keyboard problems when installing Windows XP as a Guest on an Ubuntu Gutsy Host

[Sergio Callegari]

When trying to install Windows XP as a Guest on an Ubuntu Gutsy host, the following problem happens:

1) First part of installation (text mode) starts fine 2) Then windows reboots and enters in second part of installation (graphics mode) 3) If you run this session with mouse and keyboard grabbed... 4) You will soon realize that the keyboard is grabbed but does not pass any key to the guest os 5) For instance at a certain point the installer asks your name and organization and you cannot type them 6) At this point also the host key to ungrab keyboard and mouse will not work.

So it is not possible to install Windows XP as a guest os.

[Michael Thayer]

Is this reproducible? I have seen the X11 keyboard driver freeze up on occasion - could that be what you are seeing?

[Sergio Callegari]

Fully reproducible (at least on my host).

To have a working keyboard during windows XP installation you need to keep the keyboard + mouse ungrabbed until the very last minute when you actually need to enter characters.

But it is not the X11 keyboard driver freezing up:

Things like ctrl+alt+F1 (switching to virtual console) and ctrl+alt+backspace (killing X) do work.

[muzosa]

Replying to callegar:

I had the same problem in the same place. Pressing the Print Screen button freed brought up the screenshot capture window, which freed up the keyboard. If I needed the mouse, I ended up with the same problem, but pressing the Print Screen button worked every time.

[Frank Mehnert]

Please reopen if this problem is still reproducible with the latest release (2.1.2).