Client Doesn't Inherit Keyboard Settings from Server

[DenisM]

When installing Edubuntu 7.10 I've selected language (Russian) and keyboard layout switch (Alt-Shift). These settings act on server but not on clients. Clients have only English layout and both-Alts as layout switch.

[DenisM (b48)]

Sometimes clients inherit both layouts, but in any case server's and clients' setups never be similar. I've not catch any rule.

[Ricardo L. Febrero (rlfebrero)]

Could you please be more explicit? Please, add some more relevant info.

Thanks!!

2007/12/12, DenisM <email address hidden>:
>
> Sometimes clients inherit both layouts, but in any case server's and
> clients' setups never be similar. I've not catch any rule.
>
> --
> Client Doesn't Inherit Keyboard Settings from Server
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/173067
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Edubuntu
> Bugsquad, which is a bug contact for ltsp in ubuntu.
>

--
Néstor Amigo Cairo
[phone]
<email address hidden>

[DenisM (b48)]

After booting from distribution CD (Classroom Server) I press <F2> and choose Russian language.
At the next screen I choose <Alt-Shift> (default) for toggling between layouts.
After installation completes I login at server console and run terminal. Here I type any text in English, then press <Alt-Shift> and now type in Russian.
Now I logout from the console and boot a client. I login at the client and run terminal. Here I type in English, then press <Alt-Shift> and type... in English again.
Being at the client I run System/Preferences/Keyboard and see that there is no Group Shift/Lock behavior defined on Layout Options tab.

[Ricardo L. Febrero (rlfebrero)]

Ok! You have to change lts.conf, usually in
/var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/lts.conf (version Gutsy 7.10), and add the
following line:
XKBLAYOUT=[language]
where [language] can be es, en, fr, de...

2007/12/14, DenisM <email address hidden>:
>
> After booting from distribution CD (Classroom Server) I press <F2> and
> choose Russian language.
> At the next screen I choose <Alt-Shift> (default) for toggling between
> layouts.
> After installation completes I login at server console and run terminal.
> Here I type any text in English, then press <Alt-Shift> and now type in
> Russian.
> Now I logout from the console and boot a client. I login at the client and
> run terminal. Here I type in English, then press <Alt-Shift> and type... in
> English again.
> Being at the client I run System/Preferences/Keyboard and see that there
> is no Group Shift/Lock behavior defined on Layout Options tab.
>
> --
> Client Doesn't Inherit Keyboard Settings from Server
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/173067
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Edubuntu
> Bugsquad, which is a bug contact for ltsp in ubuntu.
>

--
Néstor Amigo Cairo
[phone]
<email address hidden>

[DenisM (b48)]

May be I wasn't clear enough - I do have BOTH layouts at the client (in spite of absent lts.conf), but I haven't a way to switch between them.

[Ricardo L. Febrero (rlfebrero)]

What version of Edubuntu are you using? Maybe you have to manually create
the file, if you don't have it. Of course, make sure that is the proper
location (you might change i386 for x86_64, for example). The old place
where it was located was /opt/ltsp/i386/etc/lts.conf, if I'm right, but now
that's not the recommended thing.
You can try Gnome Menu:
System -> Preferences -> Keyboard -> Distribution
And choose the correct one for your client.
But you must be sure you put that line in your lts.conf, this is the first
step to do, if not, I'm not sure you'll have the proper layout available.
There are good howto's on Gnome, X.org and LTSP that might be helpful for
you. I recommend you take a look at them. It's not usually a good thing not
to read the documentation before asking, since you depend on other people,
that may or may not be available at the time. GNU/Linux Edubuntu is plenty
of igood Howto's, guides and so on.
You could start at www.edubuntu.org, section Documentation.

2007/12/14, DenisM <email address hidden>:
>
> May be I wasn't clear enough - I do have BOTH layouts at the client (in
> spite of absent lts.conf), but I haven't a way to switch between them.
>
> --
> Client Doesn't Inherit Keyboard Settings from Server
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/173067
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Edubuntu
> Bugsquad, which is a bug contact for ltsp in ubuntu.
>

--
Néstor Amigo Cairo
[phone]
<email address hidden>

[DenisM (b48)]

> What version of Edubuntu are you using?

7.10 (please see my first post).

> It's not usually a good thing not to read the documentation before asking,

Whether am I asking? I'm reporting a bug.

[Ricardo L. Febrero (rlfebrero)]

Ok, I see... It's good that you reported the bug, and I would be very happy
if I could reproduce it someway, but with that little information I won't be
able to. I need something more: your configuration files, for example,
software you have installed, and so on. If I can't reproduce the bug, or at
least, imagine what kind of bug can it be (I don't know if you use Gnome,
Kde, if it fails also for the Terminal)... For now, I can only assume that
you are right, that something's wrong in Edubuntu, and I'm sure you want to
hear that, but nothing more to do for me.

2007/12/14, DenisM <email address hidden>:
>
> > What version of Edubuntu are you using?
>
> 7.10 (please see my first post).
>
> > It's not usually a good thing not to read the documentation before
> asking,
>
> Whether am I asking? I'm reporting a bug.
>
> --
> Client Doesn't Inherit Keyboard Settings from Server
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/173067
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Edubuntu
> Bugsquad, which is a bug contact for ltsp in ubuntu.
>

--
Néstor Amigo Cairo
[phone]
<email address hidden>

[DenisM (b48)]

> I need something more: your configuration files, for example,

The system has tons of configs, which ones do you need?

> software you have installed, and so on.

I've just installed Edubuntu (7.10). It doesn't offer an opportunity to select software during installation (please correct me if I'm wrong), so software installed is DEFAULT. You asked me be 'more explicit', so I've described installation process as detailed as I believe is needed. What else info do you need, disk partitioning, host name, user name, IP addresses - what?

> If I can't reproduce the bug, or at least, imagine what kind of bug can it be (I don't know if you use Gnome, Kde,

Edubuntu uses Gnome by default, doesn't it? So I use Gnome.

> if it fails also for the Terminal)...

It failes everywhere, if you mean Gnome Terminal.

> For now, I can only assume that you are right, that something's wrong in Edubuntu, and I'm sure you want to
hear that, but nothing more to do for me.

Please let me know what else can I do for you.
By the way:

> You can try Gnome Menu:
> System -> Preferences -> Keyboard -> Distribution
> And choose the correct one for your client.

My (default) installation doesn't have Distribution tab in Keyboard applet.

So, once again: the default Edubuntu installation doesn't have /var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/lts.conf, but in spite of that, the client has both layouts, English and Russian, and no layout switch set up. By default.

[Ricardo L. Febrero (rlfebrero)]

Ok, then, create:
/var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/lts.conf
(change i386 for other architecture if needed)
and then, read:
http://doc.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/handbook/C/ltsp-client.html
When you're done, add:
XKBLAYOUT = "en"
[...]

For now, setting a LTSP server is not a trivial thing. As usual with
software, it is necessary to read the documentation, which is hard to
write, before submitting a bug. Maybe in the future, setting a LTSP
server will be automatic, but not for now. (BTW, doing "common" things
is usually a trivial thing in Ubuntu, which wasn't so trivial in the
past).

I like to think about it the following way: with Free Software, like
Ubuntu and Linux are, we take an active part in the development,
meaning that we have the freedom to use it, but, please, remember that
you can get this for free, BECAUSE many many people are spending their
time in developing things, reading and writing documentation, and so
on, and usually they don't get a Euro for it (nor do I). Applied to
this case: why not going to the Edubuntu wiki, and changing the
Documentation, adding this particular piece of information more
clearly? You are completely free to do so, and even encouraged by
Ubuntu folks. You can be one of those who made Ubuntu (and Free
Software) be what is will be in some years. And be patient, please,
freedom exists, but usually is not what we are taught at school, long
is the path ;-)

So, please, read the documentation (and change it if needed) before
sending bugs. I think that your problem is only having the wrong
configuration on the client. And server and client configurations have
nothing to do, you can have your sever working perfectly, but your
client not, if you don't create the proper configuration file, and set
it properly, reading the documentation mentioned above.

Greetings!!

2007/12/16, DenisM <email address hidden>:
> > I need something more: your configuration files, for example,
>
> The system has tons of configs, which ones do you need?
>
> > software you have installed, and so on.
>
> I've just installed Edubuntu (7.10). It doesn't offer an opportunity to
> select software during installation (please correct me if I'm wrong), so
> software installed is DEFAULT. You asked me be 'more explicit', so I've
> described installation process as detailed as I believe is needed. What
> else info do you need, disk partitioning, host name, user name, IP
> addresses - what?
>
> > If I can't reproduce the bug, or at least, imagine what kind of bug
> can it be (I don't know if you use Gnome, Kde,
>
> Edubuntu uses Gnome by default, doesn't it? So I use Gnome.
>
> > if it fails also for the Terminal)...
>
> It failes everywhere, if you mean Gnome Terminal.
>
> > For now, I can only assume that you are right, that something's wrong in Edubuntu, and I'm sure you want to
> hear that, but nothing more to do for me.
>
> Please let me know what else can I do for you.
> By the way:
>
> > You can try Gnome Menu:
> > System -> Preferences -> Keyboard -> Distribution
> > And choose the correct one for your client.
>
> My (default) installation doesn't have Distribution tab in Keyboard
> applet.
>
> So, once again: the default Edubuntu installation doe...

[Ricardo L. Febrero (rlfebrero)]

BTW, I have been googling, and found this:
http://www.gnome.org/learn/users-guide/2.14/prefs-keyboard.html
On:
http://www.gnome.org/learn/
you can find more information about Gnome, if you want to configure
Alt-Shift to change your keyboard's layout (or change it in any other
way), but (as I suspect) you don't have it in the client, just in the
server. So you should be able to change your keyboard's layout, if you
have it properly configured on the client, and that's a desktop usage
thing, not a bug, again. If you're able to change it. If you cannot
change it, then, it should be a [strange] bug, but it should be
further studied. Anyways, it sound me like you haven't read the
documentation...

Try that, see if you can change the keyboard layout any other way
(there are lots of ways to do this), create configuration files and so
on (you can default Russian language for your keyboard with cyrillic
characters and so on), if not, then it should be considered a bug.

Good luck!

2007/12/16, Néstor Amigo Cairo <email address hidden>:
> Ok, then, create:
> /var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/lts.conf
> (change i386 for other architecture if needed)
> and then, read:
> http://doc.ubuntu.com/edubuntu/handbook/C/ltsp-client.html
> When you're done, add:
> XKBLAYOUT = "en"
> [...]
>
> For now, setting a LTSP server is not a trivial thing. As usual with
> software, it is necessary to read the documentation, which is hard to
> write, before submitting a bug. Maybe in the future, setting a LTSP
> server will be automatic, but not for now. (BTW, doing "common" things
> is usually a trivial thing in Ubuntu, which wasn't so trivial in the
> past).
>
> I like to think about it the following way: with Free Software, like
> Ubuntu and Linux are, we take an active part in the development,
> meaning that we have the freedom to use it, but, please, remember that
> you can get this for free, BECAUSE many many people are spending their
> time in developing things, reading and writing documentation, and so
> on, and usually they don't get a Euro for it (nor do I). Applied to
> this case: why not going to the Edubuntu wiki, and changing the
> Documentation, adding this particular piece of information more
> clearly? You are completely free to do so, and even encouraged by
> Ubuntu folks. You can be one of those who made Ubuntu (and Free
> Software) be what is will be in some years. And be patient, please,
> freedom exists, but usually is not what we are taught at school, long
> is the path ;-)
>
> So, please, read the documentation (and change it if needed) before
> sending bugs. I think that your problem is only having the wrong
> configuration on the client. And server and client configurations have
> nothing to do, you can have your sever working perfectly, but your
> client not, if you don't create the proper configuration file, and set
> it properly, reading the documentation mentioned above.
>
> Greetings!!
>
>
> 2007/12/16, DenisM <email address hidden>:
> > > I need something more: your configuration files, for example,
> >
> > The system has tons of configs, which ones do you need?
> >
> > > software you have installed, and so on.
> >
> > I've just installed Edubuntu (7...

[DenisM (b48)]

In Russian we talk, "I ask of Thomas, he answers about Jeremiah".

Thank you, Nestor! Now I know what should I do when I encounter a bug. I should google for a workaround. But never, NEVER should I report the bug, 'cause developers are very-VERY busy, and it distracts them from their job. Let the bug survive in next releases.

[DenisM (b48)]

Let it be one more piece in Edubuntu puzzle. One more, one less...

[Ricardo L. Febrero (rlfebrero)]

I'm not a developer, I'm just a user... and that's true, it's better
to find on Google first, not only that, the best anybody can do is to
try to solve it for his/herself, and later publishing the patch for
others to use it, if it's possible. If it isn't possible, the best is
to have someone reproducing the bug, but it's usually harder (I
haven't been able to). So, if you could solve it by yourself (I'm sure
you can), it would be nice that you published it so others can do the
same, and eventually it could be included in some way on Linux...

I know some russian hackers here at Spain that love that way of
working, in spite of some [american] enterprises...

Greetings!

2007/12/18, DenisM <email address hidden>:
> Let it be one more piece in Edubuntu puzzle. One more, one less...
>
> --
> Client Doesn't Inherit Keyboard Settings from Server
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/173067
> You received this bug notification because you are a member of Edubuntu
> Bugsquad, which is a bug contact for ltsp in ubuntu.
>

--
Néstor Amigo Cairo
[phone]
<email address hidden>

[Kainourgiakis Giorgos (kaingeo)]

I deal with the same exact bug. The sollution is :

When you running a client user.
right click on Applications panel > Add to panel > Keyboard indicator > Add
right click on Keyboard indicator > keyboard prefrences
click on Layout options > Groups Shift/Lock Behavior > tick Alt+Shift changes group
you have to do it with all users

i ll check the configuration files to check why thats happening
if you find anything let us know
i hope i've helped you

[DenisM (b48)]

Giorgos, it's not a solution :(, it's a workaround. I've done it already.

[Kainourgiakis Giorgos (kaingeo)]

I applied the following solution on Ubuntu-ltsp 8.04 and it worked!

1.Create a file named "lts.conf" in the "/var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/" directrory:
sudo gedit /var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/lts.conf

2.Add the following lines: (of cource in (us,gr) gr stands for greece you have to type you local language)
[Default]
        XKBLAYOUT="us,gr"
        XKBOPTIONS="grp:alt_shift_toggle,lv3:ralt_switch,grp_led:scroll"
        XKBVARIANT=",extended"

3.Save changes reboot and you are ready!

[Alkis Georgopoulos (alkisg)]

The bug is in /opt/ltsp/i386/usr/lib/ltsp/configure-x.sh:

# Handle keyboard settings, default to console-setup settings
handle_keyboard_settings() {
    XKBOPTIONS_TMP="$XKBOPTIONS"
    if [ -z "$XKBLAYOUT" ] && [ -z "$XKBMODEL" ]; then
        if [ -e /etc/default/console-setup ];then
            . /etc/default/console-setup
        fi
    fi
    test -z "$XKBRULES" && XKBRULES="xorg"
    test -z "$XKBMODEL" && XKBMODEL="pc105"
    test -z "$XKBLAYOUT" && XKBLAYOUT="en"
    test -z "$XKBOPTIONS_TMP" && XKBOPTIONS=$XKBOPTIONS_TMP

XKBOPTIONS handling is wrong, it *never* uses the values from console-setup.

So, without any lts.conf, in my ltsp client /etc/default/console-setup I have:
XKBMODEL="pc105"
XKBLAYOUT="us,gr"
XKBVARIANT=",extended"
XKBOPTIONS="grp:alt_shift_toggle,lv3:ralt_switch,grp_led:scroll"

and in /etc/X11/xorg.conf I get:
XKBMODEL="pc105"
XKBLAYOUT="us,gr"
XKBVARIANT=",extended"

and I can't change input languages.

[Kainourgiakis Giorgos (kaingeo)]

This bug fixed in ubuntu hardy