[SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

scippie · 2024-01-18 22:16:34

I've had this issue for years (can't remember exactly, but it is a long time now). It started with a Steam update at some point.
Since then, I am not able to type the ' character and several others (and several other characters) in Steam. It used to work (but it never worked in the game overlay mode).

I use the US-INTL keyboard layout. I have dead keys (I think that's what it is called: if I press the '-key, the system waits for more input because it can be used to type áéíóú and things like that), and I guess Steam can't handle it.

Anyone else here with this issue? Is there a solution? Because Valve doesn't seem to want to fix it.

Update: the issue has finally been fixed by Steam.

Last edited by scippie (2024-02-28 22:34:34)

seth · 2024-01-18 22:32:08

right Alt + ' should™ still give you "'" ?

scippie · 2024-01-19 06:39:54

seth wrote:

right Alt + ' should™ still give you "'" ?

Hey, yeah, I didn't know that! Thanks for the tip!

seth · 2024-01-19 09:03:55

It's a bit weird that steam can't handle deadkeys properly, do you use any kind of https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Input_method ?

scippie · 2024-01-19 09:10:13

seth wrote:

It's a bit weird that steam can't handle deadkeys properly, do you use any kind of https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Input_method ?

No, certainly not.
I actually left everything keyboard and language related unchanged after installing Arch, kept it on the default US, default UTF-8, ...

I use this in my qtile config to switch to US-INTL:

wl_input_rules = {
        "type:keyboard": InputConfig(kb_layout='us', kb_variant='intl', kb_repeat_delay=250, kb_repeat_rate=35),
}

If you wonder, I don't think it is qtile related, because I had the same issue on i3, and I must check again, but I think also on Gnome.

seth · 2024-01-19 09:46:49

The dead key handling happens mostly in the client (which is why I wondered about an IM library) and the input is generally independent from the locale or the WM.
What does pressing the key twice resp. it and then space actually generate in steam?
And does this apply to all steam or only the browser or only (some) game?

scippie · 2024-01-19 09:51:09

seth wrote:

What does pressing the key twice resp. it and then space actually generate in steam?

Pressing the ' key does simply nothing. If I then press space, I get a space.

seth wrote:

And does this apply to all steam or only the browser or only (some) game?

This is in the Steam forum, but I have noticed in everything where I need to type text in Steam (review, refund reason, ...). I guess it's all the same browser behind it.

scippie · 2024-02-28 22:34:07

Came back specifically to mark this post as solved as with the Steam update I just received today, the problem is finally fixed. I should have complained here sooner? ;-)

arnx · 2024-03-03 16:22:11

scippie wrote:

Came back specifically to mark this post as solved as with the Steam update I just received today, the problem is finally fixed. I should have complained here sooner? ;-)

Hi there,
I have been following this post for a while now, because I have ( and have been having) the same issue.
Could you please elaborate on the Steam update? Which version of Proton are you using? could it be related to that?

I installed the steam package, following this Article: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/steam
According to this: https://archlinux.org/packages/?name=steam the steam multilib package is version 1.0.0.78-2 has not been updated since 2023-09-20.

Thus, updating my packages did not change anything about dead keys not being recognized.

scippie · 2024-03-03 18:40:59

arnx wrote:

Thus, updating my packages did not change anything about dead keys not being recognized.

That's weird. I got the update automatically when I started Steam the day or the day before I posted this.
It is in my experience that from time to time, starting up Steam takes a bit longer, some atypical window pops up and an update is being installed. This is what happened then.

Maybe the updates are not sent out to everyone (or every country or whatever parameters they use) at the same time and you simply have to wait a couple of days?

It has nothing to do with Proton afaik.
Also, I think installing the Steam package from the repo is not the software you start up. The first time you install the package, you also get a big download of the software, so I think the Steam package only contains a proprietary Steam installer.

Last edited by scippie (2024-03-03 18:42:58)

Arch Linux

#1 2024-01-18 22:16:34

[SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#2 2024-01-18 22:32:08

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#3 2024-01-19 06:39:54

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#4 2024-01-19 09:03:55

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#5 2024-01-19 09:10:13

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#6 2024-01-19 09:46:49

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#7 2024-01-19 09:51:09

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#8 2024-02-28 22:34:07

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#9 2024-03-03 16:22:11

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

#10 2024-03-03 18:40:59

Re: [SOLVED] Can't type characters like ' in Steam

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