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Asked: 2024-09-26T18:44:03+05:30 In:

How can I resolve an issue where unlocking my screen results in the Super key ceasing to function in Ubuntu?

So, I’ve been having this really annoying issue with my Ubuntu setup lately, and it’s driving me a bit crazy. I’ve been using my system for a while now, and I love it. But here’s the thing: every time I unlock my screen, the Super key just stops working. Like, completely!

At first, I thought it was just a one-off thing, but this keeps happening almost every time I leave my computer for a bit and then come back. I rely on the Super key for a lot—like opening the Dash, launching applications, and using shortcuts. It’s such a pain to have to log out or restart just to get it functioning again.

I’ve tried a couple of things to troubleshoot it. I’ve looked into whether it’s a keyboard issue, but that doesn’t seem to be the case since all the other keys work perfectly fine. I’ve also checked for any misconfigurations in the keyboard settings and the shortcuts. Everything looks normal there. I’ve seen some forums suggest resetting the GNOME settings, but I’m a bit hesitant because I really don’t want to mess up any of my custom setups or lose my data.

Interestingly, I noticed that sometimes it will start working again if I mash the key a bunch of times or toggle the keyboard layout, but who has time for that? I also read about some possible bugs with the display manager or something related to the screen locking mechanisms in certain versions of Ubuntu, but I’m not sure if that applies to my situation.

Has anyone else faced this weird glitch? I’m running the latest version of Ubuntu, so I really wasn’t expecting this kind of problem. It’s quite frustrating when you’re just trying to get back to work and find that something as fundamental as the Super key isn’t functioning. If anyone has any insights or possible fixes that don’t involve a full setup reset, I’d really appreciate it! Thanks!

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    2 Answers

    1. Hey there, I totally get how annoying this issue can be! It sounds like you’re dealing with a weird bug. I haven’t faced this exact problem, but I think I can throw a few ideas your way.

      First, since you mentioned it happens after unlocking the screen, it might be worth checking if your keyboard settings in GNOME are set up correctly. Sometimes the layout may change after waking the computer. You could try setting your desired layout as the default again, just to be safe.

      I read on some forums that restarting the GNOME shell can fix temporary glitches. You can try pressing Alt + F2, then type r and hit Enter. This will restart the GNOME shell without logging you out. It might bring your Super key back to life!

      If that doesn’t work and since the issue seems linked to the screen locking, maybe check if there are any updates available for Ubuntu or your graphics drivers. Sometimes, bugs like this are fixed in updates. Just open the terminal and type:

      sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

      Also, have you tried creating a new user profile to see if the problem persists? This could help determine if it’s a user-specific setting or something system-wide.

      Lastly, if you’re hesitant about resetting GNOME settings, maybe try backing up your settings first. You can export your current configuration using dconf, just in case you need to restore it later:

      dconf dump / > gnome-settings-backup.txt

      It’s definitely frustrating when tools don’t work as they’re supposed to. Hopefully one of these tricks helps you get that Super key working again! Good luck!

    2. The issue you’re experiencing with the Super key not functioning after unlocking your screen is a known problem that has affected several users in various versions of Ubuntu. This glitch can stem from conflicts between the GNOME desktop environment and certain display managers, particularly related to keyboard event handling after screen locking. Since you’ve confirmed that other keys work fine and there are no misconfigurations in your keyboard settings, we can focus on potential workarounds without resorting to drastic measures like resetting your GNOME settings.

      One common approach to troubleshoot this behavior is to check for any active keyboard shortcuts that may be conflicting with the Super key functionality. You can do this by going to Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts and ensuring that no shortcuts have been assigned that could be intercepting Super key events. Additionally, try disabling extensions one by one if you’re using GNOME Shell extensions, as they can sometimes introduce unexpected behavior. If the problem continues, you may want to consider monitoring for system errors using the journalctl command to spot any anomalies during lock/unlock cycles, which might provide further insight into the root cause.

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