Onboard

Problems in setting language and some other questions

Asked by Roman Alexevich

Hi there!

Onboard is very nice, flexible and usable tool, but I'm facing some problems.
I'm working under Raspbian-Stretch (Linux kernel 4.9.59-v7) on arm-machine.
I've installed Onboard from Debian rep. through apt-get just a few weeks ago.
Here's the issues:

>> 1. Main problem

I cannot change the language from top-right icon of board. I select one from list, the icon changes, but nothing else happens. Visible letters don't change, and the input too. The combinations of modifiers (such as ctrl-shift or like that) don't work.
If i toggle the language from physical KB, it set up only at physical KB, and Onboard isn't affected (neither appearance, nor input). After some googling I found that if i do

 $: setxkbmap xx

at console emulator (where "xx" is the layout code), the language actually changes on both physical and Onboard, and visible letters changes too (the top-right icon DOESN'T). Its great and gives hope, but not usable :)). The question is:

?? how to make Onboard to work properly? Is it about some system tweaks or just a bug?

>> 2. Less hard, but important for me:

When I launch Onboard from CLI, it doesn't return control. Moreover, if I use

 $: onboard &

it starts two instances, i really don't understand why, and control doesn't return (I guess due to the second instance).
thus, I cannot use such command in script, because execution stucks at Onboard command. If i try to call Onboard from within my c++ code

system("onboard");

the result, of course, is the same. So, the questions are:

?? How to start Onboard from code asynchronously? or
?? How to disallow multiple instances? (as i can guess from manual it's default, but really doesn't work)

>> 3. Also it could be very nice, if you add "autostart" checkbox somewhere at settings. This can workaround my problem #2.

Thanks for attention, I would be so glad to any feedback.

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Roman Alexevich (romanalekseich) said : 		#1

Hello again, i have something to say ))

While waiting to any answer, i.ve maid some tries to find workaround for my problems, and experiment with your vkb.
I'm developing some hard'n'soft project, based on raspberry, and the only input in the target device is 10" touchscreen.
Device is working in kiosk mode: silent boot, and exitless app in full-screen mode. At some point application ask user for input, so it needs a vkb. As i mentioned above, i cannot switch a language from OB, so i made a small floating widget with a button, that sends "setxkbmap xx" to the system, and its works fine: user can toggle languge with a small button hanging near the vkb.

But now i have another issues:

1. if i use a modal dialog in my app, then OB became hidden beside app's main window, so user cannot input. Is there some way to override this interference?

2. The second issue really needs to be fixed!
If i open an internet browser (for this case firefox), and start to type an address in address-line (just type one character), then browser drops down a list of autocomplete suggestions. At this moment OB looses focus and becames inactive. Thus, when i click next key on OB, i actually not type it, but only activate OB window. Browser closes autocomplete list, and now i can input one more character. And the loop repeats. By this way, i should type each symbol in address two times (except first symbol).
With another browser, chromium, this behavior doesn't happen. Didn't try any othewrs.

3. I was trying to use OB in auto-show-hide mode, but this fails. OB,s behavior is not a nonstable, just extremely chaotic )).
So, the next approacch was to to use DBus commands from my code to show/hide, and it worked, but it creates new instances of OB. I really couldnt see why, so now i just keep OB open behind my app and use it only with non-fullscreen apps.

Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) said : 		#2

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.