Holding down arrowkey doesn't work

[Scalpel78]

Hi,
I have an issue when I try to hold down an arrow key. It can either be because I want to scroll up or down a webpage, or because I want to scroll left or right when typing a text.
When I hold the arrow key down it stops moving after about half a second. So I end up having to continosly tap the arrow key to move the cursor/page. It's quite annoying.

How can I troubleshoot this?

[all41]

You will need to provide more information here.
Open a terminal and type inxi -Fxz
Then copy those terminal results and paste them back to this thread in a reply.
Before pasting press the 'code' icon above the reply window, Fifth icon from left </> icon
then paste

[Scalpel78]

Hi, here is the result from that command.

Code: Select all

System:    Host: Mint18 Kernel: 4.13.0-37-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Cinnamon 3.6.7 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3.3) Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   System: LENOVO (portable) product: 80RU v: Lenovo ideapad 700-15ISK
           Mobo: LENOVO model: Lenovo ideapad 700-15ISK v: SDK0J40709 WIN
           Bios: LENOVO v: E5CN21WW date: 12/28/2015
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i5-6300HQ (-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 18432
           clock speeds: max: 3200 MHz 1: 2300 MHz 2: 2300 MHz 3: 2300 MHz 4: 2300 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel Skylake Integrated Graphics bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Card-2: NVIDIA GM107M [GeForce GTX 950M] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) FAILED: nouveau
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.02hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 530 (Skylake GT2)
           GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 17.2.8 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card Intel Sunrise Point-H HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1f.3
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.13.0-37-generic
Network:   Card-1: Intel Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 Plus Bluetooth driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: c000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: enp3s0 state: down mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: NA (-) ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 model: N/A size: 256.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 219G used: 168G (81%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 16.96GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/nvme0n1p3
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 36.0C mobo: 36.0C gpu: 36.0
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 218 Uptime: 18 min Memory: 1889.7/15833.2MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 

[all41]

Try narrowing this down further by creating a temporary new user in Settings/Users and Groups.
Then log out and log back in as the new user and test the arrow keys there.
New users get a fresh default set of configuration files.

[Scalpel78]

Hi, I created a new user, logged in as that user, opened up Chrome, navigated to a site that is more than a page long, held down the down key.
It then scrolls the page for just a fraction of a second before it stops.
So no change when using another user.

Are there any commands to run to discover what kind of keyboard configuration settings I'm using, which could be helpful?

[all41]

There is a utility in the repositories called dconf editor that controls keyboard repeat and repeat interval.
apt install dconf-editor
or install from Software or Package Manager.
Open the editor from the Menu.
Navigate to org/cinnamon/settings-daemon/peripherals/keyboard. Look at the bottom choices.
When repeat is unmarked the arrow keys work just as you are describing, and marking that choice enables
normal arrow up/down and horizontal scrolling.

[Scalpel78]

Hi,
I installed the dconf-editor, and browsed to the setting you mentioned.

Unfortunately, the "repeat" checkbox is allready checked. I tried turning it off, no change, then back on again, still no change.

I also used the "Set to default" button to reset the "repeat"-option, so that it wasn't bold anymore.

Anything else I can check?

[all41]

You could try booting from your original .iso install dvd/usb and check it in the live mode.
If the arrows work properly there then perhaps an update, kernel change, or
application installation might be the cause.

[all41]

You can also try an updated kernel. See this info:
viewtopic.php?f=90&t=265921#p1445403
Also this shot in the dark: your keyboard has a scroll-lock key just above your Backspace key.

[Scalpel78]

Hi, now we're getting somewhere.

First, let me just expand a little on my problem, in case anyone else have similar issue. The problem is not just related to the keyboard arrows, but to all button-repeat functionality. So, in a Text Editor, if I hold down the 'a' keyboard key I only get one or two a's before it stops. Also, in a commandline terminal it is the same. F.instance typing a long command, and then holding own the 'backspace' button only deletes one char before it stops.

I booted from a Live-USB, and the repeat functionality worked there.

Then, I booted my Linux Mint installation via grub, and choosing an older kernel. It works with kernel version 4.10.0-38.

I've then installed several kernels, and booted into each of them to see which ones work.

These work:
* 4.10.0-38
* 4.10.0-42
* 4.11.0-14

These doesn't:
* 4.13.0-16
* 4.13.0-32
* 4.13.0-37

In Linux Mint Update Manager, there are no versions between 4.11.0-14 and 4.13.0-16, so 4.11.0-14 is the latest one I can use where repeat functionality works.

I can live with staying on 4.11.0-14 for now, and hopefully it'll work again in a later version.

[Eddie_Playing_Linux]

Go to System Settings>Keyboard>Typing
Under the Key repeat box, enable key repeat.

Good luck!