Keyboard layout switching is slow and unreliable

[Vasil Kolev]

Binary package hint: xorg

Since the upgrade to natty, the keyboard layout switching has been slow and unreliable. I've configured it to use caps lock and to show it on the ScrollLock led, and in both Gnome and XFCE there is a noticeable delay and sometimes it just doesn't switch, like the keystroke is lost. There's no problem with the normal typing.

The issue wasn't there in 10.10.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-8.42-generic 2.6.38.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-8-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Директория е: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 270.41.06 Mon Apr 18 14:53:56 PDT 2011
 GCC version: gcc version 4.5.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.5.2-8ubuntu4)
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,move,compiztoolbox,snap,regex,place,commands,imgpng,vpswitch,grid,gnomecompat,resize,animation,wall,session,expo,workarounds,ezoom,staticswitcher,fade,scale]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Mon May 2 17:04:06 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2010-10-03 14:02:44.242889
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus: nvidia-current, 270.41.06, 2.6.38-8-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation G84 [GeForce 8600M GT] [10de:0407] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: COMPAL Electronics Inc Device [14c0:0025]
JockeyStatus:
 xorg:nvidia_173 - NVIDIA ускорени графични драйвери (Лицензен, Изключен, Не е в употреба)
 xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA ускорени графични драйвери (Лицензен, Разрешен, Не е в употреба)
 pkg:sl-modem-daemon - Софтуерен модем (Лицензен, Изключен, Не е в употреба)
MachineType: - N/A
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=bg_BG:en
 LANG=bg_BG.UTF8
 SHELL=/bin/zsh
ProcKernelCmdLine: root=/dev/mapper/hostname-root ro nosplash
Renderer: Unknown
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2010-10-03 (211 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/29/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: COMPAL
dmi.bios.version: 1.12
dmi.board.name: IFL90
dmi.board.vendor: -
dmi.board.version: IFT00
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: -
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: No Enclosure
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnCOMPAL:bvr1.12:bd08/29/2007:svn-:pnN/A:pvrN/A:rvn-:rnIFL90:rvrIFT00:cvnNoEnclosure:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: N/A
dmi.product.version: N/A
dmi.sys.vendor: -
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.4+bzr20110415-0ubuntu2
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu13
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23-1ubuntu6
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.10.2-0ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10.2-0ubuntu2
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+4ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.0-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.14.0-4ubuntu7.1
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110107+b795ca6e-0ubuntu7

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hmm, "it's slow" doesn't really give much to go on. There's no errors in any of your log files, and I don't reproduce the problem myself. Anything else you can share? What's unusual about your system?

Offhand, guess it'd be a kernel issue, but hard to say.

[Vasil Kolev (vasil-ludost)]

The only unusual thing might be the full-disk encryption (the rest, like the nvidia driver from ubuntu is in the logs).
It also persists when I login with a newly created user.

I can't test this in the console, as the led doesn't change (although it changes the layouts). Is there any way to track events like keypress and led switch, so I can try following those and seeing what happens?

[bugbot (bugbot)]

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.

[Vlad (vlad-savitsky)]

I can confirm that natty has a bigger time of switching keyboard layout.
But this is not a bug but a suggestion to add ability to customize this timing because it's really annoing.
I'm typing using all my 10 fingers like many of you and I can complete typing new word before keyboard switched to new language.

Thanks.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Hey vasil-ludost,

You filed this bug report against natty, but I see it's still open and
doesn't appear to have much activity recently. So, now that oneiric
is released and stable, this may be a good point for you to upgrade
and re-test if this issue is still present there.

If it's solved in the new release and you think it's worth backporting
the fix, please indicate that. Or if having the fix in the new release
is good enough, feel free to close out the bug (or let us know and we'll
close it.)

If it's not solved, leave the bug report open. I can't promise we'll
get to it (we get way more bugs filed than we can usually get to), but
your testing and feedback can help out if and when we do.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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