Surface Type Cover not detected by dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

[Daniel Tang]

keyboard-configuration does not detect a Surface Type Cover as a keyboard during dpkg-reconfigure. This causes it to skip the dialog and prevents one from configuring the Type Cover.

$ lsb_release -rd

Description: Ubuntu 19.10
Release: 19.10

$ apt-cache policy keyboard-configuration
keyboard-configuration:
  Installed: 1.191ubuntu3
  Candidate: 1.191ubuntu3
  Version table:
 *** 1.191ubuntu3 500
        500 http://ubuntu.mirror.rafal.ca/ubuntu eoan/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

What I expected to happen:

# dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

[I get prompted with an interactive dialog asking me to configure the keyboard]

What happened instead:

# dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

Your console font configuration will be updated the next time your system
boots. If you want to update it now, run 'setupcon' from a virtual console.
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)

[...]

[The expected dialog doesn't show up, and it goes straight to rebuilding the boot image]

Workaround:

Plug in a standalone USB Keyboard before running the command.
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: KDE
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
Package: console-setup 1.191ubuntu3
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-24.26-generic 5.3.10
Tags: eoan
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-24-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: dialout kvm plugdev sudo systemd-journal wireshark
_MarkForUpload: True

[Daniel Tang (daniel-z-tg)]

apport information

[Daniel Tang (daniel-z-tg)]

apport information

[Daniel Tang (daniel-z-tg)]

apport information

[Daniel Tang (daniel-z-tg)]

apport information

[Daniel Tang (daniel-z-tg)]

apport information

[Daniel Tang (daniel-z-tg)]

Analysis:

This is caused by keyboard-configuration trying and failing to detect a keyboard.

It detects my USB keyboard using InterfaceClass 03, InterfaceSubClass 01, and InterfaceProtocol 01 in /sys/bus/usb/devices/ .
It detects the built-in keyboard on my other computer using "AT Set" in /proc/bus/input/devices .
However it does not detect the Surface Type Keyboard ('N: Name="Microsoft Surface Type Cover Keyboard"') in /proc/bus/input/devices .

The problem is in the keyboard_present() function of line 36230 of /var/lib/dpkg/info/keyboard-configuration.config .

[Daniel Tang (daniel-z-tg)]

After making the keyboard detection search pattern for /proc/bus/input/devices more generic, dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration works. The patch is attached.

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

The attachment "keyboard-configuration.config.patch" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]