Oh I see. The hardware is switching between the same key meaning
KEY_PREVIOUSSONG or KEY_F4. So I think when the bug occurs it must be
after KEY_F4 went down and never came up before the hardware switched to
KEY_PREVIOUSSONG mode. Or the hardware switched Fn-lock so even if the
F4 key was released, it's no longer known as F4 when released. So in
software the F4 key is believed to be stuck down.
This might be difficult to solve in software because KEY_PREVIOUSSONG is
not always on the F4 key. It could be elsewhere on the keyboard so we
can't just pretend they are the same key.
Unless there's a simple logic error in Mutter, I think this would need
to be solved with a hardware quirk in the kernel.
** Package changed: ubuntu => linux-hwe (Ubuntu)
** Changed in: linux-hwe (Ubuntu)
Status: Incomplete => New
** Package changed: linux-hwe (Ubuntu) => linux (Ubuntu)
** Also affects: mutter (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
** Changed in: mutter (Ubuntu)
Status: New => Opinion
** Summary changed:
- "Repeat keys" causes `ctrl` and `alt` keys to misbehave
+ [Dell XPS 15 9570] F4 key action repeats even when not held down
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You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2112439
Title:
[Dell XPS 15 9570] F4 key action repeats even when not held down
Status in GNOME Shell:
Fix Released
Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
New
Status in mutter package in Ubuntu:
Opinion
Bug description:
### Affected version
- Device: Laptop Dell Inc. XPS 15 9570
- OS: Ubuntu 24.04.2
- Gnome Shell: 46
- Windowing system: Wayland
- Issue happens without extensions: Maybe? Is hard to reproduce, more details
later.
### Bug summary
At times when focusing a [Brave browser](https://brave.com) or [Ungoogled
Chormium](https://github.com/ungoogled-software/ungoogled-chromium), the `ctrl`
and `alt` keys behave weirdly:
- Hitting `ctrl` causes the current tab to close
- Hitting `alt` causes the whole window to close, if multiple tabs are open
the dialog to close multiple tabs show up.
VSCode can also behave weirdly, if the console is active it may print
the `^[OS` control character.
Important things to point out
- The behavior happens after an initial unknown trigger and then switching
the focus of a window via the Activities view.
- Hitting `tab` fixed the issue, until you switch focus again via the
Activities view.
- It happens only in the laptop keyboard, external keyboards do not show this
behavior.
- Disabling "Repeat Keys" makes the issue go away, until it gets reenabled.
### Steps to reproduce
1. An unknown trigger that I haven't been able to nail down
2. Open a terminal window via a a custom keyboard shortcut
3. Switch to workspace 2 via keyboard shortcuts
4. Open a terminal window via a a custom keyboard shortcut
5. Switch back to workspace 1 via keyboard shortcuts
6. Focus Brave browser
7. Hit `ctrl` or `alt` keys
### What happened
The `ctrl` or `alt` keys do not behave as expected
### What did you expect to happen
For the `ctrl` and `alt` keys to not change behavior
### Relevant logs, screenshots, screencasts etc.
- [Gnome Shell
issue](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-shell/-/issues/8443)
- [Bug opened with the Brave
team](https://community.brave.com/t/brave-on-linux-sometimes-closes-windows-with-alt-and-tabs-with-ctrl/620892/11)
- [Very similar issue on
Mutter](https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/mutter/-/issues/1066)
- [Reddit
thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubuntu/comments/14tsrur/pressing_ctrl_closes_browser_tab_in_ubuntu_2304/)
- [This comment is the exact same
issue](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ubuntu/comments/14tsrur/comment/kpiiiye/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
- [Thread on AskUbuntu with the disable "Repeat Keys"
workaround](https://askubuntu.com/questions/1497058/ubuntu-23-10-pressing-alt-key-closes-window-abruptly/1532813)
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 24.04
Package: gnome-shell 46.0-0ubuntu6~24.04.9
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.8.0-60.63-generic 6.8.12
Uname: Linux 6.8.0-60-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.28.1-0ubuntu3.6
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: pass
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Wed Jun 4 00:16:22 2025
DisplayManager: gdm3
InstallationDate: Installed on 2023-03-06 (821 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS "Jammy Jellyfish" - Release amd64
(20230223)
ProcEnviron:
LANG=en_US.UTF-8
PATH=(custom, no user)
SHELL=/bin/bash
XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
RelatedPackageVersions: mutter-common 46.2-1ubuntu0.24.04.8
SourcePackage: gnome-shell
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to noble on 2024-09-02 (275 days ago)
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