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For some reason, my mod key no longer activates any of the key bindings and I can't use the shortcuts.

I use gentoo, use vi + tmux + urxvt. I have tmux mapped to Ctrl + a. I'd been using the default mod key (windows logo) to activate awesome. I have an rc.lua file that I configure under .config/awesome, and it hasn't changed during updates. This has been running fine.

When running xev, and pressing the mod key, no events appear at all. Yet the keyboard and all keys work fine on another machine.

Anyone have thoughts why the mod key isn't triggering anything?

Ender
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2 Answers2

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(note: this answer belongs more to superuser.com rather than stackoverflow.com)

There is multiple ways this can happen. One of them is changing the keyboard layout "the wrong way". However, the most likely (and facepalm) way it happens is that some keyboards manufacturer consider this a feature.

If you have a Logitech or other brands of gaming keyboards, they usually have a little switch to disable the windows key to prevent accidental hits from the palm of your hand when pressing w/a/s/d. Maybe you hit that switch by mistake?

Another way is that you mapped Super_L to a keybinding, but I guess you would have noticed this.

Emmanuel Lepage Vallee
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  • I do have a gaming keyboard "Gigabyte K83" mechanical, but I do not see a switch on it that prevents accidental hits. Otherwise, I can easily see that I could do these "accidental" hits. – Ender Jul 01 '19 at 21:27
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    ok, so you got me looking around. i didn't notice the "win lock" key that when it's enabled (from one of my accidental hits), i disabled it and mod key works. thanks. – Ender Jul 01 '19 at 21:30
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I ran into the same issue, and since this is the first result that is linked on Google; the solution for me was to swap the order in my keyboard settings to the US international layout first.

Click the "arrow up button"

Mitaka Jin
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