No way to auto-repeat keys in the OSK

[Jamie Strandboge]

Auto repeat doesn't seem to work. If it is a hidden gesture or feature, it is not easily discoverable.

$ adb shell system-image-cli -i
current build number: 78
device name: mako
channel: stable
last update: 2013-10-03 13:05:32
version version: 78
version ubuntu: 20131003
version device: 20131002.1

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

Maybe this is ubuntu-keyboard instead. Adding a task for it, please adjust as necessary.

[Günter Schwann (schwann)]

What should be auto repeated? If you mean the backspace, than have a look at https://code.launchpad.net/~schwann/ubuntu-keyboard/keyboard-delete-words/+merge/192325

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

Backspace is indeed the most useful, but others are too, especially when using the terminal. For example, we don't have an email client on touch so I use mutt in a terminal. I need to use h, j, k and l to move around. If I have 200 messages, I have to tap 'j' 200 hundred times to go to the bottom of the list of emails. I think a double-tap hold might work well, but I'll leave that to others to decide.

[Jamie Strandboge (jdstrand)]

This bug can probably be closed since backspace is working. I'd still like to see a gesture like double tap and hold for arbitrary characters though.

[Bill Filler (bfiller)]

I think the issue here with auto-repeat is that press and hold currently invoke the popup menu with additional characters (for some keys). We'd need a mechanism to invoke the auto-repeat. Maybe press and hold for a certain amount of time would invoke auto-repeat. Needs some guidance from design here.

[Giorgio Venturi (giorgio-venturi-deactivatedaccount)]

This does not apply to OSK, only to physical keyboards

[Víctor R. Ruiz (vrruiz)]

This is an relevant issue with the external keyboards in the tablet and phone. Can we fix it?

[Víctor R. Ruiz (vrruiz)]

By the way, the problem with autorepeat is fixed with "native apps", but no in XApps (Desktop apps).

[Pat McGowan (pat-mcgowan)]

This bug got hijacked from a legitimate feature request for the osk to a keyboard bug
The physical keyboard bug in xmir is lp:1591356
I will restore this to the original intent