Ubuntu
gksu package

gksu inherits current window's keyboard layout

Bug #174727 reported by Yaron Tausky
16
This bug affects 3 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
gksu (Ubuntu)
Confirmed
Low
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: gksu

Default behaviour for new windows is to start with the user's default keyboard layout. However, gksu inherits the keyboard layout used by the window that had focus when gksu started. The user does not expect this behaviour since it contradicts the default behaviour of other windows, and most of the time the gksu prompt is totally unrelated to the focused window (when starting an administrative application from the System menu, for example), which further adds to the user's confusion.
As a side note, I believe most users pick a Latin-script password (since virtually every computer supports it), so having gksu start with a different keyboard layout is totally useless for most users.

Revision history for this message
Daniel T Chen (crimsun) wrote :

Is this symptom still reproducible in 8.10?

Changed in gksu:
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Yaron Tausky (yaront) wrote :

Yes. Steps to reproduce:
1. Set the current window's keyboard layout to something other than the default
2. Launch Synaptic from the System menu
For added effect, if the current window's keyboard layout is for a RTL script, the asterisks in gksu will appear from right to left when you type (which serves as a good indicator that it's using the wrong layout).

Changed in gksu:
status: Incomplete → New
Revision history for this message
Sebastien Bacher (seb128) wrote :

the issue is somewhat similar to bug #187303

Changed in gksu (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Low
Revision history for this message
What, me urgent? (whatmeurgent) wrote :

This bug is still here; still confiusing people ...
With maybe one helpful, and one defintely frustrating note.

GKSU authentification window does not include keyboard layout switcher

SCENARIO:
=========
1] Set a second keyboard layout (To make this easy to illustrate, pick an RTL language, eg. hebrew or arabic)
2] Select that keyboard layout using the gnome panel applet
3] Alt+f2 to bring up the "run application dialog"
4] Select your original keyboard layout and type gksu foo-bar (nautilus, gnome-terminal, synaptic, whatever)
5] Enter your password, and watch the masking characters appear RTL (wrong keyboard layout).

There is no way to change the keyboard layout.
The only option seems to be to select cancel, which bumps the user back TWO steps, not one, but then does allow the user to change keyboard layouts before invoking the 'run application dialog'.

"TRYING TO HELPFUL" NOTE:
=========================
An identically-looking authentification screen appears when locking the terminal, or putting the machine in 'suspend' state, with the exception that in those cases, when multiple keyboard layouts have been selected, an indication of the current keyboard layout appears to the right of the password entry field. Clicking on that indication toggles the keyboard layout, and allows the password to be entered correctly.

FRUSTRATION EXPRESSION NOTE:
============================
The scenario I presented was intentionally easy to figure out. The usual case will be of two LTR keyboards, and NO visual feedback of why the user's password entry is being rejected.

Thomas Hotz (thotz-deactivatedaccount)
Changed in gksu (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
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