[SOLVED] xserver 1.5 and KDE 4 keymaps - strange behavior

Question

I apologize if this has already been addressed, but I have read every thread about this I can find, and the wiki page, and I can't find a solution.
I use a standard US keyboard (it's a laptop), but with the Dvorak keymap.  Most things work fine, except for any Ctrl-Alt combinations.  For example, ctrl-alt-left is detected as D.   ctrl-alt-right is C,  ctrl-alt-up is A, and ctrl-alt-down is B.  These are my shortcuts for switching desktops, so I use them constantly.  The Windows key works perfectly, as do ctrl-shift sequences.
There's no problem in the VTs, and in xev, all the keys are detected normally.  I've also discovered that I can temporarily fix the problem by going into system settings, unsetting a shortcut, than resetting it, but this only lasts for that one session.  The next time I start KDE, the problem returns.   
I have removed my input devices from xorg.conf after upgrading to xserver 1.5, and in KDE system settings I've set it to Evdev-managed keyboard, with the us map and dvorak variant.  My /etc/hal/fdi/policy/10-keymap.fdi is as follows:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <!-- -*- SGML -*- -->
<deviceinfo version="0.2">
<device>
<match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.keymap">
<append key="info.callouts.add" type="strlist">hal-setup-keymap</append>
</match>
<match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.keys">
<merge key="input.xkb.rules" type="string">base</merge>
<!-- If we're using Linux, we use evdev by default (falling back to
keyboard otherwise). -->
<merge key="input.xkb.model" type="string">keyboard</merge>
<match key="/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer:system.kernel.name"
string="Linux">
<merge key="input.xkb.model" type="string">evdev</merge>
</match>
<merge key="input.xkb.layout" type="string">dvorak</merge>
<!-- <merge key="input.xkb.model" type="string">pc105</merge> -->
<!-- <merge key="input.xkb.options" type="string">altwin:super_win</merge> -->
<!-- <merge key="input.xkb.variant" type="string">dvorak</merge> -->
</match>
</device>
</deviceinfo>
The 3 lines that I've commented out at the end have been on and off at various times - makes no difference.  I've also noticed that in Xorg.0.log, there are 4 keyboards detected and enabled by HAL, as you can see here:
(II) config/hal: Adding input device Video Bus
(II) LoadModule: "evdev"
(II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input//evdev_drv.so
(II) Module evdev: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
compiled for 1.5.2, module version = 2.0.7
Module class: X.Org XInput Driver
ABI class: X.Org XInput driver, version 2.1
(**) Video Bus: always reports core events
(**) Video Bus: Device: "/dev/input/event7"
(II) Video Bus: Found keys
(II) Video Bus: Configuring as keyboard
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Video Bus" (type: KEYBOARD)
(**) Option "xkb_rules" "base"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_rules: "base"
(**) Option "xkb_model" "evdev"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_model: "evdev"
(**) Option "xkb_layout" "dvorak"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_layout: "dvorak"
(II) config/hal: Adding input device Video Bus
(**) Video Bus: always reports core events
(**) Video Bus: Device: "/dev/input/event6"
(II) Video Bus: Found keys
(II) Video Bus: Configuring as keyboard
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Video Bus" (type: KEYBOARD)
(**) Option "xkb_rules" "base"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_rules: "base"
(**) Option "xkb_model" "evdev"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_model: "evdev"
(**) Option "xkb_layout" "dvorak"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_layout: "dvorak"
(II) config/hal: Adding input device Video Bus
(**) Video Bus: always reports core events
(**) Video Bus: Device: "/dev/input/event5"
(II) Video Bus: Found keys
(II) Video Bus: Configuring as keyboard
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Video Bus" (type: KEYBOARD)
(**) Option "xkb_rules" "base"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_rules: "base"
(**) Option "xkb_model" "evdev"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_model: "evdev"
(**) Option "xkb_layout" "dvorak"
(**) Video Bus: xkb_layout: "dvorak"
(II) config/hal: Adding input device AT Translated Set 2 keyboard
(**) AT Translated Set 2 keyboard: always reports core events
(**) AT Translated Set 2 keyboard: Device: "/dev/input/event1"
(II) AT Translated Set 2 keyboard: Found keys
(II) AT Translated Set 2 keyboard: Configuring as keyboard
(II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "AT Translated Set 2 keyboard" (type: KEYBOARD)
(**) Option "xkb_rules" "base"
(**) AT Translated Set 2 keyboard: xkb_rules: "base"
(**) Option "xkb_model" "evdev"
(**) AT Translated Set 2 keyboard: xkb_model: "evdev"
(**) Option "xkb_layout" "dvorak"
(**) AT Translated Set 2 keyboard: xkb_layout: "dvorak"
Any ideas are welcome...I'm totally stumped!!
Last edited by noahsark1126 (2008-12-03 05:32:59)

Answer 1

cameel wrote:
Executing   
setxkbmap -model evdev
brings things back to normality.
I don't know, however, whether it is a bug in KDE (I am using KDEmod 3.5.10) or in xkeyboard-config package which provides setxkbmap and its config files - in particular /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/inet which contains definitions for keyboard models.
I don't think this is a bug in KDE, as this fixed a problem I was having with xmodmap on Openbox.
If I used xmodmap to remap my Caps Lock key to Ctrl in my openbox startup scripts, odd things happen to my keymap (Super key stops working, left arrow key stops repeating, etc).  Running setxkbmap before xmodmap seems to fix everything.
Thanks!
Last edited by tom5760 (2008-12-06 02:22:16)