On-screen keyboard appears automatically only in the login screen and the activities menu

[Efthimios Chaskaris]

For example, it works in the login screen and the Activities menu and not in Chrome and gedit.

The release of Ubuntu: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS

The version of the package: 3.28.2

Expected behavior: I expected to see the on-screen keyboard when clicking on a chrome text field.

Actual behavior: The on-screen keyboard didn't appear.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: gnome-shell 3.28.3-0ubuntu0.18.04.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-34.37-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-34-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Thu Sep 13 13:39:44 2018
DisplayManager: gdm3
GsettingsChanges:
 b'org.gnome.shell' b'command-history' redacted by apport
 b'org.gnome.shell' b'app-picker-view' b'uint32 1'
 b'org.gnome.shell' b'favorite-apps' redacted by apport
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'toolkit-accessibility' b'true'
 b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'gtk-im-module' b"'gtk-im-context-simple'"
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-05-24 (111 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180426)
SourcePackage: gnome-shell
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

As I understand it, OSK support is something that has to be implemented in each toolkit (e.g. GTK) or each app (e.g. Chrome) if not using a common toolkit, via accessibility APIs.

Do you find any apps other than Chrome and Gedit affected?

I wonder if this bug is affected by your custom setting:
  b'org.gnome.desktop.interface' b'toolkit-accessibility' b'true'
It might work better without that (false is the default).

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Also, we can't handle Chrome bugs in launchpad but you might want to try its cousin:

  chromium-browser

and tell us if that is affected too.

[Efthimios Chaskaris (echaskaris)]

I'm sorry, but I'm not a computer novice. How do I change this setting? Additionally, I have to say I never consciously made that change.

Some other apps on which the on-screen keyboard doesn't work are the command line, the file manager, Rythmbox, the Help app, the Ubuntu Software app and LibreOffice Writer.

I'll install Chromium later and see.

[Efthimios Chaskaris (echaskaris)]

I installed Chromium. The on-screen keyboard doesn't work there either.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Chromium is a special case, you'll have to force-enable accessibility to get the OSK to show up.
See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/chromium-browser/+bug/1697641/comments/7.

For other applications (including gedit and libreoffice), the OSK should show up if you enable the OSK in the accessibility settings.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

OK, let's use bug 1697641 for Chromium. This bug is about GEdit only now.

[Efthimios Chaskaris (echaskaris)]

Could you please tell me how to change the setting you mentioned earlier? Thanks.

I should have said this earlier, but this bug is pretty much the same as this bug (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell/+bug/1589240). I read a comment that said a new bug should be filed, so I filed one.

[Efthimios Chaskaris (echaskaris)]

I'm sorry if you didn't want to be subscribed to this bug, but it seems you didn't read what I said. Could you please take the time to read my earlier comments? Thank you. Feel free to unsubscribe if you wish and sorry for the inconvenience.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Please see bug 1697641 about Chrome/Chromium.

This bug is about GEdit only now.

[Efthimios Chaskaris (echaskaris)]

What I'm trying to say is that not only Chromium and Gedit are affected, but also every other app I've tested. This bug is similar to this bug (https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell/+bug/1589240).

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

OK, no problem. Still, please try to list all the affected apps so that we can get an idea of where the problems are. This kind of bug usually needs to be fixed in each toolkit separately so that would be two toolkits for starters:
  * Chromium: Google Chrome
  * GTK+3.0: Gedit, Files...

But maybe also the shell and/or accessibility code.

[Efthimios Chaskaris (echaskaris)]

Some other apps on which the on-screen keyboard doesn't work are the command line, the file manager, Rythmbox, the Help app, the Ubuntu Software app and LibreOffice Writer.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I think that title is vague and confusing. "Ubuntu" covers everything, so "outside of Ubuntu" would be nothing. Maybe reword again...

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Thanks.

It sounds like there is some overlap with bug 1791551 here. Would it be possible to get that older bug to cover everything here?

[Efthimios Chaskaris (echaskaris)]

After thinking about it, I'd say my bug is a duplicate of bug 1791551. Should I mark it as such?

[Efthimios Chaskaris (echaskaris)]

Actually, on second thought, bug 1791551 calls for a solution to not being able to manually bring up the OSK. I argue that the OSK should appear automatically when a text field is selected. So, yes, they are not exactly duplicates.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

That's the difference between a bug report and a fix. A bug report (the "Bug Description" at least) should only describe the problem. Possible solutions should be discussed separately.

If you only disagree about possible solutions then I suggest marking this bug as a duplicate:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell/+bug/1792365/+duplicate
and then using the other bug to discuss further.

[Amr Ibrahim (amribrahim1987)]

This bug could be a duplicate of bug #1760399.