Right ALT key mapped through .Xmodmap does not work in Firefox

Bug #1016996 reported by Dori
42
This bug affects 9 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
firefox (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned
thunderbird (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

I have mapped the Right Alt key (keycode 108) and the Right Winkey (keycode 134) through .Xmodmap as follows:
d@lexx:~$ cat .Xmodmap
keycode 108 = ediaeresis Ediaeresis
keycode 134 = ccedilla Ccedilla

However, only the Right winkey works as expected producing the çÇ characters in Firefox. The Alt key does not work (no character gets entered in text fields in Firefox).

The Alt key as it is mapped works in other applications such as Konsole, Konqueror, etc., producing the characters ëË.

The exact same setup was working in prior versions of Kubuntu and Firefox, but it does not work in Kubuntu 12.04 LTS.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: firefox 13.0.1+build1-0ubuntu0.12.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-25.40-generic 3.2.18
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-25-generic x86_64
AddonCompatCheckDisabled: False
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC2: d 1915 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: d 1915 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: d 1915 F.... pulseaudio
BuildID: 20120615112143
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xfe8f8000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC888'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0888,102802ac,00100202'
   Controls : 43
   Simple ctrls : 20
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'U0x46d0x8d7'/'USB Device 0x46d:0x8d7 at usb-0000:00:1a.7-4.3, full speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB046d:08d7'
   Controls : 3
   Simple ctrls : 2
Card2.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:2 'HDMI'/'HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfe9ec000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'ATI R6xx HDMI'
   Components : 'HDA:1002aa01,00aa0100,00100000'
   Controls : 6
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card2.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
   Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
   Playback channels: Mono
   Mono: Playback [on]
Channel: release
Date: Sat Jun 23 18:25:41 2012
DefaultProfilePlugins:
 Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
 VLC Multimedia Plugin (compatible Totem 3.0.1) - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libtotem-cone-plugin.so (totem-mozilla)
 DivX® Web Player - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libtotem-mully-plugin.so (totem-mozilla)
 Windows Media Player Plug-in 10 (compatible; Totem) - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libtotem-gmp-plugin.so (totem-mozilla)
 QuickTime Plug-in 7.6.6 - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libtotem-narrowspace-plugin.so (totem-mozilla)
DefaultProfilePrefErrors: Unexpected character before close parenthesis @ [Profile]/<email address hidden>/defaults/preferences/defaults.js:2
ForcedLayersAccel: False
IfupdownConfig:
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
InstallationMedia: Kubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120423)
IpRoute:
 default via 192.168.1.1 dev eth0 proto static
 169.254.0.0/16 dev eth0 scope link metric 1000
 192.168.1.0/24 dev eth0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.1.100 metric 1
 192.168.1.0/24 dev wlan0 proto kernel scope link src 192.168.1.104 metric 2
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 LANGUAGE=
Profile1Plugins:
 Shockwave Flash - /usr/lib/flashplugin-installer/libflashplayer.so
 VLC Multimedia Plugin (compatible Totem 3.0.1) - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libtotem-cone-plugin.so (totem-mozilla)
 DivX® Web Player - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libtotem-mully-plugin.so (totem-mozilla)
 Windows Media Player Plug-in 10 (compatible; Totem) - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libtotem-gmp-plugin.so (totem-mozilla)
 QuickTime Plug-in 7.6.6 - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/libtotem-narrowspace-plugin.so (totem-mozilla)
Profile2Extensions: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile2IncompatibleExtensions: Unavailable (corrupt or non-existant compatibility.ini or extensions.sqlite)
Profile2Locales: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profile2Plugins:
 IcedTea NPR Web Browser Plugin (using IcedTea6 1.9.10 (6b20-1.9.10-0ubuntu1~10.10.3)) - /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/amd64/IcedTeaPlugin.so
 Google Talk Plugin Video Accelerator - /opt/google/talkplugin/libnpgtpo3dautoplugin.so
 Google Talk Plugin - /opt/google/talkplugin/libnpgoogletalk.so
 Shockwave Flash - /opt/firefox/plugins/libflashplayer.so
 Skype Buttons for Kopete - /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins/skypebuttons.so
Profile2PrefSources:
 /etc/firefox/syspref.js
 prefs.js
 user.js
Profile2Themes: extensions.sqlite corrupt or missing
Profiles:
 Profile0 (Default) - LastVersion=13.0.1/20120615112143 (In use)
 Profile1 - LastVersion=13.0.1/20120615112143 (In use)
 Profile2 - LastVersion=9.0.1/20111220165912 (Out of date)
RelatedPackageVersions: totem-mozilla 3.0.1-0ubuntu21
RfKill:
 0: phy0: Wireless LAN
  Soft blocked: no
  Hard blocked: no
RunningIncompatibleAddons: False
SourcePackage: firefox
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 12/25/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 1.0.9
dmi.board.name: 0M017G
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: '01'
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.0.9:bd12/25/2008:svnDellInc.:pnStudio540:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0M017G:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct3:cvr'01':
dmi.product.name: Studio 540
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

Revision history for this message
Dori (slowpoke+ubuntu) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Hoang Lan Nguyen (somewheremylove-nh87) wrote :

When using command:

xmodmap -e "keycode 108 = p P" &

The right alt key will work as 'p' key for all programs but not firefox. Don't know why.

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

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

Changed in firefox (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Hoang Lan Nguyen (somewheremylove-nh87) wrote :

Using test on this link: www.webonweboff.com/tips/js/event_key_codes.aspx#instant-test
Mapped "right alt" key (as "p"), when pressed will fire event with keycode 80. That p key.

Revision history for this message
Hoang Lan Nguyen (somewheremylove-nh87) wrote :

A fix that works for me:
Add/change a line:

    Option "XkbVariant" "intl"

to your `/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf`

    Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "evdev keyboard catchall"
        MatchIsKeyboard "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "XkbModel" "asus_laptop"
        Option "XkbVariant" "intl"
        Option "XkbLayout" "us"
    EndSection

Revision history for this message
Felix Dreissig (f30) wrote :

This affects Thunderbird as well (in Quantal).

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

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

Changed in thunderbird (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
B Bobo (yout-bobo123) wrote :

No need to use xmodmap in Unity or mess around with the Xorg.conf file. Delete your .Xmodmap file.

Open System Settings (be warned it may take several minutes or even hours before the popup finally appears even on a fast system)
Select Keyboard Layout
Select Options
Select Compose key position
Select Right Alt
Close window

The AltGr (right Alt) key works fine in firefox.
Type simultaneously AltGr + ','(comma) and then quickly type 'c' to get ç (if you type too slowly, you will get a plain 'c')
AltGr + ':' then 'e' for ë
AltGr + ' then 'e' for é
etc

Revision history for this message
freacert (erik-grtz) wrote :

Same problem on an old toshiba i fixed.
I keymapped the x to the win key. And only in Firefox 24.0 the key I assigned doesnot work.
ubuntu 12.04

Revision history for this message
Dori (slowpoke+ubuntu) wrote :

B Bobo (yout-bobo123):
That's not good enough. You now have to enter three keystrokes when it should take just one. Also I have these wasted keys taking up space :)

To post a comment you must log in.