Problems selecting multiple files (solved)

Linux Support
1

Hello folks,

I’m having problems selecting multiple files.

Ctrl+click and shift+click have stopped working.

Any ideas please?

TiA

2

Hi Mike.

Your system description looks like one of the Mad Penguin’s combination of components(?) - I built one, too, and it worked fine.
Is this a new problem or has it been there since the build?

A possibly daft question, but do the Ctrl and Shift keys work as normal for other purposes? If not; has the keyboard layout changed? That happened to me once by accident and it took me ages to work out the problem.

By the way: what OS are you using?

Keith

3

Hello Keith,

Yes, Mad Penguin was my inspiration and I’m very happy with the build.

It’s not a new problem, although it hasn’t been there since the build. I’ve just been living with it for a while.

The ctrl and shift keys do work normally otherwise, althoughI I will look at the keyboard layout just in case… at first I thought it might have been caused by an update, but obviously not.

Xubuntu 20.04 Lts.

Going to bed now. I’ll take this up again tomorrow. Thanks for your reply.

Mike

4

Hello Keith,

Just checked and my keyboard layout is set to English (UK).

5

Hi Mike.

I was clutching at straws with that suggestion.
You say “It’s not a new problem, although it hasn’t been there since the build. I’ve just been living with it for a while.” Do you mean the problem is intermittent?

Another thing to try: Run Xubuntu from a live USB and see if the problem occurs then. I think I have a Xubuntu desktop somewhere on which I can try file selection. I’ll let you know.

Keith

6

Hi Mike.

I was clutching at straws with that suggestion.
You say “It’s not a new problem, although it hasn’t been there since the build. I’ve just been living with it for a while.” Do you mean the problem is intermittent?

Another thing to try: Run Xubuntu from a live USB and see if the problem occurs then. I think I have a Xubuntu desktop somewhere on which I can try file selection. I’ll let you know.

Keith
[EDIT: My MX desktop file selection works OK. I have only a Xubuntu live USB but file selection using Shift-click or Ctrl-click also works OK on that]

7

Found somebody with a similar but not identical problem and the solution they found was

“I had the same issue on Xubuntu 20.04.
The reason is “Settings->Keyboard->Layout->Change layout option”.
Because I selected “Crtl+Shift” here, the pressed keys disappeared.
I changed the key setting, and it was fixed.”

might be worth checking.

8

Thanks both.

Keith, it’s not intermitent. It started happening ages after the build and just keeps happening.

Gaz511, thanks for the pointer. It’s given me a workaround. My keyboard setting was set to system defaults. I changed the layout option to ‘both alt together’ and now ctrl+click works as expected and shift+click allows me to select the first file whilst pressing shift, then drag the mouse to select more files, then I can right click and cut/copy the files. But if I left click again only the last file remains selected.

Weird. But it works. I don’t like unexplained behaviour though. Why should Keith’s computer behave normally when mine doesn’t? Probably some combination of settings I’ve changed…

9

Gaz: thanks for the info.

Mike: My Xubuntu running from a USB might behave differently from an installed OS, so it’s maybe not a good comparison. I’m beginning to have my doubts about some Linux OSs as my Ubuntu computers have been showing odd symptoms also.
At least you have a workable solution now.

Keith