[gentoo-accessibility] Switching virtual consoles after logging into Gnome

[gentoo-accessibility] Switching virtual consoles after logging into Gnome

[Keith Wessel]

Hi, all,

I hadn't used Gnome in quite a while and logged in last week to find some
significant improvements in screen reader functionality and accessibility.
But I have a weird problem. After logging in, ctrl + alt + function-keys no
longer allow me to switch back to my text virtual consoles. Pressing those
keys while logged in to Gnome does nothing. If I log out, those keys then
work again. But if I want to get back to, say, virtual console 1 while being
logged into Gnome, I can't, at least not by the usual means.

I'm wondering if anyone has encountered this and, if so, if they've managed
to fix it. I'm wondering if it could be a keyboard map issue. I also
discovered that alt + F10 doesn't pull up the Gnome menu, and numlock is
always on; pressing it doesn't seem to turn it off. In fact, I've only been
able to use alt + F2 to open the command dialogue where I can then run
things like my browser or, to log out, gnome-session-quit. If it is my
keymap, can anyone advise me on resetting or changing that?

Thanks for any wisdom anyone can share.

Keith

Re: [gentoo-accessibility] Switching virtual consoles after logging into Gnome

[Mart Raudsepp]

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Hello,

> But if I want to get back to, say, virtual console 1
> while being logged into Gnome, I can't, at least not by the usual
> means.

Did you try other virtual consoles? With systemd, GDM runs on VT1, so
there won't be a text virtual console there if you use GDM. In that
scenario, it's likely VT2 is your logged in user GNOME session, unless
you had agetty opened up there before logging in.

> I'm wondering if anyone has encountered this and, if so, if they've
> managed to fix it. I'm wondering if it could be a keyboard map issue.
> I also discovered that alt + F10 doesn't pull up the Gnome menu

Alt+F10 is the shortcut to toggle between maximized and restored (non-
maximized) state. Super+F10 is for global application menu, while F10
is for normal menu opening (gear menu for new HIG apps and menubar in
old-style stuff).
Super is the key between Ctrl and Alt.

> and numlock is
> always on; pressing it doesn't seem to turn it off. In fact, I've
> only been
> able to use alt + F2 to open the command dialogue where I can then
> run
> things like my browser or, to log out, gnome-session-quit. If it is
> my
> keymap, can anyone advise me on resetting or changing that?

The whole interface is changed compared to GNOME 2, and I suspect
that's what you are experiencing here. There is no global "Start Menu"
or Application tree menu. Hitting Super (and releasing it without
pressing anything else besides the modifier) will open up the
activities overview. In there you can launch application by starting to
type the name, or browse the installed applications. There are
extensions that restore the old thing a bit, but I'm not sure how
accessible they are.


Best,
Mart

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RE: [gentoo-accessibility] Switching virtual consoles after logging into Gnome

[Keith Wessel]

Hi, Mart,

On my system-based Gentoo system, GDM runs on VT7. I've got text consoles on the first six, though I'm only logged into four of those. And no, control + alt + any function key does nothing when I press it from  a logged-in Gnome session other than the screen reader announcing the keys as I press them.

Furthermore, super does nothing nor does F10 by itself or with alt, super or control. Only key I can get to do anything is alt + F2 or, when I'm in an application like a browser, alt + f4 to close it.

Any further thoughts?

Thanks,
Keith


-----Original Message-----
From: Mart Raudsepp <leio@gentoo.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2019 11:56 AM
To: gentoo-accessibility@lists.gentoo.org
Cc: Keith Wessel <keith@wessel.com>
Subject: Re: [gentoo-accessibility] Switching virtual consoles after logging into Gnome

Hello,

> But if I want to get back to, say, virtual console 1 while being 
> logged into Gnome, I can't, at least not by the usual means.

Did you try other virtual consoles? With systemd, GDM runs on VT1, so there won't be a text virtual console there if you use GDM. In that scenario, it's likely VT2 is your logged in user GNOME session, unless you had agetty opened up there before logging in.

> I'm wondering if anyone has encountered this and, if so, if they've 
> managed to fix it. I'm wondering if it could be a keyboard map issue.
> I also discovered that alt + F10 doesn't pull up the Gnome menu

Alt+F10 is the shortcut to toggle between maximized and restored (non-
maximized) state. Super+F10 is for global application menu, while F10 is for normal menu opening (gear menu for new HIG apps and menubar in old-style stuff).
Super is the key between Ctrl and Alt.

> and numlock is
> always on; pressing it doesn't seem to turn it off. In fact, I've only 
> been able to use alt + F2 to open the command dialogue where I can 
> then run things like my browser or, to log out, gnome-session-quit. If 
> it is my keymap, can anyone advise me on resetting or changing that?

The whole interface is changed compared to GNOME 2, and I suspect that's what you are experiencing here. There is no global "Start Menu"
or Application tree menu. Hitting Super (and releasing it without pressing anything else besides the modifier) will open up the activities overview. In there you can launch application by starting to type the name, or browse the installed applications. There are extensions that restore the old thing a bit, but I'm not sure how accessible they are.


Best,
Mart

RE: [gentoo-accessibility] Switching virtual consoles after logging into Gnome

[Keith Wessel]

All,

Apologies, Mart, but you were correct. What I failed to do after the latest Gnome updates was to reboot or restart gdm. As a result, GDM was still running in VT7 and, when I logged in, my logged in session was in VT7. But whatever changes were made for the new functionality were keeping me from switching consoles.

I rebooted this morning after making some unrelated system changes, and my Gnome login screen came up in VT1. I logged in, and my logged in session was in VT2. I was able to switch to text consoles once again with the ctrl + alt + function keys, too. So, a reboot solved it.

I'm still not getting any menus to pop up with super + f10, but I'll keep working with that.

Next time, I'll reboot before posting.

Thanks,
Keith


-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Wessel <kwessel76@gmail.com> On Behalf Of Keith Wessel
Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2019 12:10 PM
To: gentoo-accessibility@lists.gentoo.org
Subject: RE: [gentoo-accessibility] Switching virtual consoles after logging into Gnome

Hi, Mart,

On my system-based Gentoo system, GDM runs on VT7. I've got text consoles on the first six, though I'm only logged into four of those. And no, control + alt + any function key does nothing when I press it from  a logged-in Gnome session other than the screen reader announcing the keys as I press them.

Furthermore, super does nothing nor does F10 by itself or with alt, super or control. Only key I can get to do anything is alt + F2 or, when I'm in an application like a browser, alt + f4 to close it.

Any further thoughts?

Thanks,
Keith


-----Original Message-----
From: Mart Raudsepp <leio@gentoo.org> 
Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2019 11:56 AM
To: gentoo-accessibility@lists.gentoo.org
Cc: Keith Wessel <keith@wessel.com>
Subject: Re: [gentoo-accessibility] Switching virtual consoles after logging into Gnome

Hello,

> But if I want to get back to, say, virtual console 1 while being 
> logged into Gnome, I can't, at least not by the usual means.

Did you try other virtual consoles? With systemd, GDM runs on VT1, so there won't be a text virtual console there if you use GDM. In that scenario, it's likely VT2 is your logged in user GNOME session, unless you had agetty opened up there before logging in.

> I'm wondering if anyone has encountered this and, if so, if they've 
> managed to fix it. I'm wondering if it could be a keyboard map issue.
> I also discovered that alt + F10 doesn't pull up the Gnome menu

Alt+F10 is the shortcut to toggle between maximized and restored (non-
maximized) state. Super+F10 is for global application menu, while F10 is for normal menu opening (gear menu for new HIG apps and menubar in old-style stuff).
Super is the key between Ctrl and Alt.

> and numlock is
> always on; pressing it doesn't seem to turn it off. In fact, I've only 
> been able to use alt + F2 to open the command dialogue where I can 
> then run things like my browser or, to log out, gnome-session-quit. If 
> it is my keymap, can anyone advise me on resetting or changing that?

The whole interface is changed compared to GNOME 2, and I suspect that's what you are experiencing here. There is no global "Start Menu"
or Application tree menu. Hitting Super (and releasing it without pressing anything else besides the modifier) will open up the activities overview. In there you can launch application by starting to type the name, or browse the installed applications. There are extensions that restore the old thing a bit, but I'm not sure how accessible they are.


Best,
Mart