Cannot return directly to top-left workspace from bottom-right workspace using Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys shortcut

[Christopher Kyle Horton]

Steps to reproduce:
1) Use the Ctrl+Alt+arrow key combination to activate Compiz's Desktop Wall workspace switcher. This can be done from any workspace.
2) While holding down Ctrl+Alt, navigate to the bottom-right workspace, if not already there.
3) Now press Ctrl+Alt+Up arrow key+Left arrow key.

What should happen:
You move diagonally up and to the left back to the top-left workspace, visiting no other workspaces in between.

What happens instead:
Usually you will stay put on the bottom-right workspace, as though you didn't press any arrow keys. Occasionally, you might be moved to the top-right or bottom-left workspace instead.

Note that all other movement between workspaces using the Ctrl+Alt+arrow key(s) combination, including diagonal movement, still works as normal.

Workarounds include:
1) Use the Unity launcher's Workspace Switcher (or Super+S) instead to return to the top-left workspace.
2) Use the Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys to first navigate to either the top-right or bottom-left workspace, then move back to the top-left workspace horizontally/vertically.

(Note: I discovered this problem while checking what the status of bug 753176 was in Precise.)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-8.15-generic 3.2.0
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-8-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.90-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,imgpng,move,vpswitch,mousepoll,resize,snap,wall,grid,place,unitymtgrabhandles,gnomecompat,regex,session,animation,expo,workarounds,fade,ezoom,scale,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Mon Jan 16 05:03:11 2012
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-12-07 01:54:25.886125
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation C61 [GeForce 6150SE nForce 430] [10de:03d0] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:d000]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha amd64 (20111129.1)
MachineType: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. M61PME-S2P
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-8-generic root=UUID=2d55fd3e-d932-47b9-abd6-a1fde1ec0453 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: compiz
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2011-12-13 (33 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 11/03/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: Award Software International, Inc.
dmi.bios.version: F6
dmi.board.name: M61PME-S2P
dmi.board.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.board.version: x.x
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAwardSoftwareInternational,Inc.:bvrF6:bd11/03/2009:svnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:pnM61PME-S2P:pvr:rvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:rnM61PME-S2P:rvrx.x:cvnGigabyteTechnologyCo.,Ltd.:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: M61PME-S2P
dmi.sys.vendor: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.6+bzr20110929-0ubuntu8
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.30-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 7.11-0ubuntu4
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.11-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.10.4-1ubuntu6
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 2:2.15.901-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1

[Christopher Kyle Horton (christhehorton)]

Also, I cannot duplicate this issue on my laptop which uses 11.10, so I'm thinking this might be Precise-specific.

[jhfhlkjlj (fdsuufijjejejejej-deactivatedaccount)]

I can reproduce on my 11.10 desktop but not my 12.04 laptop. I think that this is not a compiz bug but rather a result of keyboard manufacturing. Please read up here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollover_%28key%29

So, essentially, test this out on the affected keyboard. Can you press both shift keys + x and get a letter printed out? Or does nothing come up? My 11.10 desktop (the one that couldn't move diagonally) cannot print with too many keys depressed.

[Christopher Kyle Horton (christhehorton)]

My laptop now runs 12.04 and I can't reproduce the issue there, either, so this issue is restricted to my desktop (the original affected machine).

I am still able to reproduce this issue on my desktop, which uses some offbrand rollup QWERTY-layout keyboard. I opened LibreOffice Writer and tried out the Shift+Shift+X key combination, and it produces X's as expected.

However, I then tried Shift+Shift+each letter key out of curiosity, and got varying results. These are the letters I was able to print:
QWERUIOP
GH
ZXCVBNM

I'd agree with you that the problem appears to be with the keyboard itself. It seems that there are random specific key combinations that it can't do, and the original keyboard shortcut just happened to be one of them.

[jhfhlkjlj (fdsuufijjejejejej-deactivatedaccount)]

Yep, this is a hardware issue. I wish keyboards weren't stuck in the past still.

Since this isn't a compiz issue, I'm closing the report. I'm glad that the issue was identified cleanly. Thanks for the bug report!