Keyboard getting "stuck"

iavr · 2024-07-03 16:52:46

Since yesterday, I've been having the problem that my keyboard gets "stuck": whatever key I last pressed keeps repeating as if I were holding the key down and it becomes completely unresponsive to any further key presses.

- I'm using X11 (xorg-server 21.1.13-1) with IceWM (icewm 3.6.0-1).
- Switching focus to another X11 window does not fix the problem, it still acts like the key is pressed.
- The mouse still works as expected.
- It's happened to me twice since yesterday; I've been using it without a problem for months before that. My last pacman update before that was on 6/30.
- Both times, it happened while using a qemu virtual machine via looking-glass (although likewise, I've been using that without a problem for a long time prior to that; I do not see any qemu/libvirt/looking-glass updates on 6/30).

When it happens, I've ended up rebooting because I don't have control of the terminal to do anything more useful than that. The system logs don't show anything at the time that it happened.

Does anyone have any ideas where the problem might be coming from, or at the very least, how I might be able to reclaim control of the keyboard if it happens again?

cryptearth · 2024-07-03 18:27:13

first guess: hardware fault
grab 10 bucks and buy a k120

iavr · 2024-07-03 22:58:25

first guess: hardware fault
grab 10 bucks and buy a k120

Laptop keyboard, so that would be an unhappy outcome if it is in fact what is happening.

seth · 2024-07-04 15:05:44

Grab grml.org, run that - if the problem exists there as well, a hardware problem becomes more likely.
Does squeeze-rotating the stuck key around a bit allow you to release it?
Is it specific keys, some pattern or completely random?

iavr · 2024-07-05 22:22:34

Thank you for the suggestion of using a livecd. The problem right now is that I don't know how to reproduce it. It's happened to me a total of two times, and not at all since opening this topic.

It was two different keys (the 'a' key and the backspace), using two different programs (mundane stuff like typing an email) within the same VM, though the effect persisted outside of the VM, and even to the console after I killed X11. Come to think of it, that last bit might be noteworthy, since it may rule out an X11 or window manager issue.

There's nothing obvious physically wrong with the keyboard, and in both cases it went back to normal on reboot.

seth · 2024-07-06 19:01:14

The reboot would reset the key state (ie. the key forgets that it's pressed)
What is the host of the VMs? Windows? Linux as well?
It could be a stupid autorepeat bug that manifests as repetitive key events on the VM - you'll have to investigate the cause on the host.

iavr · 2024-07-09 04:28:43

It's Windows.

seth · 2024-07-09 05:47:27

No idea to inspect the input conditions on windows - my best suggestion would be to boot some live distro on bare metal and see whether it happens there as well.
If yes, it's the HW. If not, it's windows.

Arch Linux

#1 2024-07-03 16:52:46

Keyboard getting "stuck"

#2 2024-07-03 18:27:13

Re: Keyboard getting "stuck"

#3 2024-07-03 22:58:25

Re: Keyboard getting "stuck"

#4 2024-07-04 15:05:44

Re: Keyboard getting "stuck"

#5 2024-07-05 22:22:34

Re: Keyboard getting "stuck"

#6 2024-07-06 19:01:14

Re: Keyboard getting "stuck"

#7 2024-07-09 04:28:43

Re: Keyboard getting "stuck"

#8 2024-07-09 05:47:27

Re: Keyboard getting "stuck"

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