Keyboard freezes at random

[Shikada Sorel]

My keyboard freezes at random or gets stuck on repeated input. I started with a clean install of 11.04, had the problem form the beginning and it persisted when I upgraded to 11.10. I use a desktop PC and my keyboard is a plain PS2 type. My mouse that is USB never freezes.

I made a script on my desktop so I can run it to collect some log files when the problem occurred. Sure enough, I caught some errors but I have no idea how to fix this. I'm not really an advanced linux user, so I attach these logs in the hope that some of you might help me out.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-12.20-generic 3.0.4
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-12-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,place,snap,mousepoll,compiztoolbox,session,imgpng,resize,vpswitch,gnomecompat,regex,move,grid,wall,unitymtgrabhandles,animation,fade,workarounds,expo,ezoom,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Tue Oct 18 03:03:35 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-10-15 21:09:03.675604
DistroCodename: oneiric
DistroVariant: ubuntu
DkmsStatus:
 fglrx, 8.881, 2.6.38-11-generic, x86_64: installed
 fglrx, 8.881, 3.0.0-12-generic, x86_64: installed
GraphicsCard:
 ATI Technologies Inc Radeon HD 5800 Series (Cypress LE) [1002:689e] (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: PC Partner Limited Device [174b:e140]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release amd64 (20110427.1)
JockeyStatus:
 xorg:fglrx_updates - ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver (post-release updates) (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use)
 xorg:fglrx - ATI/AMD proprietary FGLRX graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=229978bd-384c-43ef-85b1-c23e3c846704 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-15 (2 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 12/07/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1207
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: P7P55D
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1207:bd12/07/2009:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP7P55D:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: System Product Name
dmi.product.version: System Version
dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu3
version.fglrx-installer: fglrx-installer N/A
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu26
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.26-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6+7ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.6.0-1ubuntu13
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20110811.g93fc084-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20110411+8378443-1

[Marnanel Thurman (marnanel)]

If you can write a script to capture logs, you're probably a more advanced user than you think you are :)

This doesn't sound like a compiz issue, though, more like an X problem. I'm passing this over to the X folks, but if there's something I need to deal with, let me know.

[Shikada Sorel (ognjenmnjn)]

Thank you Thomas!

 I only wrote it's an compiz issue because I though I had to name a package, and one of the logs reported an compiz segfault. I'm aware the problem might not be related to compiz at all, but I wasn't sure. This is the first bug report I ever submitted, so still new to this ;)

[Marnanel Thurman (marnanel)]

Well, thank you for submitting it: it really does help to make Ubuntu better, and it really is appreciated.

[Shikada Sorel (ognjenmnjn)]

The freeze happened again, although this time I could press num and caps lock and see the lights on my keyboard react. Usually even these keys won't work.

Also, some parts of the GUI broke down. For example the sidebar on the left stopped reacting, as well as the top bar, though I could still open and move windows, but not close them. This does sound like a X issue even more.

I attached some logs I captured again right after the crash.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Mahdi Dibaiee (mahdidibaie)]

I confirm this. I disabled "Repeat Keys" or "Bounce Keys" which repeats a key if you hold it, so I don't get stuck on that.

But sometimes my keyboard freezes while typing, it's really annoying.
Suspending system and waking it up fixes the freeze.

Saying that top bar / sidebar didn't work, sometimes it happens, too, I remember once my keyboard was frozen, I tried to suspend, but I couldn't use the top bar.

[Maksim Bokov (maxim-bokov)]

I confirm this too, though I'm gentoo user. Hope this info will be of some use:
Samsung 900X4c, kernel 3.11.6, xf86-input-evdev-2.8.2, xf86-input-synaptics-1.7.1
Behaviour: Internal keyboard and touchpad freeze after random period of use, external (usb) keyboard and mouse work fine. I suppose problem lays deeper than evdev (touchpad uses synaptics). I'm not sure, but it looks like internal kbd and touchpad use ps/2 interface.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Shikada Sorel, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p xserver-xorg-input-evdev REPLACE-WITH-BUG-NUMBER

Please note, given that the information from the prior release is already available, doing this on a release prior to the development one would not be helpful.

Thank you for your understanding.

Helpful bug reporting tips:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ReportingBugs

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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