Subject: Funny X-windows problem with recent current.
To: None <current-users@netbsd.org>
From: Paul Newhouse <newhouse@rockhead.com>
List: current-users
Date: 06/11/1999 01:07:09
Platform i386 (K6 266 & K6 400) running current kernel, userland and xsrc.

Right now I'm getting pretty fustrated with what looks like an X-windows 
problem.  This key-repeat problem keeps recurring.  I might see it in 5 
minutes from the time I restart X or it might take a couple of days.  I'm 
certain it's not a real hardware keyboard problem or a problem with my 
Omni-Views or anything like that because:

1) When I kill the Console window and drop back to the ASCII  console there 
   is no indication of key repeat.

2) I've disconnected the keyboard from the OmniView and pluged 3 different
   keyboards into the machine directly, still happens.

3) I've run on a different (although very similar) machine and still see 
   the problem.

4) Sometimes I get different characters in different windows.
   In a couple of windows I'll have repeating 9's, yet in one 
   window I'll have a continuous undo cycle (u's) in a vi session
   and in yet another window I'll have a repeating beeping bell
   on the speaker.

The last symptom was the clincher for me that it's software.

Sometimes I'll notice the repeat starting and if I catch it before 20
or so characters by hitting enter or backspace, it will stop.  Othertimes
I'll notice that the keyboard entry is getting really slow response and
may even seize up (refuse keyboard entry at all or it's repeating something
like delete ... maybe). The mouse is still active and I can kill the console 
window.  

Has anybody seen this or have any clue what the deal is with this?  I'm 
completely baffled.  I rebuilt the kernel, userland & xsrc from source
current last weekend.  I've been seeing this for about 3 weeks as best 
I can recall.  It seems especially likely to happen if I have a vi session
running (although I have vi running a lot so that could just be statistically
likely).  I always have exmh, knews & netscape running. Almost always 5 xterms 
on the local machine and 5-10 xterms that are running on the other machine (
displaying locally) and usually a few xterms running ssh.  (Just incase the 
average load is somehow relevant *8^).

TIA,
Paul Newhouse
newhouse@rockhead.com