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chinasteve2000
May 3rd, 2008, 07:33 AM
Howdy!

I have similar keyboard problems, usually program-specific (Firefox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice and Skype), and I've not been able to find a good thread for help, nor someone to help me directly so far. So here's a new post. :-)

Usually the problem is that I can't type at all within a specific program, :confused: followed by other programs usually...

...and sometimes typing slows to a crawl (only in Skype).

My friend, who I help with Ubuntu, is having completely different problems...she can't type any punctuation marks! I haven't had a chance to look at her computer in person, but would love suggestions if you have ideas!

Could someone help me along these issues? Thanks!

-Steve

nowshining
May 3rd, 2008, 08:20 AM
did you try logging out and back in? if the problems persist after doing so of which fixed my issues with my keypad quit working thru the computer, then it would be best to try and get a new keyboard for both, esp. if you eat and drink near yours like I do. :) or try turning over the keyboard and shaking out anything that might have been caught between the keys.

chinasteve2000
May 4th, 2008, 03:05 AM
Yeah, I've tried logging out and back in recently. It helps a bit and cuts down the reboot time, but I'm tired of this problem. My friend's computer never lets her type punctuation too, but it didn't have this problem before. I don't think it relates to coke in the keyboard, but I don't doubt that could make it happen! :-)

Thanks Nowshining!

Anyone else encounter the problem of typing completely stopping in some programs running Ubuntu 7.10 after an upgrade from 7.4?

Thanks for your help!

chinasteve2000
May 4th, 2008, 09:55 AM
UPDATE: Closing Thunderbird immediately after the first typing problem occurs and then re-opening brought me back typing ability. So far, it has not spiraled back into program-after-program having the same problem. More updates as I can share...

-Steve
(addicted to Ubuntu and addicting others)


PS...PLEASE send more suggestions on nipping my problem off at the bud and for problem #2 (my friend's computer not being able to use punctuation characters at all).

nowshining
May 4th, 2008, 11:21 AM
if you spelt coke on/in the keyboard I truly suggest buying a new keyboard. :) or digging a cleaner/older one out if you got one laying around the house or so.

chinasteve2000
May 4th, 2008, 04:05 PM
Definately not a Coke spill. We're working on laptops.

spudratic
May 4th, 2008, 05:41 PM
Doubtful I can help but I would like to ask one ? did you both use the same cd to install or a cd made from the same downloaded .iso.If so I would check the md5sum on the down loaded iso to make sure it right.

alciono
May 4th, 2008, 07:22 PM
I would like to report a minor quirk which might be specific to my keyboard only. I use an older 104 key Compaq keyboard, and use a default US keyboard layout. Just last week I upgraded to Hardy Heron. But even before that I noticed that when I hit the single quote key I do not get any response, or sometimes a beep. If I hit it twice I get the back-tick character. I have to hit the key twice while holding the shift key to get the double quote character. When I switch to the Dvorak keyboard layout, however, I have no problems getting the single and double quote characters. I am still learning the Dvorak keyboard, and am not ready to make it my main keyboard yet.

chinasteve2000
May 5th, 2008, 02:05 AM
Doubtful I can help but I would like to ask one ? did you both use the same cd to install or a cd made from the same downloaded .iso.If so I would check the md5sum on the down loaded iso to make sure it right.

We used different iso's, but that was worth asking. :-)

chinasteve2000
May 5th, 2008, 02:09 AM
When I switch to the Dvorak keyboard layout, however, I have no problems getting the single and double quote characters. I am still learning the Dvorak keyboard, and am not ready to make it my main keyboard yet.

That gives me some hope! My friend might just have a funny keyboard configuration that could be helped by using the Dvorak.

What I love about Dvorak is that it's more suitable for typing quickly. QWERTY keyboards (as we use normally) were supposedly made to slow down the typist. But for some reason we've always kept it!

I'd love to hear how Dvorak works for you. I hear it takes a couple months before you reach your old typing speed; a few before you surpass it. :-)

-Steve

BandD
May 5th, 2008, 03:39 AM
Do you have any complex languages enabled (i.e. Chinese or Japanese)? If so, your problem might be accosiated with a bug in SCIM. I had a similar issue when switching between English input and Japanese input.

If this senario fits your situation, you can see this thread as an example:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=652902&highlight=SCIM

and this thread as a fix:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=3676161&postcount=6

But I'm not really sure about your friend's issue...

Hope that helps!

alciono
May 5th, 2008, 11:41 AM
I'd love to hear how Dvorak works for you. I hear it takes a couple months before you reach your old typing speed; a few before you surpass it. :-)
-Steve

Using Qwerty I can touch type around 35-40 wpm. Speed is not as important to me as accuracy, efficiency, and comfort. Also I am lefthanded. In the standard Dvorak US layout, the right-hand side of the home row has the most used consonants and the left-hand side has all the vowels. During the first 2-3 weeks my right wrist would become sore after a few minutes of typing. Now I am rather comfortable using either layout; I can even switch in mid-sentence. I have not tested myself yet for speed with Dvorak.

chinasteve2000
May 7th, 2008, 03:55 AM
Do you have any complex languages enabled (i.e. Chinese or Japanese)? If so, your problem might be accosiated with a bug in SCIM. I had a similar issue when switching between English input and Japanese input.

If this senario fits your situation...(edited)

Hey BandD,

I think you might have hit the nail on the head! This might end up helping my friend too, but I'll check into it.
THANKS! I'll be sure to thank you officially if this works. :-)


Anyone else have an idea for my friend who is 'punctuationless'?
-Steve

BandD
May 8th, 2008, 01:30 AM
I was thinking about the issue you friend was having and one idea popped into my mind. I wonder if she has a diiferent keyboard layout selected than whather keyboard actually is. Just a thought, but trying out a few different keyboard layouts might to the trick.