ALT-F[1-8] switches to text console

[aoandr]

Binary package hint: xorg

Related bug: bug 463762 (probably exactly the same bug)

not only ALT-CTRL-F[1-8] switches to the text console from X-Server, but also ALT-F[1-8] does this switching. I don't know where this comes from, but it breaks lots of stuff, i.e. ALT-F4 to close an app, ALT-F2 to open the quick-start-applet, ... This happens not only on my desktop, but also on a GDM login desktop too.

Strange thing is that if I switch back to the X-Server from the text console with ALT-F7, the actual keyboard action is executed in the X-Server, i.e. if I press ALT-F4, the text console is shown, when I switch back, the current application is closed!

I saw this a while ago after update from 8.04 to 10.04 LTS on a different laptop (Toshiba with Nvidia graphix), and now the same bug on a fresh install of 10.10 on Lenovo X200t.

I am using Russian keyboard layout. Once I delete the Russian keyboard layout and log-out, the bug is gone. But even without the Russian layout the bug returns after reboot. But then it goes away after I add the Russian layout and log out then log in. It seems that changing the layout disables the bug until next reboot.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: xorg 1:7.5+6ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-27.48-generic-pae 2.6.35.11
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-27-generic-pae i686
Architecture: i386
DRM.card0.DP.1:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: Off
 modes:
 edid-base64:
DRM.card0.DP.2:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: Off
 modes:
 edid-base64:
DRM.card0.DP.3:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: Off
 modes:
 edid-base64:
DRM.card0.HDMI.A.1:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: Off
 modes:
 edid-base64:
DRM.card0.HDMI.A.2:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: Off
 modes:
 edid-base64:
DRM.card0.LVDS.1:
 status: connected
 enabled: enabled
 dpms: On
 modes: 1280x800
 edid-base64: AP///////wAwrhFAAAAAAC0SAQOAGhB46oXFlFdPiicgUFQAAAABAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBwBsAq1AgEDA0QDMABaMQAAAZwBsAq1AgEDA0QDMABaMQAAAZAAAADwCBCjyBCjweAABMo1cxAAAA/gBMVE4xMjFBUDAzMDAxAOw=
DRM.card0.VGA.1:
 status: disconnected
 enabled: disabled
 dpms: Off
 modes:
 edid-base64:
Date: Mon Mar 7 00:52:19 2011
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007.1)
MachineType: LENOVO 7448CTO
ProcCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-27-generic-pae root=UUID=6c8fd8aa-fe87-482a-869a-2254bd16f22c ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xorg
dmi.bios.date: 12/02/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 7WET67WW (3.17 )
dmi.board.name: 7448CTO
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr7WET67WW(3.17):bd12/02/2010:svnLENOVO:pn7448CTO:pvrThinkPadX200Tablet:rvnLENOVO:rn7448CTO:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 7448CTO
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad X200 Tablet
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
glxinfo: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
system:
 distro: Ubuntu
 codename: maverick
 architecture: i686
 kernel: 2.6.35-27-generic-pae

[aoandr (t-launchpad-nbs-eng-ru)]

Related bug: bug 463762
affects: ubuntu → console-cyrillic (Ubuntu)

The problem is apparently with console-cyrillic package. If console cyrillic is not started at boot time, the bug does not appear.
However, the Cyrillic support is not enabled on the text console in this case! Very annoying.

[aoandr (t-launchpad-nbs-eng-ru)]

A small investigation into console-cyrillic revealed that it is no more than a bunch of key mapping definitions and a perl script executing binaries from other packages, namely console-tools or kbd, On my computer console-tools are not installed, so executables from kbd are run.

The culprit is

kbd_mode -u

This command switches keyboard to unicode mode, and _also_ causes all undesirable effects described in this and related bugs.
The bug is easy to reproduce: do not install console-cyrillic, but simply add the kbd_mode -u command to /etc/rc.local.
On the GDM login screen press Alt+F2, and you will switch to text console!

[aoandr (t-launchpad-nbs-eng-ru)]

Console-cyrillic calls "kbd_mode -u". This command alone produces the bug.

[aoandr (t-launchpad-nbs-eng-ru)]

To reproduce the bug simply run

kbd_mode -u < /dev/console

you can run it even from a Gnome Terminal and see the effect (the bug) instantly.

[aoandr (t-launchpad-nbs-eng-ru)]

I've uploaded the patch that fixes the usage of kbd_mode -u in console-cyrillic, see bug 520546

But the fact that kbd_mode breaks keyboard in X session, looks like a bug in kbd to me:

Run

kbd_mode -u -C /dev/console

and from now on pressing ALT+F2 will bring you to the text console (VT-4).

[Marius B. Kotsbak (mariusko)]

I saw this bug on 2 Natty installations after installing "console-tools" (to solve bug #769103). That might have caused this for me. Trying to install "kbd" again on one of the PCs that is not affected by that bug.

[Marius B. Kotsbak (mariusko)]

I see "console-tools" contains "/etc/init.d/console-screen.sh", which contains call to "unicode_start" in some cases, which in turn call "kbd_mode -u".

But package "kbd" also contains /etc/init.d/keymap.sh that calls "unicode_start".

[Marius B. Kotsbak (mariusko)]

/etc/init.d/keymap.sh is in "console-common" package. Seems this can be removed without breaking other packages.

[mont222 (mont222)]

apt-get install xterm xserver-xorg-input-kbd

[Andrey Bondarenko (abone)]

I'm using Kubuntu Natty (KDE desktop) and I cannot reproduce this bug.

I have kbd version 1.15.2-3ubuntu1 installed and it does not have /etc/init.d/keymap.sh. Also /etc/init.d/console-screen.sh was converted into upstart job in Natty and it does not contains kbd_mode calls now. Finally, calling kbd_mode manually does nothing.

kbd_mode -u -C /dev/console

ALT+F[1-8] works as usual for me. If someone interrested to compare configuration, I may provide necessary information.

[Marius B. Kotsbak (mariusko)]

This has reappeared for me in the latest Quantal updates.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[dino99 (9d9)]

That version is no more supported