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12 Replies Last post: Feb 17, 2009 9:25 PM by Agasfer

Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10 posted: Nov 4, 2008 11:54 AM

DavidKahn

17 posts since
Aug 4, 2007

Host: Ubuntu AMD64, 8.10

Client: Windows XP Professional

Ctrl-Alt-Del now shrinks the guest O/S's window and gives up keyboard focus, because Ctrl-Alt is the command to give up focus. This is a minor inconvenience, though it does force me to use VMware Worstation rather than the VMware Player.

The arrow keys no longer work within Windows. The down-arrow key open's Window's "Start" menu.

Shift-Ctrl-C and Shift-Ctrl-V no longer work in Linux Terminal windows (this was true under Hardy, but was ignorable)

Probably more.

There's an article on keyboard mapping, but it ends with Workstation 5.5, and most of the links to additional information do not seem to work.

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

1. Nov 4, 2008 10:39 AM

in response to: DavidKahn

Teejeaux

34 posts since
Mar 8, 2006

I seem to be having the same problem with my keyboard. The arrow keys don't work, the delete/insert/home/end/pgup/pgdn keys don't work, and the same as the other guy, the down arrow opens the start menu. Does anyone else seem to be having this issue?

Host: Ubuntu 8.10

VM Workstation: 6.5

Guest: Windows XP

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

2. Nov 4, 2008 11:33 AM

in response to: DavidKahn

BassKozz

53 posts since
Dec 17, 2007

Having the same problems...

I recenlty upgraded from Ubuntu Hardy (8.04) to Intrepid (8.10), and I
am noticing some wierd keyboard issues with my VMs after the upgrade.

The main problem I am having is that my arrow keys (up,down,left,right) aren't working...
When I press up: the VM thinks I am pressing "Print Screen"
When I press down: the VM thinks I am pressing the windows key (start menu pops up)
When I press right: nothing happens
When I press left: the VM thinks I am pressing "Alt"

When I press the actual windows key, nothing happens.

---
VMware Workstation v6.5.0 build-118166
Host OS: Ubuntu 8.10 (64bit)
Guest OS: WinXP Sp3 (32bit)

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

3. Nov 4, 2008 11:46 AM

in response to: BassKozz

Teejeaux

34 posts since
Mar 8, 2006

Try this. Add the following code to your /etc/vmware/config file:

xkeymap.keycode.108 = 0x138 # Alt_R
xkeymap.keycode.106 = 0x135 # KP_Divide
xkeymap.keycode.104 = 0x11c # KP_Enter
xkeymap.keycode.111 = 0x148 # Up
xkeymap.keycode.116 = 0x150 # Down
xkeymap.keycode.113 = 0x14b # Left
xkeymap.keycode.114 = 0x14d # Right
xkeymap.keycode.105 = 0x11d # Control_R
xkeymap.keycode.118 = 0x152 # Insert
xkeymap.keycode.119 = 0x153 # Delete
xkeymap.keycode.110 = 0x147 # Home
xkeymap.keycode.115 = 0x14f # End
xkeymap.keycode.112 = 0x149 # Prior
xkeymap.keycode.117 = 0x151 # Next
xkeymap.keycode.78 = 0x46 # Scroll_Lock
xkeymap.keycode.127 = 0x100 # Pause
xkeymap.keycode.133 = 0x15b # Meta_L
xkeymap.keycode.134 = 0x15c # Meta_R
xkeymap.keycode.135 = 0x15d # Menu

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

4. Nov 4, 2008 11:51 AM

in response to: DavidKahn

DavidKahn

17 posts since
Aug 4, 2007

I also noticed that there were some messages during the re-install of Workstation 6.5 after installing Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid:

Before it uninstalled:

Preparing to replace vmware-workstation 6.5.0-118167 (using vmware-workstation_6.5.0-118167_amd64.deb) ...
[: 7: Illegal number: upgrade

During installation:

Installing VMware Player 2.5.0
Copying files...
Configuring...
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/tmp/vmis.T19578/install/vmware-installer/python/lib/logging/handlers.py", line 73, in emit
if self.shouldRollover(record):
File "/tmp/vmis.T19578/install/vmware-installer/python/lib/logging/handlers.py", line 146, in shouldRollover
msg = "%s\n" % self.format(record)
File "/tmp/vmis.T19578/install/vmware-installer/python/lib/logging/__init__.py", line 630, in format
return fmt.format(record)
File "/tmp/vmis.T19578/install/vmware-installer/python/lib/logging/__init__.py", line 421, in format
s = self._fmt % record.__dict__
UnicodeDecodeError: 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xe2 in position 62: ordinal not in range(128)

My recollection is that the uninstall error message existed with Workstation 6.5 under Ubuntu Gutsy, but that the install error is new to Ubuntu Intrepid.

Since the VMware Player doesn't have a command to send Ctrl-Alt-Del to the guest O/S, there's no way to log into Windows. Having no arrow keys makes VMware Workstation unusable under Ubuntu Intrepid.

I'd call this a critical bug, justifying a new release.

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

5. Nov 4, 2008 11:52 AM

in response to: BassKozz

Teejeaux

34 posts since
Mar 8, 2006

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

6. Nov 4, 2008 12:04 PM

in response to: DavidKahn

BassKozz

53 posts since
Dec 17, 2007

Solution Found, type the following into terminal:

echo 'xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true' > ~/.vmware/config

Thanks to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/289098
Specifically: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/289098/comments/8

You will see the following "Hint" everytime you boot your VM:

, but no biggie

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

7. Nov 4, 2008 1:48 PM

in response to: BassKozz

DavidKahn

17 posts since
Aug 4, 2007

BassKoz,

Thanks for the information. You are correct that adding: xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true'

to VMware's config file splces the problem. However, I added it to /etc/vmware/config to make it system-wide, rather than to ~/.vmware/config which is personal to my login.

I never got the"Hint" popup you displayed, which may mean that I had gotten it before and checked"Never show..." previously, or perhaps because I added the configuration line to the system-wide config file.

This feels a lot cleaner than manually setting the keyboard map, as you first suggested.

In my searching, I came across the following, useful page: www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/ws_devices_keymap_linux_longer.html

Now if I can just get VMware to not interfer with using Shift-Ctrl-C and Shift-Ctrl-V to copy and paste into Linux terminal windows, I'll be a totally happy camper.

David

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

8. Dec 1, 2008 6:35 PM

in response to: BassKozz

johnswb

243 posts since
Feb 14, 2006

echo 'xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true' > ~/.vmware/confi

This worked for me as well until I use the "Unity" option. If I arrow up and down in the program menu it works fine in "Unity", but once I open an application the up and down arrow keys do not work.

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

9. Jan 9, 2009 7:23 PM

in response to: johnswb

aaron552

13 posts since
May 28, 2007

johnswb wrote:

echo 'xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true' > ~/.vmware/confi

This worked for me as well until I use the "Unity" option. If I arrow up and down in the program menu it works fine in "Unity", but once I open an application the up and down arrow keys do not work.

Exact same problem for me. Works in console view, reverts to broken in Unity.
This is definitely a critical bug. Needs fixing ASAP.

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

10. Feb 9, 2009 10:37 AM

in response to: johnswb

dath

1 posts since
Jul 16, 2006

Another "me too". Also running 8.10 and now using the individual mappings workaround and it allows me to start Unity, but the mappings don't seem to work in Unity mode.

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

11. Feb 11, 2009 6:53 AM

in response to: dath

OrlandoR

1 posts since
Feb 11, 2009

Same here,

Adding the no keycode hack gives me a second problem.
Some special characters don't work (alt gr).

Re: Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10

12. Feb 17, 2009 9:25 PM

in response to: DavidKahn

Agasfer

1 posts since
Feb 17, 2009

David,

so, were you able to use VmWare after this installation snafu? I am experiencing the same issue...

TIA

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Keyboard in bad shape with Workstation 6.5 running under Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10 posted: Nov 4, 2008 11:54 AM

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