Error activating xkb configuration

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄]

Binary package hint: x11-xkb-utils

See screenshot. Maybe related to bug 630203. I get this dialog when i logon, and if i go to keyboard preferences and choose macbook pro keyboard layout.

alan@mbp:~$ xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "gb", "mac", ""
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "gb", "mac", ""
alan@mbp:~$ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd
 model = macbook78
 layouts = []
 options = []

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: x11-xkb-utils 7.6+2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-7.38-generic 2.6.38
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-7-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia wl
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.proc.driver.nvidia.version:
 NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 270.30 Fri Feb 25 14:34:55 PST 2011
 GCC version: gcc version 4.5.2 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.5.2-6ubuntu4)
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,vpswitch,regex,animation,snap,expo,move,compiztoolbox,place,grid,gnomecompat,wall,ezoom,workarounds,staticswitcher,resize,fade,scale,session,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Fri Mar 25 10:58:13 2011
DistUpgraded: Log time: 2011-02-22 08:16:20.901958
DistroCodename: natty
DistroVariant: ubuntu
GraphicsCard:
 nVidia Corporation Device [10de:08a0] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Apple Computer Inc. Device [106b:00c2]
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
JockeyStatus:
 kmod:wl - Broadcom STA proprietary wireless driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use) [auto-install]
 xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use)
MachineType: Apple Inc. MacBookPro7,1
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-7-generic root=UUID=3ee9f3d3-cfba-47b7-9087-36caaaf473d3 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
Renderer: Unknown
SourcePackage: x11-xkb-utils
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2011-02-22 (31 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 06/01/10
dmi.bios.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.bios.version: MBP71.88Z.0039.B0B.1006012305
dmi.board.name: Mac-F222BEC8
dmi.board.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Apple Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Mac-F222BEC8
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAppleInc.:bvrMBP71.88Z.0039.B0B.1006012305:bd06/01/10:svnAppleInc.:pnMacBookPro7,1:pvr1.0:rvnAppleInc.:rnMac-F222BEC8:rvr:cvnAppleInc.:ct10:cvrMac-F222BEC8:
dmi.product.name: MacBookPro7,1
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: Apple Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.4git20110322-0ubuntu5
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.23+git20110218.a697fb6a-0ubuntu0sarvatt
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 7.10.1-0ubuntu3
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg: xserver-xorg 1:7.6~3ubuntu11
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel N/A
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau N/A

[Dave Walker (davewalker)]

On a system which is the same model as the reporters, which was upgraded from Maverick - with the option previously added, i could not reproduce this behaviour.

Additionally, removing the option and re-adding it I could not reproduce. I think this needs to be tested on a fresh installation or livecd... Note, having the hardware as mentioned in the bug should not be a requirement to reproduce this bug.

Thanks.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

Comment out the line in your xorg.conf specifying the "keyboard" driver; that's no longer needed, and you should be using evdev instead. Indeed, you can try booting natty with no xorg.conf and I think it should work for your hardware.

Don't know if that's what leads to your bug though. "Error activating xkb configuration" is a generic error message that pops up whenever there is a layout problem. None of the log files attached here indicate what the real problem is. The wrong keyboard driver is my best guess, give that a shot.

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey)]

I moved xorg.conf out of the way and restarted gdm. I then logged in and still got the error. I'll probably do a reinstall at some point. So will report back if it still happens on a clean install.

[Bryce Harrington (bryce)]

On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 08:36:57AM -0000, Alan Pope wrote:
> I moved xorg.conf out of the way and restarted gdm. I then logged in and
> still got the error. I'll probably do a reinstall at some point. So will
> report back if it still happens on a clean install.

Hi Alan, how is the reinstall turning out?

[Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey)]

Just did a clean install and it's all okay. Thanks. Sorry for wasting time.

[Dean Sellis (dean-gianthead)]

I'm experiencing this problem with my Apple keyboard on a PC as well. I get the following error in a dialog when trying to set the keyboard model to the Apple Aluminum keyboard:

Error activating XKB configuration.
It can happen under various circumstances:
 • a bug in libxklavier library
 • a bug in X server (xkbcomp, xmodmap utilities)
 • X server with incompatible libxkbfile implementation

X server version data:
The X.Org Foundation
11001000

If you report this situation as a bug, please include:
 • The result of xprop -root | grep XKB
 • The result of gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd

Here is the output of the requested commands:

xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "us", "mac", ""
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "us", "mac", ""

 gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd
 options = [ctrl ctrl:nocaps,compat shift:both_capslock_cancel,compat numpad:mac,altwin altwin:ctrl_win,capscaps:none]
 model = applealu_ansi
 layouts = []

[Richard Greenwood (rsgca)]

Changing the keyboard model from "Apple Aluminium Keyboard (ANSI)" to "Apple" in the Keyboard Preferences solved this error for me.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for x11-xkb-utils (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Christian Titze (christitze)]

I had exactly the same problem and the solution described in post #9 also worked for me but I think someone look into fixing this bug because it wasn't there in any version before Natty for me.