Broken Alt (left Alt) key in Xorg/Fluxbox

LekiM · 2017-01-22 23:39:39

Dear y'all,

I'm a newb, but not completely lost so I'm posting this here. But having just installed my first Arch system, only one real issue has shown up: My left Alt key does not work correctly in console. In fact, I cannot change the keymap at all. When I try to set the keymap with the usual commands nothing changes. The output from standard Alt- key combos necessary for emacs instead gives European or other characters, for example:

Alt-X : ø
Alt-W : ÷

,,, and so on. The same output happens with the right Alt key, but that's not a problem.
Here some examples:

èäé÷è÷éåêððìóëèóçóäç

just to demonstrate.

From what I've been able to learn, the keymap is a US-international combination but that's NOT what I have in my configs.
Secondly, it only happens in an X session (Fluxbox) consoles (not other apps), and does not happen in a run-level 4 (no X).

It happens in both root and regular user accounts.

Details:
System76 Orxy laptop

# more /etc/vconsole.conf
KEYMAP=us
-----
# setxkbmap -print -verbose 10
Setting verbose level to 10
locale is C
Trying to load rules file ./rules/evdev...
Trying to load rules file /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev...
Success.
Applied rules from evdev:
rules:      evdev
model:      pc105
layout:     us
Trying to build keymap using the following components:
keycodes:   evdev+aliases(qwerty)
types:      complete
compat:     complete
symbols:    pc+us+inet(evdev)
geometry:   pc(pc105)
xkb_keymap {
        xkb_keycodes  { include "evdev+aliases(qwerty)" };
        xkb_types     { include "complete"      };
        xkb_compat    { include "complete"      };
        xkb_symbols   { include "pc+us+inet(evdev)"     };
        xkb_geometry  { include "pc(pc105)"     };
};

and XEV shows the correct keycodes:
Alt_L, 64
Alt_R, 106

So, needless to say I'm lost. Any assistance would be great.

Last edited by LekiM (2017-01-22 23:41:43)

Steef435 · 2017-01-23 00:03:53

Welcome!

LekiM wrote:

From what I've been able to learn, the keymap is a US-international combination but that's NOT what I have in my configs.

What layout do you want to set / do you have in your configs? Have you seen the wiki page? Note that keyboard layout for the virtual console and X are configured separately.

If it only happens in graphical terminal emulators (and no other X app like a text editor), I'd start suspecting the emulator and shell. What emulator and shell are you using? What's the content of the TERM variable inside your emulator? (run "echo $TERM")

EDIT: I read Fluxbox, but just in case: note that DEs tend to do wicked things when it comes to settings like this. If you use a big DE like GNOME or KDE you'll have to dive into their configuration system.

Last edited by Steef435 (2017-01-23 00:06:22)

LekiM · 2017-01-23 00:16:38

Hi Steef435, thanks for the reply.
To answer your question: I'd like to have a standard QWERTY keyboard with US map. And this is what I'd tried to set up.
I've been thru the Wiki several times (though I'm 1st to admit I would miss something).
The terminal is simply "XTerm" and that is the output of the env var TERM, as well.

 $ echo $TERM
xterm

Lastly, I am only using FluxBox with no DE.

Steef435 · 2017-01-23 00:21:57

I'm afraid (well, hopeful in the solving sense) that you'll have some admitting to do

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xt … _emulators

LekiM · 2017-01-23 01:28:11

Ha! Dang.
Xorg might have been the only place I didn't look! And I spent hours... I guess I am just a noob. And that learning to use the the documentation is as important a skill as any in this realm. None the less, this solution does not work. So, I'll just use another emulator.
Thanks for the help, Steef435

seth · 2017-01-23 21:50:02

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xt … _emulators

Arch Linux

#1 2017-01-22 23:39:39

Broken Alt (left Alt) key in Xorg/Fluxbox

#2 2017-01-23 00:03:53

Re: Broken Alt (left Alt) key in Xorg/Fluxbox

#3 2017-01-23 00:16:38

Re: Broken Alt (left Alt) key in Xorg/Fluxbox

#4 2017-01-23 00:21:57

Re: Broken Alt (left Alt) key in Xorg/Fluxbox

#5 2017-01-23 01:28:11

Re: Broken Alt (left Alt) key in Xorg/Fluxbox

#6 2017-01-23 21:50:02

Re: Broken Alt (left Alt) key in Xorg/Fluxbox

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