Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

Areoform · 2025-05-26 04:14:04

Terminator includes default keybinds such as Super+R to rotate terminals around the window, but unfortunately these simply print characters in the terminal (e.g. Meta+R prints 'r'). This symptom is true of all Super+[key] keybinds within Terminator.

I can successfully use these functions if I keybind them to something else, e.g. Alt+R, and I can manually set the Meta+R keybind from within the application successfully, which displays it as Super+R as expected in both the UI and config file $home/.config/terminator/config

I've tested a handful of apps on my system, both native Wayland and running under XWayland, where I can successfully set and use Meta/Super+[key] keybinds (e.g. Kate, War Thunder)

I've confirmed there are no default DE keybinds creating conflicts, e.g. KDE Spectacle's default Meta+R or KDE Application Launcher's Meta - I even tried removing all DE keybinds possible through the Settings UI. To my knowledge the hidden Meta keybind to Application Launcher no longer exists in Plasma. Plasma 5.27 and 6.3 on other installs with default keybinds using Meta don't block these Terminator functions anyway.

Confirmed working on:
- Plasma 5.27.11 (Kubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish) with Terminator version 2.1.1-1 from repo jammy
- Kubuntu 25.04 Plucky Puffin live ISO with Terminator version 2.1.4-4 from repo plucky.
- Contributing developer confirms 2.1.4 is functioning as expected on Debian system, the same version I initially experienced symptoms in after fresh Arch install
- Toolybird confirms functioning as expected in a fresh Arch install with XFCE4 once default DE keybinds have been removed, is adamant this is a DE issue

I just don't get how Super+[key] works for DE binds and every piece of software I've tested, including the keybinds menu in Terminator preferences, but at the command line Terminator doesn't seem to react to Meta at all.

I'm assuming it's a Plasma issue or a quirk of my install (I can find no similar reports), but it's a fresh install with a pretty boring config. Any ideas on how to debug?

seth · 2025-05-26 06:50:23

plasma on wayland or x11 and does it make a difference?
What's running inside terminator? Bash or some multiplexer like tmux or gnu screen?
How does

terminator -e cat

behave?

Areoform · 2025-05-27 09:26:00

Plasma running a default Wayland session initiated from TTY at login with /usr/lib/plasma-dbus-run-session-if-needed /usr/bin/startplasma-wayland (I have not installed a login/session manager like SDDM)
Am I correct in thinking I can install Xorg with packages xorg xf86-video-amdgpu and it will autoconfigure when I install/start session with startx /usr/bin/startplasma-x11, and to remove it cleanly including system config files I can pacman -Rns xorg xf86-video-amdgpu?
First Arch installation in a decade and I'd rather not get myself in to package hell so soon.
Terminator is running a bash shell directly, and terminator -e cat pops a new shell which behaves identically.

I'm starting to wonder if it's a locale/layout issue if this terminal emulator is the only software not interpreting my input as expected - I followed the wiki carefully to enable my locales (en_GB.UTF-8, ga_IE.UTF-8) during installation (including en_US.UTF-8 as fallback).
localectl status reports:

System Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
VC Keymap: uk
X11 Layout: (unset)

and /etc/vconsole.conf contains KEYMAP=uk while /etc/locale.conf contains LANG=en_GB.UTF-8.
I'm using the Windows UK Extended layout, set in Plasma settings, for easy access to diacritics, but the problem behaviour is identical when I switch it to a standard UK layout.

Feel free to correct any of my language, I'm a little rusty.

seth · 2025-05-27 13:21:39

You don't even need xf86-video-amdgpu, but xorg-server. X11 will autoconfigure, yes. You're actively discouraged from manual configuration attempts.
But postpone that until we've sorted out the below.

terminator -e cat pops a new shell which behaves identically.

The command is supposed to open a terminal that runs cat, not a shell?

Is terminator an xwayland client? https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Waylan … plications
Terminator is a VTE3 wrapper => how do konsole/kitty/alacritty (non-vte terminals) or otoh eg. tilda (also vte3 client) behave?

Areoform · 2025-05-27 16:31:21

Apologies, I was a little sleep deprived.
terminator -e cat from an existing Terminator process spawns a new window with the same /usr/bin/bash with a blinking text cursor and no typical prompt line, indicating cat executed successfully (I've never tried running cat with no arguments before). Unlike running cat with no arguments in the parent window I cannot stop the process with Ctrl+Z, it just waits for input.

In Kwin Debug console Wayland Windows are grouped together and X11 Windows running under XWayland are grouped together separately - confirmed with some known Wayland/XWayland apps I have installed. Terminator is in the Wayland Windows category.

Konsole respects Meta+R as a custom bind to open new tabs. Tilda also respects setting Meta+R as a keybind for fullscreen.
Just thought I'd affirm that Terminator is using the stock config file and I didn't bring any custom configs with me to this installation.

seth · 2025-05-27 20:26:34

Unlike running cat with no arguments in the parent window I cannot stop the process with Ctrl+Z, it just waits for input.

The more interesting question (ctrl+z cannot work because there's no shell would be whether Meta+R also just prints "r" there but from the other tests I'm gonna say "likely" - this seems like a Terminator bug, https://github.com/gnome-terminator/terminator/issues/
nb. that there're two meta/super keys(super_ and super_r, the windows keys) - did you test both?
(super_r might be fn+super_l on a notebook keyboard)

Areoform · 2025-05-28 14:13:45

I'm aware that there are two Super keys, Super_L and Super_R, I'm on a full size keyboard with two physical 'Windows' keys. I had tested both and noted identical behaviour - both simply print characters. However, you got me thinking.

I'd thought to check the actual scan codes being generated before learning that we live in the future now and things work differently under Wayland - I must use wev. What I found was a little disconcerting (although maybe it's just how Wayland/Kwin's implementation works, I'm quite ignorant in this matter): having Meta bound to KDE's Application Launcher does change things, although it does not change the problem behaviour.

I tested as follows:
- execute wev -f wl_keyboard (with no arguments the output is very dense and includes many mouse/Window events)
- execute the following inputs in one long sequence, pressing and releasing each key every time it is named:

Super_L Super_L
Super_R Super_R
Super_L Super_R
Super_R Super_L

With KDE Application Launcher bound to Meta the output suggests I input:

Super_L (press) Super_L (release)
Super_R (press) Super_R (release)
Super_L (press) Super_L (release)
Super_R (press) Super_R (release)

With KDE Application Launcher NOT bound to Meta the output (correctly) suggests I input:

Super_L (press) Super_L (release) Super_L (press) Super_L (release)
Super_R (press) Super_R (release) Super_R (press) Super_R (release)
Super_L (press) Super_L (release) Super_R (press) Super_R (release)
Super_R (press) Super_R (release) Super_L (press) Super_L (release)

In all cases the (expected?) modifiers event looked like so:

#This is a press
[14:     wl_keyboard] modifiers: serial: 0; group: 16
                      depressed: 00000040: Mod4
                      latched: 00000000
                      locked: 00000010: Mod2
#This is a release
[14:     wl_keyboard] modifiers: serial: 0; group: 16
                      depressed: 00000000
                      latched: 00000000
                      locked: 00000010: Mod2

I'm assuming this is known behaviour for the compositor so that Application Launcher is not left hanging open if you open it with right Super+L but try to close it with Super+R? From what I understand there is a limit to using Mod keys like Super separately due to DBus(?) having a hardcoded limit of 4.

Either way, my keyboard doesn't seem to be doing anything funky. Here is a fuller log of the keyboard events if you'd care to view it directly.

Given the actual problematic behaviour cannot be replicated in non-VTE nor VTE terminal emulators (Tilda) under the same compositor, am I right in thinking this really is an upstream problem with Terminator?

I'm tempted to try to replicate the problem once more on a fresh install to a USB drive if I have the free time - it would be great if someone else using Plasma on Arch could attempt replication, it just requires installing Terminator, splitting the window twice (vertically then horizontally with Ctrl+Shift+E, Ctrl+Shift+O) and attempting rotation with Super+R.

Last edited by Areoform (2025-05-28 14:14:57)

seth · 2025-05-28 14:59:14

Given the actual problematic behaviour cannot be replicated in non-VTE nor VTE terminal emulators (Tilda) under the same compositor, am I right in thinking this really is an upstream problem with Terminator?

seth wrote:

this seems like a Terminator bug, https://github.com/gnome-terminator/terminator/issues/

"Yup"

As for the krunner specific behavior, that's likely just some special casing to be able to use the super key(s) as modifiers and shortcuts - depending on whether press a second key before the release.
KDE had such feature on X11 (some ksuperkey daemon iirc) and https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/x86_64/xcape/ does that as well.

Areoform · 2025-05-28 17:59:53

Okie dokie, thanks for your patient help.

I've created a bug report upstream, I'll leave a link here in case any poor soul finds themself in the same situation: https://github.com/gnome-terminator/ter … ssues/1008

Arch Linux

#1 2025-05-26 04:14:04

Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

#2 2025-05-26 06:50:23

Re: Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

#3 2025-05-27 09:26:00

Re: Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

#4 2025-05-27 13:21:39

Re: Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

#5 2025-05-27 16:31:21

Re: Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

#6 2025-05-27 20:26:34

Re: Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

#7 2025-05-28 14:13:45

Re: Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

#8 2025-05-28 14:59:14

Re: Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

#9 2025-05-28 17:59:53

Re: Terminator only prints character when using Super keybinds

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