You are not logged in.

#1 2018-11-10 07:20:40

dvyjns
Member
Registered: 2018-08-09
Posts: 3

Arch/i3 - VNC not capturing keyboard/keybindings

I'm connecting to a computer running Arch/i3wm with a computer running W10 but am having an issue getting my VNC session to capture my keyboard. I have the TigerVNC package installed and ran 'x0vncserver -display :0 -passwordfile ~/.vnc/passwd'. Everything connects fine and the mouse works but the keyboard wont work. Without the keyboard can't do much since I use keybinds for pretty much everything. I can't bring up the Rofi menu to run programs or terminal etc...

The issue is not limited to TigerVNC, I also tried RealVNC and NoMachine and had the exact same issue. Everything works great other than not being able to use keybinds.

On my W10 machine I tried all the different associated VNC viewers and it didn't make a difference which one or which settings I used.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Offline

#2 2018-11-10 14:18:39

twelveeighty
Member
From: Alberta, Canada
Registered: 2011-09-04
Posts: 1,096

Re: Arch/i3 - VNC not capturing keyboard/keybindings

To eliminate possible problems with the keyboard itself, try using the Windows on-screen keyboard to send key strokes to the VNC viewer instead of the physical keyboard. Do those keys register?

Offline

#3 2018-11-10 19:50:35

dvyjns
Member
Registered: 2018-08-09
Posts: 3

Re: Arch/i3 - VNC not capturing keyboard/keybindings

twelveeighty wrote:

To eliminate possible problems with the keyboard itself, try using the Windows on-screen keyboard to send key strokes to the VNC viewer instead of the physical keyboard. Do those keys register?

I tried moving they keyboard that works locally on the Arch machine over to my W10 machine and that keyboard didn't work either.

However, when I tried your suggestion using the Windows on-screen keyboard, that did work! The keys registered with the on-screen keyboard.

Thanks for the suggestion it was an interesting find but using the on-screen keyboard isn't ideal as a long term solution. Anything else I can try in order to get keys to register with the keyboard itself over VNC?

The keyboards work locally on the Arch machine and the W10 on-screen keyboard works over VNC.

Edit: Actually it looks like the keyboard does work, just not the keybindings that use the Windows Key (eg. $mod+Return to open terminal) So that narrows things down. I can probably just change the MOD key to ALT rather than Windows Key but would rather the Windows Key just work since I'm accustomed to using it.

Last edited by dvyjns (2018-11-10 20:42:44)

Offline

#4 2018-11-11 15:50:15

twelveeighty
Member
From: Alberta, Canada
Registered: 2011-09-04
Posts: 1,096

Re: Arch/i3 - VNC not capturing keyboard/keybindings

It's possible that there is a setting that allows you to "send" the Windows key and not have it "consumed" by the hosting OS. Or, in some cases, the 2nd Windows key on the right of the keyboard registers, but not the more commonly used one on the left side of the keyboard.

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB