xorg key events not registering causing missed keypresses and sticking key repeats

[Jason Straight]

Binary package hint: xserver-xorg

I've scoured similar bugs which were either closed or pointed at the kernel, compiz, or window manager being the problem and I think this is different.

Problem: When in X during normal typing keys are often missed when pressed causing missing characters, or a key will 'stick' and continually repeat until another key is pressed.

Ruled out:

Window manager / compiz - started X with only xterm in .xinitrc
Video Driver - happens with radeonhd or fglrx
hotkey-manager - disabled
Keyboard Driver - tried both kbd and event drivers
Kernel - works perfectly in console, tried noapic, nosmp, noacpi
Hardware - works in console and in windows
repeat - xset r off stops the runaways, but still misses some keypress events

Notes: pressing 2 keys at once in VT1 always prints both keys, in X some of the time only one is reported (for instance testing with kl being simultaneously pressed and released)

llkllklklkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Pressing kl together above and wait a second then press again eventually one of them sticks, I can hit any key to stop the repeating, including the 'stuck' one.

As annoying is the missing key-presses, I usually can't make it through an entire sentence without at least a few missing keypresses.

I also notice lag times sometimes while typing, where my typing lags to screen for a few characters then suddenly dumps those characters.

I'm currently running jaunty.

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

This is a Dell Studio 15xx series notebook. Just tried with a USB external keyboard and that works fine. When hitting 2 keys at once both keys are reported on screen, and no sticking.

Still, given everything else listed in symptoms it seems it would have to be an X bug, since console and other OS works fine.

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

Maybe worth noting is that the external keyboard is on a different USB path, the internal keyboard, touchpad and bluetooth seem to share the same USB port via a broadcom hub.

Included is a listing of lshw usb devices - with the external keyboard plugged in as well.

[Rudd-O (rudd-o)]

Not an USB problem. My keyboard is plugged in via PS/2 port, keys get stuck on high system load situations, which of course only aggravates the problem.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Assigning to myself for bug triage.

Rudd-O, nothing is clear at the moment, we're all really poking in the dark. Please don't comment on this bug with your experiences, open one for yourself instead or we risk having a mess again impossible to untangle like in bug 124406. Please open your own ticket and don't interfere with triaging what's happening for Jason.

Jason, my apologies for the extreme delay in taking a look at this. I think there are three areas we need to take a closer look to understand what is happening and where the problem is coming from; X and video driver, the window manager and the kernel.

* Does this only occur under high load?
* please download http://oss.leggewie.org/wip/linux-image-2.6.31-rc4.20090726_rolf1_i386.deb and see if the problem occurs with that kernel as well. Does booting with acpi=off help?
* does this occur with the VESA video driver?
* does this affect all or only selected keys?
* does it make a difference if this is an internal or external keyboard? does it make a difference what connection you use (USB, PS/2, ...)?

Please attach Xorg.0.log, xorg.conf, the output of "xprop -root" and "gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals". Furthermore, please include "uptime;cat /proc/interrupts". Make sure the error had occurred before that.

Hopefully that will give us something to zoom in on.

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

I have a problem installing:

run-parts: /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common exited with return code 20
Failed to process /etc/kernel/postinst.d at /var/lib/dpkg/info/linux-image-2.6.31-rc4.20090726.postinst line 1181.
dpkg: error processing linux-image-2.6.31-rc4.20090726 (--install):
 subprocess post-installation script returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-image-2.6.31-rc4.20090726

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

OK, please try one of the Ubuntu mainline kernels instead.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/MainlineBuilds

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

Tried with linux-image-2.6.31-020631rc7-generic_2.6.31-020631rc7_amd64 on my Karmic/64 partition which also has the problem as well as Jaunty.

Same problems as before, back on Jaunty now.

* Load doesn't matter
* Vanilla kernel doesn't help
* VESA driver still does it
* All keys
* External keyboard doesn't have problem connected via USB
* Newer Xorg in karmic/64 bit and Xorg in Jaunty/32 bit both tested - problem exists in both

As stated in the original post it's also curious is that it does not do it in console, only using X. Even if X is running and I'm logged in, and I switch to VT it will not do it in the VT.

Forcing a high load with dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/null twice for both cores makes no difference in X or console.

Attachment is all the logs and output you asked for.

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

Also, as per the question of whether it's the DE, I've run X with nothing but xterm - no display manager or desktop environment and still had the issue. It also happens on kdm login screen.

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

FYI, this is still a present issue with karmic_amd64 (all updates applied).

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Jason, thank you for your update. I believe the most likely candidate is xorg. Can you report is to the xorg bugtracker at https://bugs.freedesktop.org/ I hope that way we can grab the attention of someone who knows enough to troubleshoot this issue.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Jason, just a shot in the dark. Are you using scim? Can you try if you have the same problem with ibus?

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

Standard SCIM. Assuming I did everything right it still does it with ibus.

I installed ibus, chewing, and the gtk/qt parts, started the daemon and ran:

QT_IM_MODULE=ibus konsole

I assume it worked right because I didn't get the error about the daemon not running that I did the first time I tried.

ibus documentation seems a little lacking.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Jason, I'm sure you've read about http://ajaxxx.livejournal.com/62378.html in bug 124406. This makes it all the more likely to be an Xorg bug. Have you reported it to the Xorg devs?

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This is an automatic notification.]

Hi Jason,

This bug was reported against an earlier version of Ubuntu, can you
test if it still occurs on Lucid?

Please note we also provide technical support for older versions of
Ubuntu, but not in the bug tracker. Instead, to raise the issue through
normal support channels, please see:

    http://www.ubuntu.com/support

If you are the original reporter and can still reproduce the issue on
Lucid, please run the following command to refresh the report:

  apport-collect 371066

If you are not the original reporter, please file a new bug report, so
we can work with you as the original reporter instead (you can reference
bug 371066 in your report if you think it may be related):

  ubuntu-bug xorg

If by chance you can no longer reproduce the issue on Lucid or if you
feel it is no longer relevant, please mark the bug report 'Fix Released'
or 'Invalid' as appropriate, at the following URL:

  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/371066

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

Unfortunately this still exists in Lucid.

[Jason Straight (jason-jeetkunedomaster)]

RE: Jason, I'm sure you've read about http://ajaxxx.livejournal.com/62378.html in bug 124406. This makes it all the more likely to be an Xorg bug. Have you reported it to the Xorg devs?

I missed this originally, just went and read about it. If my understanding is right this one only happens when there's mouse input. I disabled my touchpad and unplugged my mouse and tested and still have the symptoms.

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

please let us know the ticket number in the xorg tracker when you have reported it there. thanks.

[Rob Golding (rob-robgolding)]

I can confirm that I am experiencing this bug also - in Ubuntu Lucid, on a Dell Studio 1535 laptop.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for xserver-xorg-input-evdev (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]