Workstation 6 under Linux, Xorg 7.3 Keyboard

[dweigert]

Hello folks,

I'm running Workstation 6 64 bit under Gentoo Linux. Recently the Xorg 7.3 release happened and after install, I started experiencing the following:

1) as long as I don't enter fullscreen mode, all is well.

2) once fullscreen mode is entered, when I switch back to the Linux desktop, the shift, control, and capslock keys no longer function. Nothing will get this back to normal, short of restarting X. xev shows key presses and releases as normal.

I'm not sure if this is due to the API change in the latest version of X, or if it is a bug in X.

Has anyone run itnto this, or have a workaround?

Dan

[thool]

Hej,

Jag befinner mig för närvarande på semester och är åter vecka 31. Jag läser min e-post sporadiskt under semestern.

mvh

Thomas Olsson

[martinforsberg]

Jag är på semester, tillbaks den 18/8.

mvh Martin

[Midahed]

It's good to have found this thread. I've been scratching around trying to define what was happening on my system with a very similar, if not quite identical, problem.

I'm running Workstation 6.0.4 build 93057 under Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy and using a Windows VM that I converted from VMware Server.

My problem doesn't arise as long as I don't put the VM into full-screen mode. If I do, any subsequently used host applications crash as soon as any key is pressed. It doesn't matter what application is the recipient of the key depression - an OpenOffice document, a mail cliant, a text editor or the Google toolbar on Firefox - the result is the immediate termination of the application.

Having pinned-down the circumstances that cause the problem, at least I can avoid it; but does anyone know if a proper fix is on the horizon yet?

[dconvery]

OK, now you guys jinxed me... I posted on June 13th that I was NOT having the issue. Now I am. I'm running Ubuntu and WS 6.5 beta 2. So it must not have been fixed yet :o(

Dave

[dconvery]

I just filed a SR with VMware because the issue happens with 6.5 beta 2. Here is their response:

" On Linux hosts, if you hold any of the modifier keys down while moving the mouse pointer from inside the virtual machine to the host, modifier keys will stop working on the host. Modifier keys include Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, and Num Lock. Could this be the issue in your case?"

This makes sense with my issues. It only happens intermittantly. Maybe I am moving the mouse while hitting <CTRL><ALT>...

Dave

[willdeans]

Greetings Dave,

I too filed a support request and was basically told that they don't care because my version of Ubuntu was not supported. However, I believe what they told you was a little misleading. Based on what others have posted you don't actually have to move the mouse. If for instance, exit full screen mode using the modifier keys the mouse pointer may "move" out of the VM even if it stays in the same place.

This issue, and the way vmware is handling it, is going to cost them a lot of valuable good will. MANY people have it and are very annoyed by it. EXTREAMLY ANNOYED

Just look at this launchpad bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/source/xorg/bug/195982

Here is a list of just some of the people subscribed to a mailing list to get updates on this bug:

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h2. Also notified

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[dconvery]

Yeah, I saw the bugtrak about it... I was just posting what they told me... With the beat program, they will look into every SR a little more. The problem is that I can only reproduce the problem intermittantly.

Dave

[ebonick]

I had this issue also on Ubunto 8.04 and Fedora Core 9, both x64 versions. I can also reproduce this using autofit guest as well as full screen. Fedora responds even worse to this bug as I can't use the keyboard or mouse and logging in via ssh the machine still wont shutoff and what I type in the window never appears in the terminal using putty. I have had to hard power off the machine with the vm runniong multiple times.

[pdinoto]

Having exactly the same issue, for more than four months.

Modifier keys are dead after switching out of a VM.

Using Ubuntu 8.04, Kernel 2.6.24-19-generic, VMware Workstation 6.0.5 (build 109488). Not using nvidia (I use intel drivers on 945GM embedded video). X.org is 7.3+10ubuntu10.2. In my case, the setxkbmap trick works (in fact, a shortcut is in my KDE panel since I have to use it several times per hour).

The fact that VMware does not officially support Ubuntu 7.10 or 8.04 shows they have very little interest in keeping up and ironing out rough issues in recent Linux distributions (Ubuntu 7.10 is going to be a 1 year old release soon). Using vmware proves to be more and more difficult each release. And still, sound support is crap, save/restore is extremely slow and this keyboard bug makes imposible to use a VM and the host OS interactively. Add up the very useful but inexplicably "unsupported" status of the required any-any-updates, which are released by "someone", "somewhere" and "sometime" makes a grim picture.

Since 7.10 showed up, they released 3 new versions of workstation, at least. The lack of attention to these issues, which render the product unusable in many occasions may mean that for those of us which want (or need) to run a relatively new releases of open Linux distributions should consider xVM (VirtualBox) as an option. At least, if Sun does not invest on resolving issues in open distributions, these distributions will eventually fill the gap on their own.

I sincerely hope 6.5 will bring proper keyboard handling in linux, together with ALSA-aware sound support and a usable suspend of VMs. As a big fan of VMware, I fell they are slowly forgetting part of the user base which may not be as profitable as others, but are usually the one that recommend VMware in their deployments.

Pablo.

[Marcus_Aurelius]

Actually you dont need those any-any- updates anymore. The problems they were fixing seem to be fixed on the newer installations of VM Workstation. This keyboard issue still remains, I have stopped using fullscreen on my VMs and just stayed with a windowed approach, that way I dont get that issue anymore. Using Kubuntu 8.04. Also if you read the posts before, you can see that even supported OS hosts have the same keyboard issue and VM Ware still hasnt fixed it. It's true though that the people that ussually run VM Workstation are the ones that would recommend VM Ware at their jobs.

[PDub]

Pablo, well said. I just recommended ESX for our new server deployment and now I am being questioned. The lack of interest on VMware's part towards fixing these issues combined with the numerous VMware security vulnerabilities of late has me second guessing my decision.

Almost everyone here runs Ubuntu 8.04 on the desktop. This keyboard issue is a really pain for us.

I tried to build Workstation 6.0.5 on Ubuntu 8.10 with kernel 2.6.27 and it will not compile, even with the any-any-patch.

A sad state really.

Paul

[pdinoto]

Oh, in my case I do not use the VMs in fullscreen mode. I switch to the host OS heavily, so I use a maximized vmware window, with no toolbars. That way the KDE panel is always at hand, and I just send the mouse down to it to focus the keyboard on the host and switch desktops. So, it does not exclusively hit full screen.

Marcus: Yes, the any-any were not needed in the past two 6.0.x releases, and perhaps we are lucky the next change in networking code in the kernel, or any other subsystem, does not hit us again. It is the need to search a forum post, download a tarfile from some unknown site, etc. what makes me realize that our distros are like 2nd class citizens on vmware development circles. It is like their priorities shifted from "bringing a superb product, which because of that is a market leader", to the unfortunately common "bring as many bells and whistles as we can to keep us in the market leader position, even if the product quality for existing users suffer".

Well, I did not realize the problem existed in the supported versions, which is bad, I fear.

[Marcus_Aurelius]

Paul,

Dont use the source to build it. Simply use the rpm as it works better. Change it to.deb using "alien -k RPMFILEHERE" and then double-click the .deb file or use "dpkg -i DEBFILEHERE". It's better than trying to compile the source and then chasing all the little kinks.

Marlon

[PDub]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[Marcus_Aurelius]

Pablo,

Yeah, I understand about using the host OS heavily but since I also installed and run Compiz I like to use the shortcuts to rotate to the different workspaces so I used to keep my VM in fullscreen on one workspace and it felt like I was running windows there and then using the keyboard shortcuts to change to the other OS. Of course, that is not possible when my modifier keys disappear on me. So I stopped doing that and just got in the habit of using windowed mode so the taskbar was availaible with the kcontrol icon showing to reset the keyboard settings when needed. In windowed mode I havent seen the problem anymore so I havent used that kcontrol as much.

Thanks,

Marlon

[gnatynaaa]

Worskstation 6.5 32 bit, Mandriva 2008.1,

#urpmq -S -f -r xorg-x11

xorg-x11 : X11 metapackage ( 7.2.0-2mdv2008.0 )

Working fine no need to run setxkbmap

URA:)

[pdinoto]

Oh, well... I will be testing the new release soon.

Crossing my fingers...

[PDub]

VMware Workstation 6.5 64Bit on Ubuntu 8.04.1 works fine. No more keyboard issues.

[pdinoto]

Yes, Workstation 6.5 on Ubuntu 8.04.1 32bits does not have the keyboard modifier issue.

Great news!

[298]

PDub and pdinoto: How did you get 6.5 installed on you Ubuntu boxes?

Can you please have a look at this post: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/172513

Thanks.