UK keyboard layout has gone wrong

[bill purvis]

Binary package hint: xorg

I ran the Update Manager this morning which updated the kernel and Xorg, so I rebooted my laptop as recommended.
On coming up, my UK keyboard is now all wrong. The # key produces \, the @ key produces " and I have yet to find
the UK Pound character. I checked the keyboard layout which said UK, Generic 105 layout. Tried various others
but still can't find the proper layout. For information, the # key is on the right end of the QWERTY row,
the @ key is (with SHIFT) just left of Enter on the ASDEF row, and the UKpound key is Shift+2.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Sat Dec 5 15:21:05 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.5)
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 002: ID 05fe:0011 Chic Technology Corp. Browser Mouse
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: TOSHIBA Equium A60
Package: xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu10
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-16-generic root=UUID=4601aceb-df63-4d1d-ae7d-db7cbe6b725b ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LC_COLLATE=C
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=C
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-16.52-generic
RelatedPackageVersions:
 xserver-xorg 1:7.4+3ubuntu10
 libgl1-mesa-glx 7.6.0-1ubuntu4
 libdrm2 2.4.14-1ubuntu1
 xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.9.0-1ubuntu2
 xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.12.99+git20090929.7968e1fb-0ubuntu1
SourcePackage: xorg
UdevDb: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-16-generic i686
XorgConf: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/etc/X11/xorg.conf'
XsessionErrors:
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1740): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (gnome-settings-daemon:1740): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_propagate_error: assertion `src != NULL' failed
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:1799): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (nautilus:1774): Eel-CRITICAL **: eel_preferences_get_boolean: assertion `preferences_is_initialized ()' failed
dmi.bios.date: 01/12/2005
dmi.bios.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.bios.version: Version 1.8C
dmi.board.name: Portable PC
dmi.board.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.board.version: Version A0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 0000000000
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: TOSHIBA
dmi.chassis.version: Version 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnTOSHIBA:bvrVersion1.8C:bd01/12/2005:svnTOSHIBA:pnEquiumA60:pvrPSA67E-00J00C8J:rvnTOSHIBA:rnPortablePC:rvrVersionA0:cvnTOSHIBA:ct8:cvrVersion1.0:
dmi.product.name: Equium A60
dmi.product.version: PSA67E-00J00C8J
dmi.sys.vendor: TOSHIBA
fglrx: Not loaded
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 architecture: i686kernel: 2.6.31-16-generic

[bill purvis (bill-billp)]

I have finally managed to get it back to normal - I used System->Preferences->Keyboard Layouts to change the layout to
US, then Click 'Apply System-Wide', then change it back to UK and click 'Apply System-Wide', then logout and login again.
It is now behaving and the misplaced keys are back in the advertised positions.

I'm curious to understand what was going on, so I'd appreciate any feedback. Many thanks.

[bill purvis (bill-billp)]

One final oddity, checking the System->Preferences->Keyboard screen again, there are now two entries for the US keyboard
layout. Don't know if that's significant?

[bill purvis (bill-billp)]

Just been comparing XOrgLog.txt and XOrgLogOld.txt. Before the update, it reports
     xkb_layout = "gb"
while after it says
     xkb_layout = "us"

There is no /etc/X11/Xorg.conf, so I don't know where these are coming from, presumably defaults?

I don't know if there was an Xorg.conf before the update - I hadn't had any reason to look for it since
I installed 9.10.

[Brian Burch (brian-pingtoo)]

I have the same problem... the system works fine when I boot hardy or jaunty, but not with a clean install of karmic. I tried bill's circumvention, but it hasn't made any difference for me. Incidentally, whatever I change I still get the wrong keyboard mapping in the "try it" box of the keyboard preferences, and (not surprisingly) in a terminal window.

It is really tedious transposing the "at" key and the "quotes" key, but I can't find the "tilde" key anywhere! What next?

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

[This is an automatic notification.]

Hi bill,

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 492874

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 492874 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/492874

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

We're closing this bug since it is has been some time with no response from the original reporter. However, if the issue still exists please feel free to reopen with the requested information. Also, if you could, please test against the latest development version of Ubuntu, since this confirms the bug is one we may be able to pass upstream for help.

[Brian Burch (brian-pingtoo)]

Works fine when lucid upgraded from karmic, and also with a clean install of lucid. As far as I am concerned, this problem has "gone away"....