dialect.py", line 308, in set_layout
    self.get_layout(False)
  File "/usr/share/avant-window-navigator/applets/dialect/dialect.py", line 328, in get_layout
    self.update_applet(layout, variant, effect)
  File "/usr/share/avant-window-navigator/applets/dialect/dialect.py", line 332, in update_applet
    tooltip = self.layout[layout]
KeyError: 'de,il,ru'
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[Denham2010 (denham2010-deactivatedaccount)]

Please post output of:

setxkbmap -print -v 10

from the terminal, and please post contents of the following gconf keys:

/apps/awn-applet-dialect/current
/apps/awn-applet-dialect/user_list

[Georg Duffner (mcduff)]

setxkbmap -print -v 10
Setting verbose level to 10
locale is C
Applied rules from evdev:
model: pc105
layout: de,il,ru
variant: ,,phonetic
options: grp:alts_toggle
Trying to build keymap using the following components:
keycodes: evdev+aliases(qwertz)
types: complete
compat: complete
symbols: pc+de+il:2+ru(phonetic):3+inet(evdev)+level3(ralt_switch_for_alts_toggle):1+group(alts_toggle)
geometry: pc(pc105)
xkb_keymap {
 xkb_keycodes { include "evdev+aliases(qwertz)" };
 xkb_types { include "complete" };
 xkb_compat { include "complete" };
 xkb_symbols { include "pc+de+il:2+ru(phonetic):3+inet(evdev)+level3(ralt_switch_for_alts_toggle):1+group(alts_toggle)" };
 xkb_geometry { include "pc(pc105)" };
};

[Georg Duffner (mcduff)]

/apps/awn-applet-dialect/current
[de\,il\,ru,\,\,phonetic]

/apps/awn-applet-dialect/user_list
[]

[Denham2010 (denham2010-deactivatedaccount)]

Applet currently does not recognise a multiple layout setup through xkb rules.

Working on a fix.

In the meantime, a temporary workaround would be to change the xkb rule to a single layout.

[Georg Duffner (mcduff)]

I had no idea that this applet wouldn't use xkb rules. The workaround is ok and i find this applet very useful now.

Perhaps it could be a good idea to allow users to define favorite layouts that will be displayed below the folderlist in the popup.

[Georg Duffner (mcduff)]

i'm sorry, please ignore the second half of the last comment. i had overseen the configuration menu.

[Denham2010 (denham2010-deactivatedaccount)]

Plan of action is to prevent the crash by detecting a xkb multiple layout rule on startup. This will be overridden by the applet.

The main issue with doing this is it will disable the keyboard shortcut set in the xkb rule.

Looking at ways to implement a keyboard shortcut option for the applet.

[Denham2010 (denham2010-deactivatedaccount)]

Fix committed in revision 1839.

Applet will now take the first layout from an xkb multiple layout rule.

Any further items in the xkb rule will be ignored as the applet's user list replaces this function.

Keyboard shortcut option is currently a wishlist item for a later commit.

[Kyle L. Huff (kylehuff)]

I can confirm the fix committed in revision 1839 seems to correct the issue of crashing on startup when multiple keyboard layouts are present. Also seems to no longer produce errors when adding keyboard layouts through gnome-keyboard-properties.

It may already be known (or expected) - but the following weirdness occurs after using the Dialect applet to switch between layouts - hot-keys configured in gnome-keyboard-properties no longer function - neither does clicking on the gnome-panel applet 'keyboard layout indicator' to change layouts; Adding a new layout via gnome-keyboard-properties re-enables the hot-keys and click-to-change functions of the gnome-panel applet, but both become inoperable again after using Dialect to select a layout.

I am only noting the above in case someone else also requires managing multiple keyboard layouts through 'gnome-keyboard-properties' for system wide multi-layout accessibility - gdm, etc.