[Upstream] Holding KeePassX Global Auto-Type shortcut too long debilitates keyboard functionality

[rusivi2]

WORKAROUND: Do not hold the Global Auto-Type shortcut just press them as if one is typing (< 0.5 second).

Binary package hint: keepassx

1) lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
Release: 10.04

2) apt-cache policy keepassx
keepassx:
  Installed: 0.4.3-1
  Candidate: 0.4.3-1
  Version table:
 *** 0.4.3-1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/universe Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

3) What is expected to happen is after freshly installing KeePassX and adding one entry that associates with a Firefox title bar, and changing the Global Auto-Type shortcut to:

Ctrl+Alt+a

It auto types the information successfully.

4) What happens instead is that one may not type any keys if one holds the Global Auto-Type shortcut for an extended period of time. Every time one presses "d" all windows would minimize. If one pressed Alt+Space then "c" it would not close the window. A restart is all that is required to bring it back to normal.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: keepassx 0.4.3-1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-23.37-generic 2.6.32.15+drm33.5
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-23-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Wed Jul 21 14:18:36 2010
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: keepassx

[Matt Fischer (mfisch)]

I cannot confirm this issue, I tried it and it works fine for me. I think that based on the description that the issue is that you have a stuck alt or control key.

[rusivi2 (rusivi2-deactivatedaccount)]

Matt, thank you for addressing this bug.

I have reinstalled KeePassX (as well as performed numerous updates, including Firefox 3.6.8), and have not seen the phenomenon manifest itself again.

At this point, this bug is considered closed.

[Travis Pew (travisp)]

This issue affects me. It only happens when the global auto-type shortcut is used in KeepassX, and it happens on two separate computers with separate keyboards (one is a desktop, one is a laptop). It only started happening after upgrading both to Ubuntu 10.04, so it may be an Ubuntu issue, but nothing else causes this problem but KeepassX. The problem has been ongoing for a couple of months, and complete reinstalls of KeepassX don't fix the problem.

If it matters, I have set the Global Auto-Type shortcut to ctrl-alt-p

Here's what happens for me:

Approximately 3-5 seconds after using KeepassX autotype, the ctrl, alt, or shift key becomes stuck (and can only come unstuck from a reboot, or jump to tty1 and back). I initially thought that it was this bug in Ubuntu:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-input-keyboard/+bug/588473

But, again, the problem only occurs after the use of the Global Auto-Type shortcut, and nothing else in KeepassX or in any other software I use.

[rusivi2 (rusivi2-deactivatedaccount)]

Marked this as confirmed as more than one person had this problem.

[rusivi2 (rusivi2-deactivatedaccount)]

Updated remote SourceForge bug.

[Tim Barrick (t-barrick)]

I have been struggling with this issue for several months now and have finally found a way to consistently reproduce the bug on my system as well as a way to avoid causing the issue in the first place. I am running Ubuntu 10.04 with KeePassX 0.4.3. Before upgrading my OS and KeePassX, I did not see this problem.

To reproduce:
1. I set my Global Auto-Type Shortcut to Ctrl + Shift + v
2. I set up a new keePassX entry with the username of "t" and a blank password. I think the letter t is irrelevant, but I include it as part of my setup.
3. I set up the auto type window in my Comment section as follows "Auto-Type-Window: *"
4. I opened a gedit window and performed my Global Auto Type shortcut by pressing Ctrl+Shift+v making sure to continue holding down the Ctrl and Shift keys until the letter t is entered. If I continue holding the Ctrl and Shift Key down while the auto-type is performed, the problem will manifest shortly.
5. I start typing in my gedit window with lowercase letters, everything looks fine. As soon as I enter an uppercase letter using the shift key, the Shift key begins to behave as if it is stuck down. To fix this, I have to reboot, or do Ctrl-Alt-F1 and Ctrl-Alt-F8 (this rarely works for me).

Workaround:
So the key to this workaround is to not hold down your modifier keys when the auto-type begins. To make sure I have time to release my modifier keys, I have changed the Pre-Gap in advanced settings (Extras -> Settings -> Advanced) to 1000ms. This gives me 1 second to get my pinky finger off of the Shift and Ctrl keys before the auto-type begins.

[Travis Pew (travisp)]

I can confirm that this workout fixes things almost entirely (if I keep the keys held down too long it still happens), thanks!

This probably explains why not everyone has reported this problem -- they probably let go of the modifier keys faster than I was. For whatever reason, I would usually keep Ctrl, Alt, Shift held down until I saw the auto-type take effect.

Not sure why this didn't happen till 10.04, but maybe this will help someone track down where the bug is!

[Garrri4 (excomnu)]

I can confirm this bug annoing me, i disabled hot key becouse it cause to restart x-server. 9.10 haven't this bug, it true, becouse i update my system and bug appear.
I workde with shourtcut like Travis Pew.

[Micah Gersten (micahg)]

Setting to Low due to being easily able to be worked around, Triaged since the bug is upstream and appears to have the needed information. Please report any other issues you may find.

[David Schoen (neerolyte)]

I'm surprised this is marked as low priority given the only fix that works reliably is to reboot.

Once the modifier keys are stuck down it's difficult to do anything on the machine, e.g. saving documents is often impossible.