v1.5.0 -> Keyboard mapping problem ...

[jphlechene]

Hello,

This virtualization solution is really nice, but I've noticed a small issue with the keyboard.
With version 1.5.0, on a Linux host, if I use a Ubuntu or a Windows XP guest the problem is the same (with guest addition installed for the Windows guest only) : the keyboard mapping is incorrect :

Is use a Belgium keyboard and my guest are configured to map a french (France) one.

To sum up thing the following key are incorrectly mapped :

• host key / guest key
  - / §
  6 / <nothing>
  _ / 6
  = / -
  + / _

This is not an exhaustive list, this is just the keys I found so far.

My config : HOST : Ubuntu on an x86 architecture
GUEST Ubuntu (x86) and Windows XP SP2
VirtualBox v1.5.0

Is there an easy way to fix this ?

Best regards,[/list]

[Ingo]

I had a similar problem. For me it helped to install all needed locales. I suggest to install the locales for Belgium, France and en_US, all for UTF-8.

[jphlechene]

Hi,

Thanks for the tips Ingo, I'll give a try to your solution, in the meantime, is someone able to get a look into the code to know why, using the same disk image, it worked perfectly with version 1.4.0 and do not work anymore ?

Thanks,

[michael]

This issue is a problem in VirtualBox 1.5.0, and will be fixed in a few days with 1.5.2 .

[jphlechene]

Thanks you

[sitor]

I'm having similar problems with a Belgian keyboard (azerty). However only on a Linux host. The same image (Win XP guest) does not have this problem on a Win XP host.

I had a similar problem. For me it helped to install all needed locales. I suggest to install the locales for Belgium, France and en_US, all for UTF-8.

Ingo,

Do you mean in the guest or host? I did so in the host and I still have similar problems.

Michael,

What is in a few days? For the moment it seems that 1.5.2 is not out yet (couldn't find anything higher then 1.5.0 in any case).

KR,

Sitor

[Ingo]

Ingo,
Do you mean in the guest or host? I did so in the host and I still have similar problems.

I'm using Debian etch as host and WinXP as guest (can't install locales here). For my issue the translation between the host keyboard and the guest keyboard input was failing. So I installed all needed locales on the host and the keyboard translation works fine.
On my host are installed

Code: Select all

$ locale -a
C
de_DE.utf8
en_DK.utf8
en_US.utf8
POSIX
$

"English in Denmark" is only for getting the standardized dates 2007-09-28 etc.

[openvision]

Hi Ingo,

we have a problem in Belgium with the keyboard mapping between Host and Client.

On the host : (locale -a)

C
en_US.utf8
nl_BE
nl_BE@euro
nl_BE.iso88591
nl_BE.iso885915@euro
nl_BE.utf8
POSIX

On the client : (same settings if Linux)

However the keyboard keeps mapping keys in the wrong way :

We can only use '-' from the numeric keypad, under Windows we get '6' on the normal keypad. For a desktop user this is obviuosly not a major problem, but when it comes to laptops it is 'annoying'.

I've checked the version of VirtualBox, it is 1.5.0, and I can't find a 1.5.2 anywhere.

Is there a temporary work around as I have +/- 50 students also using VirtualBox and I wouldn't like to go back to VMWare. (Vmware really isn't as good as VirtualBox).

Off topic : in the manual provided the explanations for the bridged networking Linux Host and (whatever) client are somewhat 'short'. I've written a small howto in Dutch as how to do it under APT-based distros.
I'll gladly translate into English, bur where should I post it.

[openvision]

In the last sentence 'bur' should be 'but'.

[Ingo]

Hi openvision,

This issue is a problem in VirtualBox 1.5.0, and will be fixed in a few days with 1.5.2 .

It seems to be a real problem for you poor guys in Belgium. The developers from Innotek would say: "be patient...".
I say they are working hard and there is something going on. I suppose there are really only some days till v.1.5.2. But next week we have our "anniversary of German unification", a holiday. So it may delay a week or so.

I'll gladly translate into English, but where should I post it.

I would mark it with "HOWTO" in the subject and post it here in the forum Using VirtualBox.

[mumu]

Same kind of problem here : using VBox 1.5.0 on Ubuntu Feisty 32 bits to virtualize WinXP Pro. I’m fond of dvorak-bépo keyboard, which runs perfectly on Linux.
Unfortunately, under my virtualized WinXP, none of the "special" keys work : I can’t type any "e cute" for instance, although all locales are installed on the host...
Hope v.1.5.2 will solve it, ’cos Vbox really rox

[dirken]

i'm using Ubuntu Feisty as my host system and WinXP SP2 as guest system and the most important thing: I'm from Belgium (never knew it was a problem to be fro Belgium )
well now i read here serveral times that the solution is to install the locals.
Hmm, ok, I will. But first of all, can anyone explain to me what you guys mean with locals (i may sound a little weird asking that questen i know) and should it be installed in my guest or host OS?

[mumu]

The "locales" are the support for your language+encoding in the host OS (Ubuntu here). For instance, mine is fr_FR.utf8.
But I don’t think this will solve the problem. I personally downloaded the previous version (1.4.0) .deb at http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Download_Old_Builds and used

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg -i ~/Desktop/virtualbox_1.4.0-21864_Ubuntu_feisty_i386.deb

to install it by force over version 1.5.0.

Everything worked fine except the shared folder I had set up using version 1.5.0. So I had to install Samba (easy to do with the Ubuntu-fr solution).

Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to installing v 1.5.2 as soon as released

Hope this will help !

[dirken]

so the locals are, for ubuntu, the debian packages provided for ubuntu feisty or what?

[Ingo]

Hi dirken,
I'm not sure if this issue with locales solve your problem. On my system (Debian etch) the keyboard mapping does not match the displayed characters on the screen. So selecting the right locale fixes MY problem.

Usual all locales on Debian / Ubuntu are available. Check available charmaps on your system with:

Code: Select all

$ locale -m

You can select the locales with:

Code: Select all

$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales

or of course thru your GUI but I'm not so familiar with that.