Some keybindings don't work in Sway Arm

lorebett · August 30, 2024, 2:38pm

I’m experimenting with Sway in PineBook Pro with EndeavourOS Arm; everything seems to work but a few keybindings (note that such keybindings, i.e., dotfiles, work correctly in other Sway installations with x86):

SUPER + arrows → don’t move the focus on windows, while they should
SUPER + H, J, K, L → still don’t move the focus on windows (alternative bindings), while they should
SHIFT + SUPER + arrows → don’t move the tiled windows, while they should, but…
SHIFT + SUPER + H, J, K, L → correctly move the tiled windows (alternative bindings) as expected

By the way, I see the same problem in Hyperland on PineBook Pro, so it looks like a general Wayland problem.

Any clue, please?

BluishHumility · August 30, 2024, 7:54pm

Let’s see the config.

If you are using drop-in files in your config, make sure you are sourcing the directory they live in from ~/.config/sway/config.

Be sure to set your keymap in the config somewhere. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Sway#Keymap Double-check that it matches what you have for localectl status.

Install wev and check that the keyboard events for these keys are what you expect them to be.

Pudge · August 31, 2024, 1:22am

~~I am not sure if this is the official site for Sway, but if it is~~

~~https://github.com/sway/sway.github.com~~

~~it isn’t looking good.~~

I found the proper site for Sway WM, latest release is 1.9 issued Feb 24, 2024

https://github.com/swaywm/sway/releases

Pudge

EDIT:
@BluishHumility
I just went to the github EnOS Community edition for sway.
Thank you for all the updates you have done to Sway in the last couple of weeks.
I haven’t played with Sway for probably 18 months. When I get a chance I will have to do a new install and check it out.

lorebett · August 31, 2024, 7:14am

Hi, thanks for the information for debugging!

Here are some results.

The config parts concerning the keybindings mentioned above are (I’m not sourcing other keybindings files):

# Logo key. Use Mod1 for Alt.
set $mod Mod4
# Home row direction keys, like vim
set $left h
set $down j
set $up k
set $right l

#
# Moving around:
#
    # Move your focus around
    #bindsym $mod+$left focus left
    #bindsym $mod+$down focus down
    #bindsym $mod+$up focus up
    #bindsym $mod+$right focus right
    # Or use $mod+[up|down|left|right]
    bindsym $mod+Left focus left
    bindsym $mod+Down focus down
    bindsym $mod+Up focus up
    bindsym $mod+Right focus right

    # Move your focus with Alt+TAB
    bindsym Alt+Tab focus next
    bindsym Shift+Alt+Tab focus prev

    # Move the focused window with the same, but add Shift
    bindsym $mod+Shift+$left move left
    bindsym $mod+Shift+$down move down
    bindsym $mod+Shift+$up move up
    bindsym $mod+Shift+$right move right
    # Ditto, with arrow keys
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move right

The layout(s) are set as follows (and currently, I’ve already pressed right CTRL to switch to PineBook’s US layout):

# right Ctrl to switch
input type:keyboard {
    xkb_layout it,us
    xkb_options grp:rctrl_toggle
}

Here’s the output of the localectl program:

❯ localectl status
System Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8
    VC Keymap: (unset)
   X11 Layout: (unset)

And wev (wev -f wl_keyboard), when pressing and releasing SUPER:

[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 3771; time: 1084728; key: 133; state: 1 (pressed)
                      sym: Super_L      (65515), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] modifiers: serial: 1; group: 0
                      depressed: 00000040: Mod4
                      latched: 00000000
                      locked: 00000000
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 3773; time: 1084840; key: 133; state: 0 (released)
                      sym: Super_L      (65515), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] modifiers: serial: 1; group: 0
                      depressed: 00000000
                      latched: 00000000
                      locked: 00000000

when pressing the right arrow key alone:

[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 3992; time: 1130337; key: 114; state: 1 (pressed)
                      sym: Right        (65363), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 3993; time: 1130345; key: 114; state: 0 (released)
                      sym: Right        (65363), utf8: ''

When pressing SUPER + right arrow key, only information concerning SUPER is printed, nothing about the arrow key (?)

When pressing SUPER + h, it is detected, but the focus is not changed:

[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 4820; time: 1247125; key: 133; state: 1 (pressed)
                      sym: Super_L      (65515), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] modifiers: serial: 1; group: 0
                      depressed: 00000040: Mod4
                      latched: 00000000
                      locked: 00000000
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 4822; time: 1247533; key: 43; state: 1 (pressed)
                      sym: h            (104), utf8: 'h'
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 4823; time: 1247613; key: 43; state: 0 (released)
                      sym: h            (104), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] key: serial: 4824; time: 1247973; key: 133; state: 0 (released)
                      sym: Super_L      (65515), utf8: ''
[14:     wl_keyboard] modifiers: serial: 1; group: 0
                      depressed: 00000000
                      latched: 00000000
                      locked: 00000000

BluishHumility · August 31, 2024, 11:42am

Let’s test the keybindings using a different modifier key (like Mod1 for Alt).

set $mod Mod1

Edit:

It will be good to test plugging in an external keyboard as well and see if you get a different result.

lorebett · September 3, 2024, 1:34pm

Here are few more experiments.

First of all, I started from scratch with the default config:

cp /etc/sway/config .config/sway/config

its contents are as follows:

# Default config for sway
#
# Copy this to ~/.config/sway/config and edit it to your liking.
#
# Read `man 5 sway` for a complete reference.

### Variables
#
# Logo key. Use Mod1 for Alt.
set $mod Mod4
# Home row direction keys, like vim
set $left h
set $down j
set $up k
set $right l
# Your preferred terminal emulator
set $term foot
# Your preferred application launcher
# Note: pass the final command to swaymsg so that the resulting window can be opened
# on the original workspace that the command was run on.
set $menu dmenu_path | wmenu | xargs swaymsg exec --

### Output configuration
#
# Default wallpaper (more resolutions are available in /usr/share/backgrounds/sway/)
output * bg /usr/share/backgrounds/sway/Sway_Wallpaper_Blue_1920x1080.png fill
#
# Example configuration:
#
#   output HDMI-A-1 resolution 1920x1080 position 1920,0
#
# You can get the names of your outputs by running: swaymsg -t get_outputs

### Idle configuration
#
# Example configuration:
#
# exec swayidle -w \
#          timeout 300 'swaylock -f -c 000000' \
#          timeout 600 'swaymsg "output * power off"' resume 'swaymsg "output * power on"' \
#          before-sleep 'swaylock -f -c 000000'
#
# This will lock your screen after 300 seconds of inactivity, then turn off
# your displays after another 300 seconds, and turn your screens back on when
# resumed. It will also lock your screen before your computer goes to sleep.

### Input configuration
#
# Example configuration:
#
#   input "2:14:SynPS/2_Synaptics_TouchPad" {
#       dwt enabled
#       tap enabled
#       natural_scroll enabled
#       middle_emulation enabled
#   }
#
# You can get the names of your inputs by running: swaymsg -t get_inputs
# Read `man 5 sway-input` for more information about this section.

### Key bindings
#
# Basics:
#
    # Start a terminal
    bindsym $mod+Return exec $term

    # Kill focused window
    bindsym $mod+Shift+q kill

    # Start your launcher
    bindsym $mod+d exec $menu

    # Drag floating windows by holding down $mod and left mouse button.
    # Resize them with right mouse button + $mod.
    # Despite the name, also works for non-floating windows.
    # Change normal to inverse to use left mouse button for resizing and right
    # mouse button for dragging.
    floating_modifier $mod normal

    # Reload the configuration file
    bindsym $mod+Shift+c reload

    # Exit sway (logs you out of your Wayland session)
    bindsym $mod+Shift+e exec swaynag -t warning -m 'You pressed the exit shortcut. Do you really want to exit sway? This will end your Wayland session.' -B 'Yes, exit sway' 'swaymsg exit'
#
# Moving around:
#
    # Move your focus around
    bindsym $mod+$left focus left
    bindsym $mod+$down focus down
    bindsym $mod+$up focus up
    bindsym $mod+$right focus right
    # Or use $mod+[up|down|left|right]
    bindsym $mod+Left focus left
    bindsym $mod+Down focus down
    bindsym $mod+Up focus up
    bindsym $mod+Right focus right

    # Move the focused window with the same, but add Shift
    bindsym $mod+Shift+$left move left
    bindsym $mod+Shift+$down move down
    bindsym $mod+Shift+$up move up
    bindsym $mod+Shift+$right move right
    # Ditto, with arrow keys
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Left move left
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Down move down
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Up move up
    bindsym $mod+Shift+Right move right
#
# Workspaces:
#
    # Switch to workspace
    bindsym $mod+1 workspace number 1
    bindsym $mod+2 workspace number 2
    bindsym $mod+3 workspace number 3
    bindsym $mod+4 workspace number 4
    bindsym $mod+5 workspace number 5
    bindsym $mod+6 workspace number 6
    bindsym $mod+7 workspace number 7
    bindsym $mod+8 workspace number 8
    bindsym $mod+9 workspace number 9
    bindsym $mod+0 workspace number 10
    # Move focused container to workspace
    bindsym $mod+Shift+1 move container to workspace number 1
    bindsym $mod+Shift+2 move container to workspace number 2
    bindsym $mod+Shift+3 move container to workspace number 3
    bindsym $mod+Shift+4 move container to workspace number 4
    bindsym $mod+Shift+5 move container to workspace number 5
    bindsym $mod+Shift+6 move container to workspace number 6
    bindsym $mod+Shift+7 move container to workspace number 7
    bindsym $mod+Shift+8 move container to workspace number 8
    bindsym $mod+Shift+9 move container to workspace number 9
    bindsym $mod+Shift+0 move container to workspace number 10
    # Note: workspaces can have any name you want, not just numbers.
    # We just use 1-10 as the default.
#
# Layout stuff:
#
    # You can "split" the current object of your focus with
    # $mod+b or $mod+v, for horizontal and vertical splits
    # respectively.
    bindsym $mod+b splith
    bindsym $mod+v splitv

    # Switch the current container between different layout styles
    bindsym $mod+s layout stacking
    bindsym $mod+w layout tabbed
    bindsym $mod+e layout toggle split

    # Make the current focus fullscreen
    bindsym $mod+f fullscreen

    # Toggle the current focus between tiling and floating mode
    bindsym $mod+Shift+space floating toggle

    # Swap focus between the tiling area and the floating area
    bindsym $mod+space focus mode_toggle

    # Move focus to the parent container
    bindsym $mod+a focus parent
#
# Scratchpad:
#
    # Sway has a "scratchpad", which is a bag of holding for windows.
    # You can send windows there and get them back later.

    # Move the currently focused window to the scratchpad
    bindsym $mod+Shift+minus move scratchpad

    # Show the next scratchpad window or hide the focused scratchpad window.
    # If there are multiple scratchpad windows, this command cycles through them.
    bindsym $mod+minus scratchpad show
#
# Resizing containers:
#
mode "resize" {
    # left will shrink the containers width
    # right will grow the containers width
    # up will shrink the containers height
    # down will grow the containers height
    bindsym $left resize shrink width 10px
    bindsym $down resize grow height 10px
    bindsym $up resize shrink height 10px
    bindsym $right resize grow width 10px

    # Ditto, with arrow keys
    bindsym Left resize shrink width 10px
    bindsym Down resize grow height 10px
    bindsym Up resize shrink height 10px
    bindsym Right resize grow width 10px

    # Return to default mode
    bindsym Return mode "default"
    bindsym Escape mode "default"
}
bindsym $mod+r mode "resize"

#
# Status Bar:
#
# Read `man 5 sway-bar` for more information about this section.
bar {
    position top

    # When the status_command prints a new line to stdout, swaybar updates.
    # The default just shows the current date and time.
    status_command while date +'%Y-%m-%d %X'; do sleep 1; done

    colors {
        statusline #ffffff
        background #323232
        inactive_workspace #32323200 #32323200 #5c5c5c
    }
}

include /etc/sway/config.d/*

Thus, from what I understand, this configuration does not specify any keyboard layout at all, and should take the system one.

With this default config (of course, I reloaded Sway):

SUPER + arrows → don’t move the focus on windows, while they should
SUPER + H, J, K, L → DO move the focus on windows, so these now work!
SHIFT + SUPER + arrows → don’t move the tiled windows, while they should, but…
SHIFT + SUPER + H, J, K, L → correctly move the tiled windows, they were working also in my original post

By switching the modifier key as suggested by @BluishHumility to Alt, all of the above work (even with arrow keys).

So it must be some wrong configuration of the keyboard? With the default configuration, no keyboard layout is specified. In my original config, I had it and us (in the PineBook I switch to us).

BluishHumility · September 3, 2024, 1:36pm

I’m not convinced it’s a software thing. Did you try an external keyboard?

lorebett · September 3, 2024, 2:06pm

I’m afraid I don’t have any…

by the way, I also found this https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Sway#Keybindings_and_keyboard_layouts and tried for the left arrow key as follows:

bindsym --to-code $mod+Left focus left

but the arrow key is still not detected when the modified is SUPER.

Please, remember that wev does not print the arrow keys when pressed after SUPER is pressed… it is as if they are not simply passed to Wayland, or did I get it wrong?