[ kvm-Bugs-2860533 ] guest: CTRL key unusable after host caps lock/ctrl swap

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2010-01-13T14:50:21Z

Bugs item #2860533, was opened at 2009-09-17 04:10
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by szilagyi
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Category: None
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Private: No
Submitted By: Felix Kater (fkater2)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: guest: CTRL key unusable after host caps lock/ctrl swap

Initial Comment:
* cpu: intel core 2 duo 2,4 ghz
* kvm version: kvm-88-r1 with -HAVE_KERNEL option (gentoo linux)
* vanilla-2.6.30.6
* x86_64
* guest: windows 2000, sp4
* start cmd: kvm \
-cpu core2duo \
-hda /vdiskw2k.img \
-m 800 \
-net nic,macaddr=${mac},vlan=0 \
-net tap,ifname=tap0,vlan=0,script=no

Summary: When you swap the keyboard keys CAPS LOCK and CTRL by thequite common X configuration (in xorg.conf) then the CTRL key on the guest gets unusable and other strange effects happen (see below).

To reproduce:
1) Swap keys by this setting in /etc/X11/xorg.conf:
Section "InputDevice"
Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:swapcaps"
EndSection

2) Start kvm guest and optimally open a windows cmd console

3) Try switching between the guest and the host by keyboard using the key sequence using ALT+CTRL (which is actually ALT+CAPS LOCK now).

4) Enter something in the guests console

Results:

1) most annoying: CTRL+<something> on the guest is not usable at all anymore
2) Letters are now always CAPITALS (like when caps lock pressed on the guest); You can undo this only by switching back to the host and again to the guest or by switch with the mouse click into the guest window; however the CTRL remains unusable.
3) Caps Lock on the guest does not work either (or leads to even more confusion)

What I have tried:
1) Swapping CTRL + CAPS LOCK on the windows guest as well (by registry hack) does NOT help
2) earlier kvm versions (same behaviour)
3) different X versions (server 1.5, 1.6)
4) swapping CTRL/CAPS LOCK now only in X but also by the linux console keymaps

Thank You!
Felix

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Comment By: Peter Szilagyi (szilagyi)
Date: 2010-01-13 09:50