Scrolling issue in GNOME (Ubuntu 18.04) when non-default keyboard layout is chosen

[ralphje]

In Ubuntu 18.04, in the GNOME shell, when a different keyboard layout is selected than the default of the OS, scrolling in Windows guests (Linux guests not tested) is erratic. This results in randomly scrolling up or down when the mouse is moved in the VM in some scrollable panes, such as the start menu. This occurs on all guests, including those in an ESXi cluster, and even in the installer of the guest OS. This lead me to believe this is a host-guest interaction issue, and unrelated to the VM itself.

I have narrowed this problem down to the keyboard layout selector in the upper right corner. It only occurs in the GNOME shell, which is the default in Ubuntu 18.04, and can be reproduced across several systems using VMware Workstation for Linux 14.1.2. You can reproduce this issue as follows:

1. Install Ubuntu 18.04 as host OS

2. Make sure you login using the GNOME shell (Unity works as expected)

3. Add seven different input methods (one additional would be fine, but we are testing here). It does not matter which exactly you pick

4. Start up a Windows 10 guest OS (again, does not matter, but for testing purposes this is fine)

5. In the Guest OS, go to the Start menu, and try to scroll in the 'All apps' section (not all scrolling is broken, but the start menu is)

When the first option in the keyboard layout selector is chosen, this works as expected.

When the second option in the keyboard layout selector is chosen, when the mouse is scrolled or moved, the menu will scroll UP immediately. Scrolling down using keyboard works, but when the mouse is moved again, it will scroll up immediately.

When the third option in the keyboard layout selector is chosen, the menu will scroll DOWN immediately.

This will repeat: when the fourth option is chosen, it works as expected. The fifth option will scroll UP. The sixth option will scroll DOWN. The seventh option will work as expected, etc.

The workaround is simple: simply set the input selector to the first option when erratic scrolling occurs, but I believe this bizarre interaction bug should be fixed.

Also posting it here in the case someone else encounters this issue.

[tasikas]

Thank you ralphje , you just made my day.

I was fighting with this bug since I have started using VMware Workstation v13  on openSUSE with KDE Plasma maybe a year ago. I have second keyboard layout for Lithuanian language on host and didn't think that this can cause this annoying issue. As you said win10 VM when clicking on Start or on some other apps in some particular places, not everywhere. Or sometimes when you want to select the text then it acts as the zoom on the web browser.  

Well spotted.

@VMware please chase the bug.

[andreaplanet]

See also this thread: Keyboard issues in Windows guest on Linux host

[Enceladus]

Try changing keyboard layout shortcut in Ubuntu or in Windows.

Source: Weird Mouse Behavior on VMWare Workstation Player 12

[miltonhowe]

This is happening to me as well with an Ubuntu host using a French keyboard layout and a Windows 10 guest.

In addition to moving scroll bars and dropdown select boxes, it makes browsers jump from tab to tab in the guest.

I have tried remapping the shortcuts as suggested with no relief.

This drives me crazy every single day.

[banackm]

VMware is aware of this issue, and we're working on a fix for a future version of the product.

[chazy]

I can confirm this endless scrolling problem with VMware Workstation 15 Player on an Ubuntu host with a Windows guest.

Indeed, selecting the first input method solves the problem.  I look forward to an update that addresses this issue.

[miltonhowe]

This has been driving me insane for at least a year, it trips me dozens of times a day as I have to constantly switch my Ubuntu 18.04 host out of French every time I use my Windows 10 guest o/s.

The new info in this post is fascinating: I might try installing two more layouts I will never use and having my French layout fourth. Or make it first since I use it more than English.

But I am happy to hear it might eventually get fixed.