in case someone on debian looks here first, installing xdotool circumvent the issue see https://sourceforge.net/p/keepass/bugs/1530/ that explains the workaround and my bug report upstream https://sourceforge.net/p/keepass/bugs/1608/
-- benoit barthelet http://pgp.mit.edu/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xF150E01A72F6D2EE