KDE forgets Caps as Escape keyboard setting

[Stephan Diestelhorst]

In the KDE Input device dialog, I have checked

Advanced -> Caps Lock key behavior -> Make Caps Lock an additional ESC

however, the new KDE keeps forgetting this setting when restarting / undocking. If I disable, enable and then apply, it works again. The setting is always set in the config dialog, but the keyboard is not configured correctly.

I have attached logs of xev, setxbkmap, and xmodmap for when things are not working (despite the setting being set) and after I re-apply the setting as above. The relevant diffs are these:

 diff -u xmodmap.*
--- xmodmap.not_working.log 2016-02-13 15:02:23.980994752 +0000
+++ xmodmap.working.log 2016-02-13 15:05:23.613377761 +0000
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 keycode 63 = KP_Multiply KP_Multiply KP_Multiply KP_Multiply KP_Multiply KP_Multiply XF86ClearGrab
 keycode 64 = Alt_L Meta_L Alt_L Meta_L
 keycode 65 = space NoSymbol space
-keycode 66 = Caps_Lock NoSymbol Caps_Lock
+keycode 66 = Escape NoSymbol Escape
 keycode 67 = F1 F1 F1 F1 F1 F1 XF86Switch_VT_1
 keycode 68 = F2 F2 F2 F2 F2 F2 XF86Switch_VT_2
 keycode 69 = F3 F3 F3 F3 F3 F3 XF86Switch_VT_3

$ diff -u setxkbmap.*
--- setxkbmap.not_working.log 2016-02-13 15:00:52.616799238 +0000
+++ setxkbmap.working.log 2016-02-13 15:05:17.849365495 +0000
@@ -5,18 +5,19 @@
 Success.
 Applied rules from evdev:
 rules: evdev
-model: pc105
+model: pc101
 layout: us
+options: caps:escape
 Trying to build keymap using the following components:
 keycodes: evdev+aliases(qwerty)
 types: complete
 compat: complete
-symbols: pc+us+inet(evdev)
-geometry: pc(pc105)
+symbols: pc+us+inet(evdev)+capslock(escape)
+geometry: pc(pc101)
 xkb_keymap {
        xkb_keycodes { include "evdev+aliases(qwerty)" };
        xkb_types { include "complete" };
        xkb_compat { include "complete" };
- xkb_symbols { include "pc+us+inet(evdev)" };
- xkb_geometry { include "pc(pc105)" };
+ xkb_symbols { include "pc+us+inet(evdev)+capslock(escape)" };
+ xkb_geometry { include "pc(pc101)" };
 };

$ diff -u xev.*
--- xev.not_working.log 2016-02-13 14:59:56.132678069 +0000
+++ xev.working.log 2016-02-13 15:05:05.989340253 +0000
@@ -1,25 +1,29 @@
 KeyPress event, serial 40, synthetic NO, window 0x8200001,
- state 0x0, keycode 66 (keysym 0xffe5, Caps_Lock), same_screen YES,
- XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
- XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
+ state 0x0, keycode 66 (keysym 0xff1b, Escape), same_screen YES,
+ XKeysymToKeycode returns keycode: 9
+ XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "
+ XmbLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "
     XFilterEvent returns: False

 KeyRelease event, serial 40, synthetic NO, window 0x8200001,
- state 0x2, keycode 66 (keysym 0xffe5, Caps_Lock), same_screen YES,
- XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
+ state 0x0, keycode 66 (keysym 0xff1b, Escape), same_screen YES,
+ XKeysymToKeycode returns keycode: 9
+ XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "
     XFilterEvent returns: False

 KeyPress event, serial 40, synthetic NO, window 0x8200001,
- state 0x2, keycode 66 (keysym 0xffe5, Caps_Lock), same_screen YES,
- XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
- XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
+ state 0x0, keycode 66 (keysym 0xff1b, Escape), same_screen YES,
+ XKeysymToKeycode returns keycode: 9
+ XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "
+ XmbLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "
     XFilterEvent returns: False

 KeyRelease event, serial 40, synthetic NO, window 0x8200001,
- state 0x2, keycode 66 (keysym 0xffe5, Caps_Lock), same_screen YES,
- XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
+ state 0x0, keycode 66 (keysym 0xff1b, Escape), same_screen YES,
+ XKeysymToKeycode returns keycode: 9
+ XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1b) "
     XFilterEvent returns: False

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: systemsettings 4:5.4.2-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-27.32-generic 4.2.8-ckt1
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-27-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
Date: Sat Feb 13 15:10:46 2016
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-01-30 (14 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
SourcePackage: systemsettings
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Flames_in_Paradise (ellisistfroh-deactivatedaccount)]

Hello Stephan,

Thanks for reporting this bug! Your bug seems to be a problem with the KDE program itself, and not with our KDE packages. While we appreciate your issue, it would be better if it was tracked at https://bugs.kde.org, so that the KDE developers can deal with this speedily and have direct communication with you as the reporter for more effective debugging.

Once fixed in KDE, it will be included in Kubuntu once the KDE version the feature is implemented in reaches Kubuntu.

[Stephan Diestelhorst (syon)]

Added this to similar bugs upstream:
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=355354
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=356851
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=338361

[Stephan Diestelhorst (syon)]

This has not been occurring for a long time now, and I reported upstream. Closing.