Xpra: Ticket #1578: German apple keyboard third level chooser not working

I'm using a german apple qwertz keyboard on a macOS 10.12.5 with xpra 2.0.3. I'm connecting to a Linux box running xpra 0.17.6.

German apple keyboards generate characters such as @, ~, [], {} using the ALT/Option key as the third level chooser. This does not work at all in Xpra.

Since I'm connecting to the linux box for development purposes, access to those keys is rather crucial for me. I can get around by switching to international layout, but then all keyboard shortcuts are off as well.

Xquartz handles the keyboard mapping rather well (I can use Mac keyboard shortcuts with IntelliJ on Linux), but has the nasty habit of loosing windows off screen randomly.

Is there some configuration options I might have overlooked? Or am I asking for the impossible?

On the linuxbox:

setxkbmap -print => empty set
setxkbmap -query =>
  rules: base
  layout: at

on the mac:

setxkbmap -print
xkb_keymap {
	xkb_keycodes  { include "empty+aliases(qwerty)"	};
	xkb_types     { include "complete"	};
	xkb_compat    { include "complete"	};
	xkb_symbols   { include "empty(basic)"	};
	xkb_geometry  { include "pc(pc104)"	};
};
setxkbmap -query
rules:      base
model:      empty
layout:     empty

xmodmap outputs are attached. I can't print the keyboard layout on mac using xkbdprint, I get error about a filepath not existing. the linux layout is attached.



Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:23:39 GMT - Larissa Naber: attachment set


Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:23:53 GMT - Larissa Naber: attachment set


Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:24:08 GMT - Larissa Naber: attachment set


Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:24:23 GMT - Larissa Naber: attachment set


Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:25:00 GMT - Larissa Naber: attachment set

linux xkbdprint


Thu, 13 Jul 2017 10:38:45 GMT - Antoine Martin: owner, description changed

The 0.17.x branch is not supported, please try with a newer version: wiki/Versions.

xpra does not use X11 at all on macos. Please clarify which xmodmap files are actually relevant (the Linux ones).

Can you please also post the "-d keyboard" output of just when you press one of those key combinations.

I do not have a german keyboard and I have no idea which keys to press to reproduce this bug.


Mon, 17 Jul 2017 09:26:08 GMT - Antoine Martin: milestone set

(edit milestone)


Thu, 20 Jul 2017 07:13:18 GMT - Antoine Martin: milestone changed

too late for 2.1


Mon, 28 Aug 2017 04:30:12 GMT - Antoine Martin: status changed; resolution set

Not heard back. Closing.


Mon, 28 Aug 2017 04:52:06 GMT - Antoine Martin:

Looks identical to #1607.


Wed, 06 Dec 2017 10:51:21 GMT - Antoine Martin:

See #1665, this may now be fixed in trunk.

Clues on how to test this "third level chooser" feature on a macos system would help, without this information I am unable to verify.


Sat, 23 Jan 2021 05:28:12 GMT - migration script:

this ticket has been moved to: https://github.com/Xpra-org/xpra/issues/1578