Keyboard stops responding in X

[Max]

I am on a Compaq Presario v2565us laptop (AMD Turion64 processor) with 32-bit Kubuntu 7.10, and at seemingly random times, my keyboard will choose to completely stop responding. I cannot Ctrl + Alt + F1 into terminal, or Ctrl + Alt + Backspace to reset X.

In this thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=11040), someone suggests that the problem may be Java SCIM , and that hitting Ctrl + Space will bring a computer in and out of this state. I tried hitting Ctrl + Space just now, and it didn't break my keyboard, so that's not it.

I am using KDE, like the fellow in this thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=348588). And, like in this thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=307294), I sometimes lose keyboard functionality after my screensaver starts, but it happens other times, too.

Unlike in Bug 59208, I can't use any Ctrl + Alt hotkeys. HOWEVER, in this thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=649407), riven0 suggests hitting Alt + SysRq + R to reset the keyboard firmware. Sometimes (not always), hitting Alt + SysRq + R will make Ctrl + Alt + F1 work, but I have to hit it every time I want to use it in X when this problem appears. HItting Alt + SysRq + R doesn't enable any other keys.

When this problem appears, the mouse is always unaffected. I can usually navigate menus just fine, but anything that requires keyboard use is impossible.

This problem seems similar to Bug 191589, but it has been happening since WAY before February 11th.

[firefeather (firefeather)]

Confirmed using GNOME on an HP Pavilion zv6100us with Ubuntu 7.10 amd64. I am not sure if it's the same bug or just a similar problem. I don't think it happened before my upgrade to Gutsy. My wireless network connection usually goes down at the same time.

[Christian Kaenzig (christian-becool)]

The same things happens to me with kubuntu on a Dell Inspiron 6000, kubuntu 7.10.

I haven't tried the SysRq tricks, but I have found that the keyboard does not completely stop responding. If I start a konsole, I can type a character by holding a key down for a second or so (when the auto-repeat kicks in). I cannot do key combinations that way, though (ex. crtl+d to close the shell does not work). It's as if keystroke events are eaten by something,

I also noticed that I cannot select text in the konsole while this happens, and the mouse cursor flickers when hovering konsole, the same as it does (when the bug isn't happening) if I hold e.g the backspace key down and move the mouse.

I could not say if this problem first happend before or after February 11th... but in February for sure.

[firefeather (firefeather)]

The events in my system log given in the attachment appeared near the time when this happened last.

After the given log, it goes into detail about memory and then repeats the whole thing (after MARK) 5 or 6 times in the exact same timestamp (down to the same second).
I think the touchpad log event was because I turned off my mouse touchpad then; I don't know if it's connected since I was just now able to turn off my touchpad and it didn't do anything.

As for Christian's comment, I'll try to check if that matches what happens for me next time the bug happens.

[Christian Kaenzig (christian-becool)]

Happened again just now.

But I don't have anything in my syslog or Xorg log after the bug happened.

I also found out I can do key combinations if a hold each key down for a second before pressing the next one. I was able to go to a text console with crtl+alt+f1, and the keyboard behaved fine there. Going back to X brings the strange behavior back.

Also, the weird cursor flickering on konsole I described in my last message didn't happend this time.

If anyone has an idea what I should check or do when this happens, I'd be glad to.

[Makimoto (makimoto)]

I'm experiencing the same problem on a Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo running 7.10, with the difference that for me it's PERMANENT. After login, keyboard is gone. I'm writing this from a knoppix cd I had lying around.

This has happened on a fresh gutsy install. (Week long). Yesterday (27th) Kbd simply stopped working.

As suggested in some threads at ubuntuforums.org you can keep pressing a key and the key indeed appears repeated.

Here's the only thing that made sense to me from /var/log/messages

Feb 27 19:28:11 cantinflas kernel: [ 28.704770] input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /class/input/input1
Feb 27 20:13:32 cantinflas kernel: [ 28.087692] input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /class/input/input1
Feb 28 11:53:39 cantinflas kernel: [ 22.635680] input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /class/input/input1
Feb 28 12:20:22 cantinflas kernel: [ 24.694254] input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /class/input/input1

some lines from /var/log/syslog

Feb 28 12:20:22 cantinflas kernel: [ 5.012000] usb 1-2: device not accepting address 3, error -71

Feb 27 19:28:11 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: If "acpi_apic_instance=2" works better, notify <email address hidden>
Feb 27 19:28:11 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC (acpi_id[0x00] lapic_id[0x00] enabled)
Feb 27 19:28:11 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC (acpi_id[0x01] lapic_id[0x01] enabled)
Feb 27 19:28:11 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC_NMI (acpi_id[0x00] high edge lint[0x1])
Feb 27 19:28:11 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC_NMI (acpi_id[0x01] high edge lint[0x1])
Feb 27 19:28:11 cantinflas kernel: [ 27.428137] ACPI: Please test with "acpi_osi=!Linux"
Feb 27 19:28:11 cantinflas kernel: [ 27.428139] Please send dmidecode to <email address hidden>
Feb 27 20:13:32 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: If "acpi_apic_instance=2" works better, notify <email address hidden>
Feb 27 20:13:32 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC (acpi_id[0x00] lapic_id[0x00] enabled)
Feb 27 20:13:32 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC (acpi_id[0x01] lapic_id[0x01] enabled)
Feb 27 20:13:32 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC_NMI (acpi_id[0x00] high edge lint[0x1])
Feb 27 20:13:32 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC_NMI (acpi_id[0x01] high edge lint[0x1])
Feb 27 20:13:32 cantinflas kernel: [ 26.112284] ACPI: Please test with "acpi_osi=!Linux"
Feb 27 20:13:32 cantinflas kernel: [ 26.112285] Please send dmidecode to <email address hidden>
Feb 28 11:53:39 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: If "acpi_apic_instance=2" works better, notify <email address hidden>
Feb 28 11:53:39 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC (acpi_id[0x00] lapic_id[0x00] enabled)
Feb 28 11:53:39 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC (acpi_id[0x01] lapic_id[0x01] enabled)
Feb 28 11:53:39 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC_NMI (acpi_id[0x00] high edge lint[0x1])
Feb 28 11:53:39 cantinflas kernel: [ 0.000000] ACPI: LAPIC_NMI (acpi_id[0x01] high edge lint[0x1])
Feb 28 11:53:39 cantinflas kernel: [ 21.359757] ACPI: Please test with "acpi_osi=!Linux"
Feb 28 11:53:39 cantinflas kernel: [ 21.35975...

[firefeather (firefeather)]

The last time I had this problem, I tried to get repeating keys to work, but there is absolutely no response there. So my problem isn't exactly the same.

[swiftnet (alex-swiftnetcomputers)]

Many of you have encountered 'slow keys'. This is a feature and not a bug. An easy way to tell if it is slow keys, open up a text editor and hold down a letter key. If the letter does show up, after a few seconds, then follow the procedure below to disable slow keys.

Kmenu --> System Settings --> Accessibility
Click the Keyboard filters tab
Uncheck the 'slow keys' box
Click apply.

Cheers,

Alex C.

[Christian Kaenzig (christian-becool)]

Yes, slow keys most probably was my "bug". I turned it on manually and the behavior matches with what I experienced.

I had activation gestures turned on but had disabled all sounds, so I didn't have any feedback when slow keys kicked in.

Thanx Alex for that info!

[firefeather (firefeather)]

I've upgraded to 8.04 and this bug has disappeared. Do anyone else have this bug still? Otherwise, I think I should mark this as "Fix Released."

[firefeather (firefeather)]

This bug report is being closed due to the last comment regarding this being fixed with an update. For future reference you can manage the status of your own bugs by clicking on the current status in the yellow line and then choosing a new status in the revealed drop down box. You can learn more about bug statuses at [WWW] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Status . Thank you again for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. Feel free to submit any future bugs you may find.

[Gene Caldwell (gene-caldwell)]

I'm having a keyboard problem on a dell latitude C800 laptop. I get dead keys. they seem to "go dead" when the laptop lid is shut while the system is up and running as best I can tell. I had assumed that the notebook keyboard needed to be replaced because sometimes they dead keys come back to life for short periods of time. So I replaced the keyboard. This did not restore the dead keys tho. there is a pattern of the dead keys tho......example: at the moment the dead keys are: the "3" key above the "E" key, the "E", "D", and the "C" key are all dead( these keys form a diagonal line starting with the "3" key ending with the "C" key). however plugging in a USB keyboard gets me around the dead key problem. I had this problem in 7.10, did a fresh install and the problem went away for a while. Then I did a fresh install of 8.04 and had no dead keys for several weeks, then suddenly they showed up( while g/f) was using notebook. the hassle became too much since she was using it most of the time. so we replaced the notebook for her use. I started using it full time with another fresh install of 8.04.1, and for over a month is worked very well, I thought the problem was solved. Then I closed the lid assuming hibernation would invoke, but ever since I have the above mentioned dead keys again. There is one thing I am certain of, re-booting never once produced the dead keys issue. shutting down the notebook never produced the dead key problem, I am certain that the problem showed up only after the suspend to hibernation was invoked but also I had to change the wifi configuration because I was trying to login to a different network. my user name and password contain the dead keys so this is a major problem. I have set the keyboard to the correct keyboard using the keyboard list in the preferences drop-down, noting works. There is one thing I am certain of before everything else, if I format again, the problem WILL be gone ( proving its not the keyboard) but the problem WILL come back later. any help ?

PS: the dead keys are NOT always the same dead keys listed above, the shift position on the keyboard, but they always seem to produce a diagional line of dead keys beginning with a numeric key, and ending at the space bar.

[Gene Caldwell (gene-caldwell)]

I'm not entirely sure what the fix was that was released. however I have insured that I have ALL updates and my problem showed up again a month after this fix was released and bug report was closed.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

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.

[Gene Caldwell (gene-caldwell)]

and no one even bothered to read my comments about this bug ????

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Gene, your issues seem to differ from the original report and likely may be an unrelated bug. Please file a new bug. On Intrepid you can do this with the command 'ubuntu-bug xkeyboard-config'.