xvkbd "cannot convert string to type FontStruct"

sphaso · 2014-01-21 21:07:12

Hi,
I'm trying to emulate some keys combinations without much success. Whenever I run xvkbd that's the output:

[sphaso@sphaso ~]$ xvkbd -xsendevent -text "\[F11]"
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-lucidatypewriter-bold-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-bold-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-medium-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-medium-r-*-*-10-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct

And of course nothing happens.

I've looked far and wide without much success. In the Arch forum I've found:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=80061
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=119636

but they seem unrelated (see last two lines of their error messages, which are absent from mine).

I wonder if anyone has any clue to point me in the right direction? If so, thanks a lot!

skanky · 2014-01-22 11:55:53

Have you found this page?
I might be useful.

Here's the full home, for reference: http://homepage3.nifty.com/tsato/xvkbd/

If the FAQ doesn't answer the issue, try running with -debug.

sphaso · 2014-01-22 18:35:11

Hi skanky, thanks for your advice.
I'm actually starting to think that the warning and the failed binding are unrelated. See what happens when I run with -debug:

[sphaso@sphaso ~]$ xvkbd -xsendevent -text "hello" -debug
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-lucidatypewriter-bold-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-bold-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-medium-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-medium-r-*-*-10-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
xvkbd (v3.5), compiled Jul 15 2013
xvkbd: found ISO_Level3_Shift at 7th modifier
xvkbd: found Mode_switch at 7th modifier
xvkbd: both ISO_Level3_Shift and Mode_switch found
xvkbd: assuming ISO_Level3_Shift=0x80, Mode_switch=0x2000
SendKeyPressedEvent: focus=0x2400007, key=0x68 (h), shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: keysym=0x68, keycode=43, shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: focus=0x2400007, key=0x65 (e), shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: keysym=0x65, keycode=26, shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: focus=0x2400007, key=0x6C (l), shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: keysym=0x6c, keycode=46, shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: focus=0x2400007, key=0x6C (l), shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: keysym=0x6c, keycode=46, shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: focus=0x2400007, key=0x6F (o), shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: keysym=0x6f, keycode=32, shift=0x0

It seems that xvkbd is sending the correct signals, except nothing happens. In the case of "F11" I was expecting for the window of the terminal to go full screen, but of course it didn't. Am I getting something wrong?

skanky · 2014-01-22 21:14:15

Yes, I think it is a separate issue.

You should try and use the -window option to direct the event to the right window. See http://homepage3.nifty.com/tsato/xvkbd/#option
It's a bit of a pain that there's no man page and you have to go to a web page to see the options, but it's a helpful website.

sphaso · 2014-01-23 05:43:54

Hi skanky. Using the window option doesn't seem to change much:

(I edited out some parts in which it simply cycles through each window I had opened)

[sphaso@sphaso ~]$ xvkbd -xsendevent -window *terminal* -text "\[F11]" -debug
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-lucidatypewriter-bold-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-bold-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-medium-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
Warning: Cannot convert string "-*-helvetica-medium-r-*-*-10-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1" to type FontStruct
xvkbd (v3.5), compiled Jul 15 2013
...
FindWindow: id=0x1000080
FindWindow: id=0xC11CA3
FindWindow: id=0x2400006 instance="gnome-terminal-server" class="Gnome-terminal" title="sphaso@sphaso:~" [matched]
xvkbd: found ISO_Level3_Shift at 7th modifier
xvkbd: found Mode_switch at 7th modifier
xvkbd: both ISO_Level3_Shift and Mode_switch found
xvkbd: assuming ISO_Level3_Shift=0x80, Mode_switch=0x2000
KeyPressed: key=F11, widget=0
SendKeyPressedEvent: focus=0x2400006, key=0xFFC8 (?), shift=0x0
SendKeyPressedEvent: keysym=0xffc8, keycode=95, shift=0x0
Set input focus to window 0x2400006 (0x2400006)
Set input focus to window 0x2400006 (0x2400006)

The reason I have behind trying to do this is to use voice control. Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_9Sav14FBc
At 1:42 you can see he's launching these same commands with success. He's using the "-secure" option but it doesn't change anything in my case.

sphaso · 2014-01-23 05:53:34

Nevermind, I've just read that the terminal doesn't accept xsendevents unless you flag out an option. I switched to xdotool which does the job flawlessly.

Thanks a lot skanky

skanky · 2014-01-23 10:06:14

No problem. That looks quite cool.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-01-21 21:07:12

xvkbd "cannot convert string to type FontStruct"

#2 2014-01-22 11:55:53

Re: xvkbd "cannot convert string to type FontStruct"

#3 2014-01-22 18:35:11

Re: xvkbd "cannot convert string to type FontStruct"

#4 2014-01-22 21:14:15

Re: xvkbd "cannot convert string to type FontStruct"

#5 2014-01-23 05:43:54

Re: xvkbd "cannot convert string to type FontStruct"

#6 2014-01-23 05:53:34

Re: xvkbd "cannot convert string to type FontStruct"

#7 2014-01-23 10:06:14

Re: xvkbd "cannot convert string to type FontStruct"

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