Arch Linux

gyller

Member

Registered: 2010-08-15

Posts: 7

[SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

[HOW-TO]
Re-installed without external keyboard.

[ORIGINAL POST]
So, first post. I have no long experience with Linux, I tried Red Hat in the late 90's but switched back to Windows until this year. Anyway, to the problem.

I have an Asus UL30A, when using the notebook keyboard in xubuntu it worked just fine. Using the keyboard in the console it works just fine. It works in GDM but as soon as I boot into GNOME it mess up. The defenition of "messed up" is that some keys seems to have the wrong keycode mapped, most keys work as they should but a couple does not display what it suppose to display. y = 3, o = 4 and so on. Looking into the GNOME Keyboard layout preference you can actually see what they are mapped to, so I can for example see that i = numlock_2 and so on.

My external logitech keyboard works like a charm, I used it while installing the system so I am not sure if that messed something up. Anyway, I tried different layouts, keyboard models, tried installing xf86-input-keyboard drivers, looked into the xorg.conf.d folder but I am now clueless. I have not found anything related to this issue on the internet.

Any ideas?

Last edited by gyller (2010-08-21 15:57:01)

oupsemma

Member

Registered: 2010-01-01

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Are you using a non-us keyboard mapping?

What are  your  KEYMAP and CONSOLEMAP values in /etc/rc.conf?

Is your touchpad working properly?

Using Xorg 1.8, you could create a /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-keymap.conf (number is whichever you want) with:

Section "InputClass"
   Identifier "Keyboard defaults"
   MatchIsKeyboard "yes"
   Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
   Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
   Option "XkbLayout" "your_language"
  #Option "XkbVariant" "bepo" or "oss" or whatever you like
  #Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rctrl" 
EndSection

Using xorg.conf, you could add this section to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier    "Keyboard1"
    Driver    "kbd"
    Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
    Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
    Option "XkbLayout" "your_language"
   #Option "XkbVariant" "bepo" or "oss"or whatever
   #Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rctrl"
EndSection

and check which keyboard you want to use by default (your ASUS keyboard or the USB one).

From the wiki (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Asus_UL30A), it seems that nearly everything works flawlessly on your laptop, apart from the volume keys (which is often the case).

May be these links could help you have Fn keys working, once you would have recovered a normally working keyboard mapping:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ACPI_hotkeys
http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=23959
http://acpi4asus.sourceforge.net/

Last edited by oupsemma (2010-08-16 09:30:40)

gyller

Member

Registered: 2010-08-15

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Thanks for reply.

Are you using a non-us keyboard mapping?

Yes, I am using a Swedish layout. However it does not matter if I have a US, or something else, the letter y is always num_pad2 or whatever in every layout.

What are  your  KEYMAP and CONSOLEMAP values in /etc/rc.conf?

LOCALE="en_US.UTF-8"
HARDWARECLOCK="UTC"
TIMEZONE="Europe/Stockholm"
KEYMAP="sv-latin1"
CONSOLEFONT=
CONSOLEMAP=
USECOLOR="yes"

  Is your touchpad working properly?

Yes and no, it work as in you can control it like a normal touchpad but however it is deteced as a "ImPS/2 Logitech Wheel Mouse" and not as a touchpad. This is for all UL30X I believe.

Using Xorg 1.8, you could create a /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-keymap.conf (number is whichever you want) with:

Section "InputClass"
   Identifier "Keyboard defaults"
   MatchIsKeyboard "yes"
   Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
   Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
   Option "XkbLayout" "your_language"
  #Option "XkbVariant" "bepo" or "oss" or whatever you like
  #Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rctrl" 
EndSection

Yes I am using Xorg 1.8 and xorg.conf.d accordingly. Do you want me to disable the keyboard (comment out) in my 10-evdev.conf also? As when installing the synaptic drivers.

From the wiki (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Asus_UL30A), it seems that nearly everything works flawlessly on your laptop, apart from the volume keys (which is often the case).

Yes and no, see my post about the touchpad above. But as I also said, the notebook keyboard worked just fine when I used xubuntu it is only in Arch Linux or when I log into GNOME as it mess up. However I did not use an external keyboard whenI installed xubuntu but I used it when installing Arch Linux, still not sure if this has anything that could have messed something up.

Last edited by gyller (2010-08-17 20:31:19)

oupsemma

Member

Registered: 2010-01-01

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Hello, gyller; it looks like your installation with the USB keyboard has somewhat messed up your settings.

If I was having your problem, here's what I would do:

1) Check which keyboard options to use

First bootup the computer using the built-in keyboard only (no USB one plugged in), then have a look at /usr/share/X11/xkbd/rules/base.lst , where all the keyboard model ,layout, variant options are detailed, and choose which one is the more appropriate.

(Then I would set the keymap for the current Xorg session with: # setxkbmap se  , and check how it's going on with that.)

2) Back up important Xorg files

  I would back up /etc/X11/xorg.conf and /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d in a convenient easily reachable location.

3) Reconfigure Xorg in command line

Reboot the computer (again, without the USB keyboard) and configure Xorg in CLI, for the built-in keyboard to be taken as the default keyboard.
(Later, after having set it up properly, you would take care of the USB one).

As you're running Gnome, I suppose you're using GDM and not running in command line at boot.

To be able to boot in command line, you'll have to boot in runlevel 1 (you can't make xorg changes while you are running Xorg).
This can be achieve simply by adding the runlevel 1 to your kernel command line in Grub during bootup.
(Reference ; tested and working properly).

Boot your computer, select your Arch distro in Grub, press the e key to edit, get down and select the line where /vmlinuz26 is, and add a 1:
linux /vmlinuz26 ...root=/dev/sda3 ro 1 or kernel /vmlinuz26......root=/dev/sda3 ro 1
then press the b key to boot your Arch.

You will be in single-user mode and asked for your root password for maintenance.
Enter it and run  # Xorg -configure
(When this option is specified, the Xorg server loads all video driver modules, probes for available hardware, and writes out an initial xorg.conf file based on what was detected.  Xorg reference )

  Check here Step 3: Configure X

#Xorg -configure  will create a config file at /root/xorg.conf.new that you have to copy to /etc/X11/:
# cp /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Then install evdev, which, since Xorg 1.8, Xorg-server uses for device detection and which has hot-plugging abilities   (Ref: evdev )
# pacman -S x86-input-evdev

NB: there's something in the Beginner's Guide that might be interesting:

Note that if you are in possession of a properly configured xorg.conf under another distribution and with the same Xorg version, you may easily copy it over to your current Arch system's /etc/X11/ directory.

Would that work with your Xubuntu xorg.conf?

Once it's done, log out of your root account (# exit) and as a normal user start your session.

4) Have the built-in keyboard, mouse and touchpad set to be working properly (Might take some time!)

For this, check:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sy … _detection
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Evdev
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg
it will need some customizations.

As you're using Gnome, you can install GPointingDeviceSettings from AUR.
It's a very handy way to set up mouse, touchpad, tapping, scrolling, wheel behaviors.

5) Reboot with the USB keyboard plugged in and have it work properly (Time-consuming too!)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg_multiseat  can give you some ideas about that.
There will be some more configuration work to do with xorg.conf and xorg.conf.d

PS: http://caulfield.info/emmet/2008/01/add … eyboa.html might interest you.

Last edited by oupsemma (2010-08-18 15:01:20)

gyller

Member

Registered: 2010-08-15

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Thank you for an additonal first class reply.

Hello, gyller; it looks like your installation with the USB keyboard has somewhat messed up your settings.

If I was having your problem, here's what I would do:

1) Check which keyboard options to use

First bootup the computer using the built-in keyboard only (no USB one plugged in), then have a look at /usr/share/X11/xkbd/rules/base.lst , where all the keyboard model ,layout, variant options are detailed, and choose which one is the more appropriate.

(Then I would set the keymap for the current Xorg session with: # setxkbmap se  , and check how it's going on with that.)

I did check for this, I however had a map called xkb and not xkbd, the base.lst was there anyway. This is just the same as going to the GUI for Keyboard layout, or...? This did not change anything so I continued.

I did a backup of my xorg.conf.d. before I booted using run-level 1 (I have a "Arch Linux Console" option I added myself. I recommend to anybody reading this to add it, edit /boot/grub/menu.lst)

# Xorg -configure
# cp /root/xorg.conf.new /etc/X11/xorg.conf (btw, I did not have any old xorg.conf backup)

So I assumed first I should disable xorg.conf.d in order for xorg.conf to "take over", that just immobilized all my hardware so I changed it back but the problem still remains. (I did not start Linux before Xorg 1.8). The xf86-input-evdev is installed by default and its not possible to remove without an angry pacman saying its required by the xorg-server.

So I am slowly going towards believing a re-install is the only way to repair this.

PS: http://caulfield.info/emmet/2008/01/add … eyboa.html might interest you.

I just noticed this after my post and glanced through, I'll be back about this.

Last edited by gyller (2010-08-18 17:43:19)

oupsemma

Member

Registered: 2010-01-01

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Sorry to read that, gyller; that's what I would have done in the same case!
(Would the solution have been to follow https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg_multiseat and configure 2 different keyboard files, 10-evdev.conf and 10-synaptics.conf and xorg.conf?)
I'm apologizing for the inconvenience, if you have to go through a re-installation, and I'm hoping you would not bear a grudge against me.
Jag kan inte förlåta mig (mej?), kan jag få gå på toaletten ?

Edit: May be you could ask Francisc1701 and Sveinemann (authors of: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Asus_UL30A ) about their Xorg config, as they state nearly everything is working alright  on the UL30A with Arch?

Re-Edit:
Some links about the Elantech touchpad on Asus UL30 series:
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=799466
http://www.mail-archive.com/asus-ul30@l … 00195.html

Would running # /etc/rc.d/dbus stop and # /etc/rc.d/hal stop while in CLI would have worked?
And would getting into runlevel3 with # telinit3 have worked?
If anybody has the solution, that would be really nice!

Last edited by oupsemma (2010-08-19 13:11:03)

gyller

Member

Registered: 2010-08-15

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Sorry to read that, gyller; that's what I would have done in the same case!

Yea I am going for that now, when the time is on my side.

Jag kan inte förlåta mig (mej?), kan jag få gå på toaletten ?

It's not your fault. Jag förlåter dig, toaletten är första dörren till vänster, du kan inte missa den.

I'll get back with the results, obviously it would sting a little if the problem remains. But that's life.

oupsemma

Member

Registered: 2010-01-01

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Thanks, gyller, found you a few Scandinavian links:
http://www.linux.se/
http://www.sslug.dk/

Wishing you good luck with your re-installation.

Last edited by oupsemma (2010-08-19 14:41:34)

oupsemma

Member

Registered: 2010-01-01

Posts: 70

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Oops, it seems that I've made a huge mistake with this French/English/Swedish translation (it was taken from here: http://lexin.nada.kth.se/cgi-bin/swe-eng).
But I'm glad to know the toilets are first door on the left; I won't miss them, thank you!

Edit: Some more links:
http://www.sweclockers.com/forum/67-bar … dex35.html
https://launchpad.net/~asus-ul30

Last edited by oupsemma (2010-08-20 07:41:43)

gyller

Member

Registered: 2010-08-15

Posts: 7

Re: [SOLVED] External keyboard OK, notebook keyboard messed up

Re-installing without external keyboard solved the problem. Thanks for the help anyway.