Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

Kei · 2007-07-09 16:07:48

Hi everybody,

I'm sitting in front of a fresh archlinux installation with kdemod installed. I notice that I can't switch to the terminals with CTRL+ALT+F?. I always used this kind of switching without configuring anything, so what could have gone wrong?

Thanks for any suggestions...

EDIT: by accident I wrote the german "STRG" instead of "CTRL"

Last edited by Kei (2007-07-09 16:40:00)

Ramses de Norre · 2007-07-09 16:27:54

EDIT: never mind, STRG seems to be the same as ctrl ...

Last edited by Ramses de Norre (2007-07-09 16:30:26)

RobbeR49 · 2007-07-09 18:53:39

not trying to be a smartass, but did you check your F-Lock key? I tend to always forget that mine resets when I reboot.

Kei · 2007-07-09 19:25:46

Nice idea, but I don't have a F-Lock key on my keyboard.

madeye · 2007-07-10 17:18:57

When you try CTRL+ALT+F1, what happens? Nothing? Or does the screen perhaps turn black?
Does any of the other shortcut keys work the way they are supposed to do?

Perhaps you could use xev to determine if the CTRl and ALT keys work correctly?

Here is the output of my control key.

KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x3000001,
    root 0x187, subw 0x0, time 2127296, (-509,669), root:(457,698),
    state 0x10, keycode 37 (keysym 0xffe3, Control_L), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x3000001,
    root 0x187, subw 0x0, time 2127954, (-509,669), root:(457,698),
    state 0x14, keycode 37 (keysym 0xffe3, Control_L), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

Last edited by madeye (2007-07-10 17:19:56)

iDeJ · 2007-07-12 12:16:19

i've got the same problem here

I can kill sessions via CTRL+ALT+BKSP and navigate from vt1 to vt2 etc.., but not from X to any other terminals!
Global shortcuts don't seem to work either, might be a related problem!?

Output from xev for CTRL, ALT, F1

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    root 0x4c, subw 0x0, time 1772087, (-158,305), root:(878,360),
    state 0x4, keycode 37 (keysym 0xffe3, Control_L), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    root 0x4c, subw 0x0, time 1774643, (-158,305), root:(878,360),
    state 0x0, keycode 37 (keysym 0xffe3, Control_L), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    root 0x4c, subw 0x0, time 1774702, (-158,305), root:(878,360),
    state 0x4, keycode 37 (keysym 0xffe3, Control_L), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    root 0x4c, subw 0x0, time 1776252, (-158,305), root:(878,360),
    state 0x0, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    root 0x4c, subw 0x0, time 1776307, (-158,305), root:(878,360),
    state 0x8, keycode 64 (keysym 0xffe9, Alt_L), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    root 0x4c, subw 0x0, time 1776962, (-158,305), root:(878,360),
    state 0x0, keycode 67 (keysym 0xffbe, F1), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
    root 0x4c, subw 0x0, time 1777014, (-158,305), root:(878,360),
    state 0x0, keycode 67 (keysym 0xffbe, F1), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

and my xorg.conf

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "X.org Configured"
        Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
        InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
        RgbPath      "/usr/share/X11/rgb"
        ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/misc"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/TTF"
        FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/Type1"
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load  "extmod"
        Load  "dri"
        Load  "dbe"
        Load  "record"
        Load  "xtrap"
        Load  "freetype"
        Load  "type1"
        Load  "glx"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Keyboard0"
        Driver      "kbd"
        Option      "XkbRules"          "xfree86"
        Option      "XkbModel"          "pc105"
        Option      "XkbLayout" "uk"
        Option      "XkbOptions"        "grp:ctrl_shift_toggle"
        Option      "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Mouse0"
        Driver      "mouse"
        Option      "Protocol" "auto"
        Option      "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
        Option      "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        #DisplaySize      330   210     # mm
        Identifier   "Monitor0"
        VendorName   "SHP"
        ModelName    "139f"
EndSection

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Card0"
        Driver      "radeon"
        Option "AGPMode" "8"
        Option "EnablePageFlip" "1"
        Option "ColorTiling" "1"
        Option "UseFastTLS" "2"
        VendorName  "ATI Technologies Inc"
        BoardName   "Radeon R250 [Mobility FireGL 9000]"
        BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Card0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     1
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     4
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     8
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     15
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     16
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Viewport   0 0
                Depth     24
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "DRI"
         Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
        Option "DontVTSwitch" "False"
        Option "DontZap" "False"
EndSection

Kei · 2007-07-12 16:05:05

The same... switching works unless X is running. CTRL+ALT+BKSP kills X the normal way, ALT+N enters vty1 when kdm is displayed. However, like I said, nothing happens when I press CTRL+ALT+F? - not even a flackering screen. Every other combination with CTRL and ALT is working without any problems.

iDeJ, do you use kdemod? Which Xorg version are you using? What do you mean with "global shortcuts"?

iDeJ · 2007-07-12 17:48:36

i did some playing around and noticed that my KDE was set to an US Keyboard Layout, after changing that to GB i could switch to vt1 etc....
(these windows-like-klick-dialoges from KDE proved to be helpfull this time *g)

My xorg.conf was set to "uk" though, after changing
Option "XkbLayout" "uk"
to
Option "XkbLayout" "gb"
i noticed that xorg/startx was complaing about
Option "XkbVariant" "nodeadkeys"
but after removing that line everything worked as it should, even my beloved AmaroK Global Shortcuts

Maybe it's something similiar for you, my case is solved

mfg
Phil

*edit*
i still don't know why this made such a difference, i mean according to xev i pressed CTRL+ALT+F1 on both keyboard layouts!?

Last edited by iDeJ (2007-07-12 17:53:16)

Kei · 2007-07-12 19:40:45

I can't try it out at the moment, but when you mentioned XkbVariant I remembered that I have problems with this setting too. While I set up X on another ArchLinux computer with XkbLayout "de" and XkbVariant "latin1-nodeadkeys" without a problem, this won't work with this box. I checked the settings a few times, but there is no difference in xorg.conf
I will try to set up KDE's keyboard layout manager later, maybe it works for me too. But like you, Phil, I'm confused that CTRL+ALT combinations don't work initially with xorg.conf setup.

Hohoho · 2007-07-12 23:03:15

Had the same problem.
If you type xmodmap youll see all the modifiers currently set, and there youll see keycodes too. Thing is, Alt's keycode does not match with the one you get in xev.
I fixed this by adding this to /etc/X11/Xmodmap :

remove mod5 = 0xffea
add mod1 = 0xffea

Be sure to check the codes for yourself, cause im not really sure if theyre the same for everyone.

Edit: oh wait, i think the problem was that the Alt with correct keycode was in the wrong modifier group, and with those two lines you get it to the group it belongs.

Last edited by Hohoho (2007-07-12 23:05:14)

Arch Linux

#1 2007-07-09 16:07:48

Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#2 2007-07-09 16:27:54

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#3 2007-07-09 18:53:39

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#4 2007-07-09 19:25:46

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#5 2007-07-10 17:18:57

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#6 2007-07-12 12:16:19

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#7 2007-07-12 16:05:05

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#8 2007-07-12 17:48:36

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#9 2007-07-12 19:40:45

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

#10 2007-07-12 23:03:15

Re: Cannot switch to tty with CTRL+ALT+F?

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