Bug 281755 – 3rd level chooser doesn't work on some applications on a macbook

• Status: RESOLVED INVALID
• Product: Gentoo Linux

[Description Zsolti 2009-08-17 12:37:48 UTC]

On the macbook 3rd level chooser (the apple key) does not work as expected. you can't type for example an "@". It works though in gnome-terminal, but not in Firefox, Thunderbird and some others. It's in an configuration with evdev and german macintosh keyboard is set in gnome-settings.


Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:




The same Bug is also described for Ubuntu: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xkeyboard-config/+bug/410876

[Comment 1 Zsolti 2009-08-17 12:41:17 UTC]

Created attachment 201529 [details]
emerge --info

[Comment 2 Zsolti 2009-10-03 02:40:59 UTC]

I made more tests: added an externel pc-keyboard. the only way to get to 3rd level in gnome applications is to chose: "Right Alt, Shift+Right Alt key is Multi_Key" or "Right Ctrl" in gnome-settings on an external PC-Keyboard.
All other Combinations does not work. And i tried really several one, including different keyboard layouts.

[Comment 3 Zsolti 2009-10-03 02:42:39 UTC]

I forget to say: this started somewhere with gnome 2.26 and now also with 2.28

[Comment 4 Zsolti 2009-10-07 19:09:43 UTC]

Ok, it seems i found the root of this problem and a solution.
Thanks to a german post: http://forum.ubuntuusers.de/topic/third-level-chooser-und-gtk/#post-2112685.
Probably a change, doubling the mapping of "ISO_Level3_Shift", in xorgs xkeyboard-config triggerd a bug in GTK+: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=19500

A fix would be to clear mod4 with xmodmap or as a workaround change /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc, removing the line with Mod4. Apparently a patch for xkeyboard-config would the best.
In the discussion it's said that the commit was reverted, but i can't find the revert.

[Comment 5 brullo nulla 2009-12-26 01:18:38 UTC]

Hi,
I have the same problem. x86 system I am currently updating,  The suggested workaround for me works, but in a weird way. Basically:

Now:
$ xmodmap -e 'remove mod4 = ISO_Level3_Shift' <-- GTK works, non-GTK stop working

$ xmodmap -e 'add mod4 = ISO_Level3_Shift' <-- Viceversa

So basically I can switch, but I cannot have all X apps using the AltGr key correctly.

current xmodmap file:
keycode 134 = ISO_Level3_Shift
keycode 108 = Pointer_Button3

xmodmap -pm:
shift       Shift_L (0x32),  Shift_R (0x3e)
lock        Caps_Lock (0x42)
control     Control_L (0x25),  Control_R (0x69)
mod1        Alt_L (0x40),  Meta_L (0xcd)
mod2        Num_Lock (0x4d)
mod3
mod4        Super_L (0x85),  ISO_Level3_Shift (0x86),  Super_L (0xce),  Hyper_L (0xcf)
mod5        ISO_Level3_Shift (0x5c),  Mode_switch (0xcb)

eix -c gtk:
[I] x11-libs/gtk+ (1.2.10-r12(1)@11/17/07 2.16.6(2)@12/22/09): Gimp ToolKit +

[Comment 6 brullo nulla 2009-12-26 01:19:26 UTC]

Forgot to say: I am using a Macbook too, precisely a Macbook Pro of late 2007.

[Comment 7 brullo nulla 2009-12-26 01:29:52 UTC]

This workaround from the ubuntu launchpad seems to fix the problem in both GTK and non-GTK apps:
--
Simply comment out these strings
   modifier_map Mod4 { <LWIN> };
   modifier_map Mod4 { <RWIN> };
in
  /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/pc
--
source: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xkeyboard-config/+bug/410876

[Comment 8 Pacho Ramos 2010-03-12 12:36:20 UTC]

I am not sure if this is really a gtk+ bug. X11 herd, can you please take a look on https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=19500 and, specially, to https://bugs.freedesktop.org/attachment.cgi?id=30489 ?

Thanks a lot

[Comment 9 Rémi Cardona (RETIRED) 2010-03-15 21:09:45 UTC]

Judging by the upstream bug, this isn't really a bug. It's an unfortunate choice of XKB defaults which you'll have to "fix" on your side. The "solution" is explained in the linked fdo bug.

There's nothing for either team to do here.

Thanks

[Comment 10 Pacho Ramos 2010-03-15 21:18:21 UTC]

Thanks a lot Remi for clarifying this