[Bug 31132] XKB errors cause gnome-settings-daemon to exit badly

[Sam Vilain]

Public bug reported:
https://launchpad.net/malone/bugs/31132

Affects: control-center gnome-control-center (Ubuntu)
       Severity: Normal
       Priority: (none set)
         Status: Unconfirmed

Description:
If you configure multiple actions to the same key in
System->Preferences->Keyboard / Layout Options, an incorrect XKB
configuration will be generated.

This causes a nasty loop where the settings daemon will load, send
signals to all gnome applications to load a new theme, then die and they
all reset to unthemed again.  ie, all Gnome windows will appear to flash
rapidly between your theme and the system default.  Eventually Gnome
notices and stops restarting gnome-settings-daemon, and you have no
theme at all.

overtoun at lounge:~$ gnome-settings-daemon 
Error:            Key <META> added to map for multiple modifiers
                  Using Mod4, ignoring Mod1.
Warning:          Type "ONE_LEVEL" has 1 levels, but <RALT> has 2 symbols
                  Ignoring extra symbols
Warning:          No symbols defined for <SYRQ> (keycode 92)
Warning:          No symbols defined for <BRK> (keycode 114)
Warning:          No symbols defined for <FK13> (keycode 118)
Warning:          No symbols defined for <FK14> (keycode 119)
Warning:          No symbols defined for <FK15> (keycode 120)
Warning:          No symbols defined for <FK16> (keycode 121)
 ...
Warning:          No symbols defined for <I7F> (keycode 255)
The program 'gnome-settings-daemon' received an X Window System error.
This probably reflects a bug in the program.
The error was 'BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation)'.
  (Details: serial 1276 error_code 2 request_code 147 minor_code 9)
  (Note to programmers: normally, X errors are reported asynchronously;
   that is, you will receive the error a while after causing it.
   To debug your program, run it with the --sync command line
   option to change this behavior. You can then get a meaningful
   backtrace from your debugger if you break on the gdk_x_error() function.)
[1139648893,000,xklavier.c:XklStartListen/]     The backend does not require man
overtoun at lounge:~$  

Workaround: go back into Keyboard configuration and do not assign the
same key to more than one action.

As a side note, I don't see a Keyboard Settings option to turn off
deadkeys.