[Solved] Ubuntu 12.04 Arrows, Page-up, Page-down, Insert, Delete Keys No Longer Work

If you run:

xev

Does the backspace key make events?

Even though the xev test shows yes, my problem remains. Now I can't place the mouse cursor at any spot on the screen but I can move it around. Rebooting the system does not help.

This problem first appeared recently on my wife's 2002 Dell Dimensions 2400 computer running Ubuntu 12.04, which at the same time was plagued with a 'missing characters' problem. So I replaced it with a Compaq d530 tabletop which had been running Ubuntu 12.04 trouble-free until she started using it. As of now the Compaq is free from missing characters but is still beset with the missing-cursor and frozen backspace-key problems.

Thanks for your prompt help.

Julianloui

If you log off and log in to the Ubuntu 2D session is it ok?

(1) Using CTL+ALT+F2, I got into the Ubuntu 2D session Guest session and everything seemed normal again. I am writing to you from this session. I've also created a Thunderbird mail account there so I can access my e-mail from Guest.

I still don't know how my Compaq Ubuntu 12.04 system suddenly lost access to the keyboard's arrow keys, pgup, pgdn, home, end and insert/delete keys after running Ununtu 12.04 for 3 years problem-free.

(2) Now that I appreciate the presence of a guest account in solving Linux problems, how can I create an alias file from it?

(3) How can I get rid of my regular account's present keyboard problems?

Thanks very for your help.

Julianloui

I've just discovered a few things that may throw some light on my problem.

(1) If I re-install Ubuntu 12.04 from scratch by first wiping out the entire hard drive, the problem seems to have gone away at the beginning but returns shortly afterwards. Once again, only the Guest account's arrow keys remain unaffected.

(2) If I disable Guest login, my regular account is still handicapped with the frozen arrow-keys problem, as manifested by the system's failure to recall past terminal commands via the up/down arrows.

(3) If I re-enable guest login, my regular account's arrow keys still fail to work. But at least they work in the guest account. Since the Guest account's capabilities are limited, it's extremely hard to use it to perform daily computer tasks.

Someone has suggested that I delete my current main account and then open a new one as a way to fix my problem.

Once again I'll appreciate any help from this forum.

Julianloui

2014-06-20

Hi, Everyone,

I have some very encouraging news to report. When two of my Ubuntu computers sudddenly developed this weird keyboard problem one after another, all the keys located between the major (left) section and the keypad failed to work in the regular login account. This meant the 4 directional arrow keys and consequently the terminal command buffer all went dead. The problem remained unchanged when I tried another known good keyboard.

Luckily all was well with the Guest account which is endowed with few capabilities by Linux. In order to enable my wife to go online using the same machine as usual from this account, I logged in to the regular account and then created a workaround by adding her frequently-used aliases in the /etc/skel/.bashrc file. After that, I rebooted and verified that the newly added aliases all worked fine in the Guest account.

This morning out of curiosity I decided to try out a simple user-friendly keyboard with large yellow keys which I bought for a few dollars a year ago from a Big Lots store. Lo and behold, as soon as hooked it up, all the keyboard woes went away and I still can use the keyboard in any way at this moment. Remember what I wrote previously about the first 'bad' machine's keyboard? A few days ago I put it and its companion computer away. But when I turned this system on again yesterday, everything was fine and dandy.

At this point, I begin to wonder what brought on this occasinal conflict between Unbuntu 12.04 and my keyboards, which I've never witnessed in my 3-year history as an Ubuntu user with 4 Ubuntu systems until only recently. But anyway I think my workaround should prepare me for the next similar keyboard trouble break-out.

I hope this report will prove helpful to someone who may experience the same problem in the future.

julianvb

2014-06-20

Hi, Everyone,

I have some very encouraging news to report. When two of my Ubuntu computers sudddenly developed this weird keyboard problem one after another, all the keys located between the major (left) section and the keypad failed to work in the regular login account. This meant the 4 directional arrow keys and consequently the terminal command buffer all went dead. The problem remained unchanged when I tried another known good keyboard.

Luckily all was well with the Guest account which is endowed with few capabilities by Linux. In order to enable my wife to go online using the same machine as usual from this account, I logged in to the regular account and then created a workaround by adding her frequently-used aliases in the /etc/skel/.bashrc file. After that, I rebooted and verified that the newly added aliases all worked fine in the Guest account.

This morning out of curiosity I decided to try out a simple user-friendly keyboard with large yellow keys which I bought for a few dollars a year ago from a Big Lots store. Lo and behold, as soon as hooked it up, all the keyboard woes went away and I still can use the keyboard in any way at this moment. Remember what I wrote previously about the first 'bad' machine's keyboard? A few days ago I put it and its companion computer away. But when I turned this system on again yesterday, everything was fine and dandy.

At this point, I begin to wonder what brought on this occasinal conflict between Unbuntu 12.04 and my keyboards, which I've never witnessed in my 3-year history as an Ubuntu user with 4 Ubuntu systems until only recently. But anyway I think my workaround should prepare me for the next similar keyboard trouble break-out.

I hope this report will prove helpful to someone who may experience the same problem in the future.

julianvb

------CORRECTION-------

I should have signed as Julianloui, not julianvb i my last post above

Julianloui

2014-06-20

------- New Useful Input and Status Summary -----

I've just discovered something new about the second 'suspected' keyboad which is a bi-lingual Acer one, not the one with large yellow keys as reported in my last post. If I turn on its NumLock key, neither the regular account nor the Guest account works as far as the arrow keys go. However, if I shut off the NumLock key, both accounts work normally again. This shows that my previously reported Ubuntu 12.04's keyboard conflicts are mysterious but not permanent as it's evident from the recovery of this system, a Compaq tabletop as well as that of my first troubled system, a Dell desktop. It's interesting to note that the Dell system now works regardless of the NumLock key.

First system discovered with failing arrow keys: Dell desktop with a Gateway keyboard
Second system discovered with failing arrow keys: Compaq tabletop with a bilingual Acer keyboard

In short, both the Dell and Compaq Ubuntu 12.04 systems' regular and Guest accounts are now working again.

Julianloui

PROBLEM --- NOW --- SOLVED ------ 2014-06-20

Julianloui