Ok I see this issue is closed as its quite old. Is this particular issue tracked somewhere else?
I just upgraded my Ubuntu 16.04 system to Ubuntu 18.04.5 and this issue still exists for me. what I'd like to be able to do is: 1. configure my keyboard on the host laptop to map "Caps Lock as an extra control key" 2. launch a vm in vmware player on the laptop 3. Use both the left and right shift keys inside any window on the host laptop. The workaround of running "setxkbmap" does get around the issue somewhat. For me it does allow the right shift key to start working again. However, it doesn't fix everything. For example, I notice that I can no longer use a the Alt-F1 keyboard shortcut in IntelliJ IDEA. The only workaround I have found for this is to restart the entire laptop after using any vm in vmware player or just not use Alt-F1 keystroke. I do recall having to do some keyboard mapping a long time ago so that IntelliJ could process Alt-F1 and not Ubuntu itself. Does anyone know if Ubuntu 20.04 magically makes this issue go away? One other thing I remembered. I had a similar but a little different issue some years ago with the "caps lock as extra control key" setting when using synergy. More details here: https://github.com/symless/synergy-core/issues/4658 AFAIK, that issue was never resolved either. ** Bug watch added: github.com/symless/synergy-core/issues #4658 https://github.com/symless/synergy-core/issues/4658 -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Kernel Packages, which is subscribed to linux in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/195982 Title: Shift key (and caps lock) stop working when using VMWare Status in Linux: Invalid Status in linux package in Ubuntu: Won't Fix Status in xkeyboard-config package in Ubuntu: Invalid Status in Gentoo Linux: New Bug description: [Problem] VMWare's keyboard mapping is imperfect, sometimes resulting in certain keys stopping functionality when running under VMWare, requiring the user to setup their configuration settings manually in VMWare. For a detailed explanation see the following article: http://www.vmware.com/support/ws55/doc/ws_devices_keymap_linux_longer.html [Original Report] After a day or so of running the shift key mysteriously stops working as does the cap lock. In other words I cannot enter shifted characters of any kind. The keyboard is connected to a KVM and all other systems respond to it properly. In additional any VMWare sessions I have open respond correctly. So I have the condition where all non-vmware applications in Ubuntu Hardy (all updates applied as of 2008-02-26 at 12:43 UTC) fail to recognize the shift key BUT applications within an active (a paused/restarted session also works) VMWare sessions running DO recognize the key. When this condition occurs ALL applications (except those within a VMWare session) are also unstable and will usually crash within a few keystrokes.If I continue to operate in this mode. I cannot pinpoint what, if any, application triggers this. It has always happened while working within terminal/browser/vmware sessions and NOT when opening a new application. It could be related to the KVM switch, but none of my other systems (2 Mandriva, 1 Windows) are affected by this. This bug has been present on my system for a number of days across daily updates and reboots (if the update requested it) and I think since I installed Hardy Alpha 1. A work around: log off and back on. A reboot/restart does not appear to be needed. Error logs show some unusual activity. --- MARK ---- ... ... kernel ... rtc lost 7 interrupts ... --- MARK --- .... Plus some segfaults indicating which application crashed as I tried to type into it (mouse works fine). System: HP dv9743cl (which otherwise works lovely) Ubuntu: Hardy 8.04 (from lsb-release) ---- TEST CASE: 1. Click inside the VM and 2. Hold any of the Ctrl, Alt and/or shift keys while releasing the keyboard/mouse to the host OS (which you obviously do when you press Crtl-Alt to revert back to windowed mode, as the cursor is then released from the VM). WORKAROUND: After this happens to recover your keyboard execute 'setxkbmap' in a terminal To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/linux/+bug/195982/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages Post to : kernel-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kernel-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
