Keyboard doesnt work at all with UserLAnd

[valadina223]

Describe the bug
I set up a UserLAnd install on an Android 9 (LineageOS) phone. UserLAnd works fine in combination with MultiVNC. I can connect, move the mouse, use the onscreen mouse buttons. However, if I toggle keyboard the keyboard pops up but I cannot press any key on the keyboard. It's there but it doesnt work. Instead if I press a button those touches go right 'through' the keyboard and are recognized by the underlying 'virtual mouse'.

To Reproduce

1. Install MultiVNC
2. Install UserLAnd
3. Connect to a VNC session
4. Press the menu button and then toggle keyboard
5. Keyboard pops up but doesnt respond to any input.

Expected Behavior
The keyboard should respond to the input via touch.

For the Desktop Version (please complete the following information):
OS: Ubuntu@UserLAnd
XORG: The one that comes with UserLAnd

For the Mobile Version (please complete the following information):
Android 9 (LineageOS 16)

Additional information
Why does that seem to be a MultiVNC bug? Tried realVNC with the same setup, the keyboard there works as it should.

[bk138]

Thanks for reporting! Does it work with another VNC server?

[valadina223]

Good question. I couldn't tell. What would be a fast VNC server setup to test?

[bk138]

you could try to install x11vnc on Linux

[valadina223]

Doesn't work either. Must be a problem with MultiVNC. Could you please have a look into that. MultiVNC without keyboard is pretty useless.

[bk138]

Thing is, I can't reproduce, it just works for me :-/
How to proceed from here - is your setup/hardware anything special? Do you have some step-by-step instructions at hand how to maybe repro?

[valadina223]

Hm, good question. Do you also run Android 9? LineageOS 16 by any chance? I use the standard keyboard that comes with the OS.

Step by step would be:

1. Get UserLAnd from F-Droid
2. Launch it and choose XFCE or LXDE - this sets up a Linux distribution on your phone (careful, you need bandwith and space on the phone)
3. When done (it's really just three clicks) launch that desktop environment. It automatically starts MultiVNC if installed.
4. Try to use the keyboard. It pops up but it's not working.

No idea how I could help otherwise. I guess a video wouldn't make sense. If you need a logcat output I could give you that too. But would you be willing to try UserLAnd first? There's another project like that called AnLinux. Same problem with MultiVNC. Like I said. Tried realVNC from playstore and it works with the keyboard.

[serayrosh]

I am experiencing the same issue when using the AOSP Keyboard, which LineageOS uses by default.

So you might be able to reproduce the issue by switching to the AOSP Keyboard.

[bk138]

is there any keyboard on fdroid or play store where it fails?

[valadina223]

Seems you can get it here on APK mirror: AOSP Keyboard

[bk138]

Seems you can get it here on APK mirror: AOSP Keyboard

Mhh, this crashes on Android 8.

[bk138]

I am affected too.
If you need the keyboard for Android 8, find it here: AOSP 8 Keyboard

That crashes as well on opening. Is there any keyboard on f-droid or Play Store where the issue happens? Or: a simulator config would be super helpful, too!

[bk138]

Just tried with UserLAnd on Android 8, Samsung S7, SwiftKey keyboard, connecting to a pure Debian session, (WM looks like twm or the like?) -> works.

[bk138]

Finally, this exposes the issue. Does happen with other VNC Server as well, not limited to UserLAnd.

[bk138]

Works in portrait mode, not in landscape... https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4336762/disabling-the-fullscreen-editing-view-for-soft-keyboard-input-in-landscape?answertab=active#tab-top might help?

[bk138]

Tried several approaches, to no avail so far.

[bk138]

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/27860497/android-lollipop-soft-keyboard-doesnt-accept-keypresses-with-gl-surface

[bk138]

Yeah, before 1fb5a83 Simple Keyboard would expose this very issue, after 1fb5a83 not anymore.

[bk138]

Does not seem so. Either your build is somehow flawed or the fix is, for your environment. You might try to:

• see if the debug log appears
• add some more flags as in the SO link

[bk138]

You should see the onCreateInputConnection log from 1fb5a83 when the keyboard opens.

[bk138]

Hm, can you explain that a bit more? The log I posted is the whole log from when the keyboard opens. I am not sure about the meaning of your sentence.

Sorry for being unclear. The mentioned commit has this line that triggers a log output of onCreateInputConnection. This should appear for the following fix to apply. If it does not, the fix can't work

[bk138]

Another idea: could you try with a5d2b2c ?

[xini2]

Lost my login credentials...

Tried a5d2b2c
Doesn't work either unfortunately. If it helps: The green menu button also doesn't work once the keyboard is visible.

[bk138]

Yeah, the whole view is disabled in that case. FWIW, I'll do a new release for so @valadina223 @serayrosh can try out the fix and report if it works for them.

[bk138]

@valadina223 @serayrosh did 1.8.4 fix the issue for you?

[serayrosh]

1.8.4 did not solve it for me. Still having the same issue when using AOSP Keyboard.

[bk138]

@serayrosh does androidvnc expose the same behavior?

[k3tan172]

I'm also having these issues with the keyboard.

[bk138]

@k3tan172 does androidvnc expose the same behavior? Which version are you using?

[k3tan172]

Yes, androidvnc exposes the same behaviour. I'm using 1.8.8.
I tried on my Pixel 3a and it works perfectly.
My OnePlusOne with LineageOS doesn't work. I can get it to work eventually, but I'm not able to reproduce how the keyboard starts to magically work. But for certain, upon initial connection, the keyboard doesn't work and exhibits the behaviours described in the original post.
It's probably something to do with LineageOS 16.

[k3tan172]

The solution is once you've connected, click back until it prompts you 'Are you sure you want to disconnect?' Click 'Cancel'. Toggle Keyboard and it should now work.

[bk138]

@k3tan172 Does it make a difference whether you toggle via menu or long-press-and-then-icon?