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Ubuntu 11 in a VMWare server VM / Can't use some AltGr keys like |(bar) @(at) \(backslash)

Dear experts,

I successfully installed a Ubuntu 11(from a 8 iso) 64bits VM (VMWare Server on a Win2003 x64 bi-opteron 880 12GB)
The 2.6.38-9-generic AMD64 64bits kernel is up to date and working but a very annoying problem resists my fixing capabilities.

Most of the AltGr composed keys are not displayed at all.
# (AltGr-3) is perfectly working
| (AltGr-6) \ (AltGr-8) @ (AltGr-0) are not working.

setxkbmap -print returns:

xkb_keymap {
    xkb_keycodes  { include "evdev+aliases(azerty)"    };
    xkb_types     { include "complete"    };
    xkb_compat    { include "complete"    };
    xkb_symbols   { include "pc+fr(oss)+inet(evdev)"    };
    xkb_geometry  { include "pc(pc102)"    };

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I used xev to check the keyboard mapping :
Entering "|" (AltGr-6) shows:

KeyPress event, serial 33, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x102, subw 0x0, time 760491, (496,311), root:(497,364),
    state 0x84, keycode 15 (keysym 0x7c, bar), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1c) "?"
    XmbLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1c) "?"
    XFilterEvent returns: False

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Entering "\" (AltGr-8) shows:

KeyPress event, serial 33, synthetic NO, window 0x4200001,
    root 0x102, subw 0x0, time 428467154, (854,161), root:(857,272),
    state 0x84, keycode 17 (keysym 0x5c, backslash), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1c) "?"
    XmbLookupString gives 1 bytes: (1c) "?"
    XFilterEvent returns: False

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In both case, the mapping properly detects the correct key (keysym bar or backslash)...but displays a weird "1c" ascii that renders as Null on tty, gedit or any applications I tried.

I am totally stuck on this one...please HELP !

rindi

Change from VMWare Server to VMWare Player. VMWare Server hasn't seen any updates for a couple of years now and I heard it is being discontinued anyway. The new VMWare Player can be used to build your own VM's, so that isn't a problem.

BigSchmuh

ASKER

I uninstalled VMWare server, went to VM Player, upgrade the Ubuntu VM to the latest the VMWare Tools
...but still have no backslash, at or bar signs available !

BigSchmuh

ASKER

All my Windows VM are properly displaying @|\ chars when I type them which "validates" the behavior between my client pc and the host.

rindi

Strange, I used to have the same issue with VMWare Server, and I don't have it anymore with the Player. But the difference here is that my Linux distro's are new installations, while yours probably is still from the old System. The only thing I can think of that you could try is to uninstall the tools, then also delete any vmware config files within /etc, and then after a reboot install the tools again. Maybe just installing the newest tools didn't change your config file.

BigSchmuh

ASKER

I tried uninstalling vm tools, deleting /etc all vm related files, reboot, reinstall, reboot...still no \@|

rindi

When you said you "went to VM Player", did you mean an older version that you already had installed, or was that the newest version?

BigSchmuh

ASKER

I tried with the latest VM Player...

rindi

Can you attach your vmx file so I can compare it with mine?

BigSchmuh

ASKER

I noticed that adding the "xkeymap.usekeycodeMap = true" or "xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true" had no effect at all on the Ubuntu behavior. In both case, xev returns the expected symbol (bar, backslash, at) ... but the Xloopupstring doesn't reflect the expected char.

NB: The attached vmx file has been over-suffixed by .txt
ORAC11gR2.vmx.txt

rindi

I can't find any difference in my file compared to yours (at least none that would cause this. I'm stumped...

Have you tried a fresh OS install to a VM to check if the behavior for the new VM stays the same?

BigSchmuh

ASKER

What is really strange is that the symbols are detected well.
I although tried to modify the kbx/symbols/fr file to assign other key combination to bar, backslash, at and, according to xev, they all get detected correctly...but still have this weird empty or 1c XLookupString

BigSchmuh

ASKER

I modified /usr/share/X11/kbd/symbols/fr but even if xev still detects a "bar", the XLookupString is still "1c"

BigSchmuh

ASKER

I did a fresh install of the latest Ubuntu 64 bits (desktop) edition.
I still have this "keyboard rendering" problem !
Any hint for me to fix this XLookupString function ?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

rindi

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BigSchmuh

ASKER

Can I bypass the "Easy install" part of my Ubuntu install to force some paremeters being manually entered ?
That may allow me to explicitly install a French keyboard instead of modifying it after Ubuntu is installed.

rindi

I'm not sure what you mean here, when I installed Ubuntu I've always been able to select the keyboard (Swiss German) I needed, and that was with all versions I've used, also the most modern.

BigSchmuh

ASKER

At VM creation time, I just noticed that VMWare has a "Easy install" process that bypass all Ubuntu installer questions...That is why I always get a USA keyboard that I have to replace with my "France" one.
I found how to have the installation questions (Partition, Keyboard, Timezone, etc) asked by the Ubuntu installer...but this clean fresh French installation is still not able to display my \|@ chars.

The installed keyboard settings are (from "setxkbmap -print" command)
xkb_keymap {
      xkb_keycodes { include "evdev+aliases(azerty)"      };
      xkb_types { include "complete"      };
      xkb_compat { include "complete"      };
      xkb_symbols { include "pc+fr(oss)+inet(evdev)"      };
      xkb_geometry { include "pc(pc105)"      };

Time to get back to Windows...I give up.
May be it was VMWare, may be it was my Win2003 x64 host, I don't know and don't want to know anymore

BigSchmuh

ASKER

I anyone post here a succesfull installation of an Ubuntu 64-bits in a new VM, I'll be trying again...