[evdev] Japanese keyboard missing keys

[Iñaki García Etxebarria]

Binary package hint: xkeyboard-config

Since the last upgrades (the ones that caused bug #255008 and bug #255372) my japanese keyboard is not behaving properly, there are some missing keys in the layout.

The symbols that do not work and used to work before the latest upgrades are ']' and '}' (which in the japanese keyboard are in the same key), and the key for '\' and '_' (underscore, one key again).

It still works fine in the console, and it used to work fine in hardy with the appropriate xorg.conf. (The yen key has always been kind of borken too, but that's a different bug, and not a regression like this).

The relevant section of xorg.conf that used to work fine before:
 Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
 Option "XkbModel" "jp106"
 Option "XkbLayout" "jp,jp"
 Option "XkbVariant" "106,"
 Option "XkbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle,grp_led:scroll"

A simple way to see that something is broken (some keys are missing) is when I try to add a japanese layout, attached goes a screenshot of that.

Notice that there is no key for ']', '}', which in the japanese keyboard are on the same key (you use shift to select '}'), and take half of the space assigned to 'Return' in the attached layout. Similarly for '\', '_', this key should be taking half of the space assigned to 'Shift_R'.

[Iñaki García Etxebarria (inaki-garetxe)]

Attaching the output of 'xkbcomp :0 -'

[Iñaki García Etxebarria (inaki-garetxe)]

'setxkbmap -print' says the following:

xkb_keymap {
 xkb_keycodes { include "evdev+aliases(qwerty)" };
 xkb_types { include "complete" };
 xkb_compat { include "complete+ledscroll(group_lock)" };
 xkb_symbols { include "pc+jp(106)+inet(evdev)+es:2+group(alt_shift_toggle)" };
 xkb_geometry { include "pc(pc104)" };
};

[keisangi (anarchic-teapot)]

hi there,
i was having the same problem
(bad layout on japanese keyboard) and
i've just found a solution while waiting for update/fix.

here's relevant parts of my xorg.conf:

Section "ServerLayout"
 Identifier "Default Layout"
 Option "AutoAddDevices" "false"
 screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
 Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
        Driver "kbd"
 Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
 Option "XkbModel" "jp106"
 Option "XkbLayout" "jp,jp"
 Option "XkbVariant" "106"
 Option "XkbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle,grp_led:scroll"
EndSection

[keisangi (anarchic-teapot)]

i forgot to say, setxkbmap now return this:

setxkbmap -print
xkb_keymap {
 xkb_keycodes { include "xfree86(jp106)+aliases(qwerty)" };
 xkb_types { include "complete" };
 xkb_compat { include "complete+japan+ledscroll(group_lock)" };
 xkb_symbols { include "pc+jp+group(alt_shift_toggle)" };
 xkb_geometry { include "pc(jp106)" };

[KUmo (shiragumo)]

I don't know, when this will get fixed, but this is quite annoying.
So to get at least hankaku/zenkaku and the ']', '}'-key working, I changed the /usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes/evdev file.

added
<AC12> = 51; // for the ']', '}'-key

changed
<HZTG> = 93; // Hankaku/Zenkakau toggle
to
alias <HZTG> = <TLDE>;

changing
<AB11> = 211; // backslash/underscore
to
<AB11> = 97;
as reported by the xev-command did only work partially, I still don't get the backslash but the underscore.

If there is a better solution, please let me know.

[KUmo (shiragumo)]

After the latest update "xkeyboard-config (1.3-2ubuntu2)" I did the following, to get the japanese keyboard-layout to work as expected:

in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/inet
comment out the <AB11> entry like so:
// key <AB11> { [ XF86Launch4 ] };

in /usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes/evdev the new jp106 part looks like this
// For japanese 106 keyboard.
xkb_keycodes "jp106" {
    include "evdev(evdev)"
    <HZTG> = 49;
    <AC12> = 51;
    <AB11> = 97;
};

In the gnome-keyboard-settings I changed the keyboard-type to 日本語(japanese) 106-key with japanese and german layout, now reported as:
setxkbmap -print
xkb_keymap {
 xkb_keycodes { include "evdev(jp106)+aliases(qwerty)" };
 xkb_types { include "complete" };
 xkb_compat { include "complete+ledscroll(group_lock)" };
 xkb_symbols { include "pc+jp(106)+de:2+inet(evdev)+group(alt_shift_toggle)+level3(menu_switch)" };
 xkb_geometry { include "pc(jp106)" };
};

This got me Hankaku/Zenkaku, the ']','}'-key and the '\','_'-key working.

[Iñaki García Etxebarria (inaki-garetxe)]

KUmo: Thank you very much, the changes you suggest also make my keyboard useful again. Thanks! :)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package xkeyboard-config - 1.3-2ubuntu3

---------------
xkeyboard-config (1.3-2ubuntu3) intrepid; urgency=low

  * 100_abnt2_jp106.diff: Fix keycodes/evdev to better support ABNT2 and
    JP106. (LP: #255372, #258595)

 -- Timo Aaltonen <email address hidden> Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:47:08 +0300

[KUmo (shiragumo)]

Thanks for the new version (xkb-data 1.3-2ubuntu3), it partially fixed the issue. Unfortunately I still need to comment out the <AB11> part in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/inet to get a fully functional '\','_'-key.

otherwise still the same setup
$ setxkbmap -print
xkb_keymap {
 xkb_keycodes { include "evdev(jp106)+aliases(qwerty)" };
 xkb_types { include "complete" };
 xkb_compat { include "complete+ledscroll(group_lock)" };
 xkb_symbols { include "pc+jp(106)+de:2+inet(evdev)+group(alt_shift_toggle)+level3(menu_switch)" };
 xkb_geometry { include "pc(jp106)" };
};

[Timo Aaltonen (tjaalton)]

I've uploaded -2ubuntu4, which should fix this.

[Iñaki García Etxebarria (inaki-garetxe)]

I just tested -2ubuntu4, and it fixes the problem for me. Thanks!

[Ahmad Syukri Abdollah (syockit)]

Even after update to -2ubuntu4, I still have this problem
My system is Kubuntu 8.10
Do I have to upgrade xserver-xorg (and -core) for the fix to work? I'm using the latest in Hardy, and cannot afford to upgrade due to a problem with Fujitsu P series touchscreen driver.

$setxkbmap -print
xkb_keymap {
        xkb_keycodes { include "evdev+aliases(qwerty)" };
        xkb_types { include "complete" };
        xkb_compat { include "complete+japan+ledscroll(group_lock)" };
        xkb_symbols { include "pc+jp+inet(evdev)+group(alt_shift_toggle)" };
        xkb_geometry { include "pc(pc104)" };
};

Currently, my xorg.conf has Option "XkbRules" "evdev"
Is the keyboard layout manager in KDE4 faulty? Might try installing gnome-keyboard-settings then

[Ahmad Syukri Abdollah (syockit)]

By the way, it seems the keyboard layout manager in KDE4 is working after all. Programs launched after the settings are applied now can use arrow keys. Still,
* right bracket unusable
* Hankaku_Zenkaku still not working
* anything else on the desktop still do not have the keyboard settings applied, even after a restart

[Ahmad Syukri Abdollah (syockit)]

I upgraded to latest xorg (breaking touchscreen support on the way), and the problem is resolved. However, the yen mark/pipe key is unmapped, causing inconvenience when doing console commands.
For extra information, all keys are correctly mapped on tty (regardless of xorg updates).

My question here would be: can I have xorg use whatever tty's using instead of its own rules?

[Emmet Hikory (persia)]

I've encountered this bug several times before. I believe it to be a bug with GNOME, rather than a bug with X. Try opening gconf-editor, and clearing all the settings in /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd. This does not require any changes to xorg.conf.

[Nil (nicolas-limare)]

I had exactly the same problem as Iñaki described, even with -2ubuntu4. The method suggested by Emmet worked just fine. Great. Thanks.