Arch Linux

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

[Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

It was working fine until yesterday afternoon. I tried the suggestion to remap it in Gnome Tweaks, then remap it back, but it did not help. https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=253889

I have also Googled the problem several times. I find many hits, but no useful fix. I have tried using Win+a and Win+s, to no effect.

Gnome is close to useless without the Super key. The only thing I have found that still works is the "hot corner". Also, I have only ever used the US keyboard map.

Last edited by ratcheer (2020-09-11 01:31:45)

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

Is this normal? I have tried running xev to see whether the Super key is even detected. xev demands to know the display. When I run "echo $DISPLAY", it returns nothing.

I am running pure X, started from startx under my normal user id. AFAIK, no Wayland has been installed.

This is a fresh Arch installation as of Tuesday morning, two days ago.

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 50,977

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

The default DISPLAY would be ":0.0", but this doesn't sound like X11 or it sounds like your xinitrc is broken (link in signature, 2nd blue note)
In doubt post the output of "loginctl session-status" and your xinitrc.

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ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

Everything I check doesn’t pan out.

On the outside chance that it is a hardware problem, I switched to my old keyboard. No difference. Not only that, the new keyboard is USB, the old one is PS2.

So, if it’s a software or configuration problem, reinstallation of Arch should clear it. I reformatted the partitions and did a full reinstallation. The problem persists.

I’m even trying awesome wm instead of Gnome. Still no dice.

I have no idea what is going on. I’m going to try xmodmap to use another key that I hope is working. But this whole thing is absurd.

Last edited by ratcheer (2020-09-11 00:19:21)

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

Here is the loginctl output from awesome wm

http://ix.io/2x8L

Last edited by ratcheer (2020-09-11 00:34:10)

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

I’m in over my head with xmodmap. I want to remap Alt_L to Super_L, but Alt_L and Alt_R seem to be a tightly coupled pair. Can I clear mod1, map mod4 to 64, and map mod1 back to just 108?

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

This gets even weirder. I’m studying how to change the xmodmap, but I haven’t changed a single thing. All of a sudden, both Super keys are working, again. But I don’t know how I can trust it.

I’m marking the thread resolved, but no solution was really found.

seth

Member

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 50,977

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

If it re-surfaces, get xev running (DISPLAY should™ be exported in a sane session, otherwise run "xev -display :0.0"
If it's eg. grabbed by some (dead) global shortcut, you'll just get KeymapNotify and FocusOut/In events on pressing the key

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How to upload text · How to boot w/o GUI · Disable Windows Fast-Start! · Fix your xinitrc

ratcheer

Member

Registered: 2011-10-09

Posts: 912

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

Thank you, @seth

johnjohnlys

Member

From: Taiwan

Registered: 2020-04-28

Posts: 11

Re: [Resolved] Super key stopped working in Gnome

[EDIT] Sorry, after one-day investigation, I find that there is an interesting button on my Logitech keyboard, it disables the Windows key when pressed.

I am using KDE and notice that the Win/Windows/Meta/Super key does not work anymore. Under KDE, Windows+E opens dolphin but after a recent update it does not work anymore. While my $DISPLAY is set to :0 correctly, xev shows nothing.

I am still figuring out what causes this problem, so can @ratcheer help reopen this problem again, thanks.

Last edited by johnjohnlys (2020-09-15 02:17:56)