X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

tanjeff · 2007-03-15 22:02:46

I set up a fresh Arch System and want to run 2 X-Servers simultanously. Therefore, I need to use evdev as keyboard driver. I got X starting, and I got an xterm on my screen, but when hitting the Backspace at the front of the commandline, X crashes. This is because xterm wants to beep, issuing a "xf86OSRingBell" symbol. The X output is:

X: symbol lookup error: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input//evdev_drv.so: undefined symbol: xf86OSRingBell

Then it crashes without backtrace of futher output (xterm reports loss of connection, of course ;-) ). This also happens when apps issues other Symbols which evdev did not expect. As a bad side effect, I can't start gdm, since gdm also wants to beep when it is ready for the user.

My xorg.conf was:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "KeyboardDesk"
        Driver      "evdev"
        Option      "CoreKeyboard"
        Option      "Device" "/dev/input/event4"
        Option      "Name" "Logitech Logitech USB Keyboard"
        #Option      "XkbLayout" "de"
EndSection

Another Error that I'm able to produce is:

my-computer # Xorg
--- snip ---

(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
(WW) NVIDIA: No matching Device section for instance (BusID PCI:0:13:0) found
The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
> Warning:          Multiple names for keycode 211
>                   Using <I211>, ignoring <AB11>
expected keysym, got XF86AudioEject: line 2232 of inet
Errors from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server
The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
> Warning:          Multiple names for keycode 211
>                   Using <I211>, ignoring <AB11>
expected keysym, got XF86AudioEject: line 2232 of inet
Errors from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server
LookupDeviceIntRec id=0x0 not found
LookupDeviceIntRec id=0x0 not found
LookupDeviceIntRec id=0x0 not found

--- and so on... ---

The "LookupDeviceIntRec id=0x0 not found" appeared without keypresses, just at the start of X. I can then produce more of these messages by pressing keys on the keyboard. The xorg.conf for this kind of error is quite similar to the xorg.conf above:

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "KeyboardDesk"
        Driver      "evdev"
        Option      "CoreKeyboard"
        #Option      "Device" "/dev/input/event4"
        Option      "Name" "Logitech Logitech USB Keyboard"
        #Option      "XkbLayout" "de"
EndSection

Most of the people are using evdev for their mice and can switch to the "mouse" driver without mouch trouble. Therefore there isn't much helpful at the internet. For me, it is impossible to achieve the desired functionality (2 Xservers) without evdev.

As far as I know the evdev thing is broken (but this information may be outdated). So I were happy to get some hints or maybe a complete, easy, one-click-solution ;-) I also searched for the old packages (xf86-input-evdev-1.1.2-1.pkg.tar.gz and xf86-input-evdev-1.1.2-1.pkg.tar.gz), but these seems not to be on the net. I were happy if someone can send me one of these. I also built the evdev-Package by myself (1.1.5-1), without any success. The versions 1.1.2-1 and 1.1.2-2 didn't built ad-hoc, so I gave up early.

ramiblanco · 2007-03-23 04:26:17

I´ve had the same problem and what i did was to build the xf86-input-evdev-1.1.3 (1.1.4 and 1.1.5 aren´t working for me at least) with abs, that solved it. here you have the PKGBUILD:

# $Id: PKGBUILD,v 1.6 2006/12/26 11:41:09 jgc Exp $
#Maintainer: Jan de Groot <jgc@archlinux.org>

pkgname=xf86-input-evdev
pkgver=1.1.3
pkgrel=1
pkgdesc="X.org evdev input driver"
arch=(i686 x86_64)
url="http://xorg.freedesktop.org/"
depends=('glibc')
makedepends=('pkgconfig' 'xorg-server>=1.1.1')
options=('nolibtool')
groups=('xorg-input-drivers')
source=(${url}/releases/individual/driver/${pkgname}-${pkgver}.tar.bz2)

build() {
  cd ${startdir}/src/${pkgname}-${pkgver}
  ./configure --prefix=/usr \
              --build=${CHOST} --host=${CHOST}
  make || return 1
  make DESTDIR=${startdir}/pkg install || return 1
}

i don´t know what the problem is with those two versions. It's not a minor error.

Last edited by ramiblanco (2007-03-24 23:09:10)

vah · 2007-03-30 21:10:17

My guess is this has something to do with this (copy-paste from change log):
evdev 1.1.4

Changes since xf86-input-evdev-1.1.3:
Daniel Stone:
<snip>
key: use os bell-ringing function
<snip>

Luckily I found this thread so I don't have to suffer from randomly crashing X with my multi-seat setup anymore. Anyone willing to post a bug report to have this fixed? An easy way to reproduce the bug is to press shift-numlock (usually allows you to move your mouse pointer with the numpad.)

(How stupid of me to not think about downgrading the evdev driver myself...)

tanjeff · 2007-03-30 21:47:41

Well, I tested xf86-input-evdev-1.1.3 (thanks a lot for the PKGBUILD, ramiblanco!). It works well as long as I don't use it for multiseat :-/ I've configured two independent Xservers, each running fine if started solely. But if I try to start them at the same time, I got errors and it doesn't work. However, maybe I have some other configuration problem; I will look again on my configs, but currently I have little time.

I'm wondering that apparently only few people have this problem. I didn't find much on the web. Aren't the developers aware of the problem?

tanjeff · 2007-03-31 21:50:53

I hate Computers.

Okay, someone has reported a bugfix to the Xorg Developers, hopefully they will fix it soon. The xf86-input-evdev-1.1.3 works for me, now. Thanks once again to ramiblanco

This solution leads to another question: is there a standard way to downgrade certain packages in Archlinux? In Gentoo, for example, one can do emerge "=package-1.1.3" to install a certain version if the package. I didn't even find older evdev-packages for Arch on the internet. In CVS, I found PKGBUILD files for versions older that 1.1.3, but this ones didn't compile properly. So, how do I downgrade, e.g. after an upgrade broke something? I think this is quite important for a machine that I want keep running.

vah · 2007-04-01 01:49:02

Unless you happen to have the old version in your /var/cache/pacman/pkg/ you're a bit out of luck and you have to build the package yourself. The mirrors seem to only have the latest version available. Pacman does not remove the old packages automatically, so downgrading back to the previous version after an upgrade is not that big of a problem. But installing an old version you never had will cause you some extra work.

ramiblanco · 2007-04-01 02:20:06

you are wellcome tanjeff! about the multiseat configuration not working: post your xorg.conf and your custom.conf (if you are using gdm) i might help you

tanjeff · 2007-04-29 15:09:27

Sorry, I didn't further read this thread, since my configs now works. I don't remember what exactly was the problem, but with evdev-1.3.3 it only was a problem of configuration. So far my problem is solved. Thank you for your help.

dlin · 2007-05-26 04:14:00

Thanks this post, I've tried about 4 nights, I can't successful login my multiseat.
After back to 1.1.3, it works.

So, why archlinux back the package to 1.1.3?
This is a terrible bug?

dlin · 2007-05-26 04:17:51

By the way, is there any method to recover to console.
I mean when I use evdev-1.1.5 it hangs my both screen.
The only workable command is 'ctrl-alt-del', that cause me reboot.
Why 'ctrl-alt-1', 'ctrl-alt-backspace' can NOT work?
Or, is there any blind typing command could recover this situation?

ramiblanco · 2007-05-26 07:20:16

try adding "single" to the kernel line in /boot/grub/menu.lts
your menu.lts should look like this on the kernel line

 kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda3 ro single

Arch Linux

#1 2007-03-15 22:02:46

X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#2 2007-03-23 04:26:17

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#3 2007-03-30 21:10:17

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#4 2007-03-30 21:47:41

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#5 2007-03-31 21:50:53

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#6 2007-04-01 01:49:02

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#7 2007-04-01 02:20:06

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#8 2007-04-29 15:09:27

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#9 2007-05-26 04:14:00

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#10 2007-05-26 04:17:51

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

#11 2007-05-26 07:20:16

Re: X crashes when using evdev for keyboard

Board footer