Keyboard layout changes automatically in 5.1 -> fixed in 5.1.2 and later

[shek]

Setup: Linux Host: Fedora 24 + Cinnamon Linux Guest: Fedora 24 + Mate/Cinnamon(either)

On both Host and Guest, I have two keyboard layouts 'en' and 'hi'. I use "left Alt + left Shift" to change between layouts. The trouble is that ever since I've installed 5.1, the layouts keep changing automatically. 'en' becomes 'hi' mostly. Also, the layouts on the Host and Guest seem to be tied when I am in the Guest as in when I press 'left Alt + left Shift' in the Guest, the layout of both the Host and Guest change. Its annoying because every time I switch between 'Host' and 'Guest' and start typing, I find that I am typing in the wrong script because of changed layout.

Let me know what logs I can provide for you guys to debug this. And yes, this is a regression since 5.0.24.

Logs attached.

[shek]

VirtualBox Kayboard Layout Issue Host Logs

[shek]

Keyboard Layout Issue Guest Logs

[Michael Thayer]

I suspect that this happens when you switch away from the virtual machine window while a key is held down on the keyboard. Possibly by releasing keyboard capturing and alt-tabbing away, which leaves the alt key down in the virtual machine. In that case we need to send an alt key release event, and to decrease the likelyhood of that causing side effects we send a control-shift-alt down and up sequence. In previous versions we used something else which caused other problems. It is quite likely that we will not find a solution which does not upset someone, so the easiest may be to just choose a different key combination.

[shek]

Ok. I will try to find a more convenient key combination. However, this "Left Alt + Left Shift" is the default in many distros. Maybe you can send a Right Alt + Right Shift for the key up and down. Just a suggestion because I havent yet encountered anyone using the Right Alt + Right Shift combo for anything. Do consider.

Thanks for replying.

[Michael Thayer]

I changed the code so that now, instead of inserting the previous combination it inserts the host key sequence (or rather the modifiers from the sequence). That can be changed by the user if it causes problems. Hope that solves your problem.

[Frank Mehnert]

Please reopen if still relevant with 5.1.2.

[shek]

Thank you for fixing it! It had started to affect my daily workflow. Now back to normal :)