Ctrl and Fn keys not working in 5.1.54

[matte]

Hi all.

I use NoMachine to connect from my desktop computer (iMac running Linux) –client– to the small screen of my MacBook Pro –server–.

I recently updated NoMachine to the latest version (free 5.1.54) on my MacBook Pro running MacOS Sierra (to solve the blank screen issue: https://www.nomachine.com/forums/topic/nomachine-on-macos-sierra). However, now the Ctrl and Fn keys are no more working as expected.

Here the behavior:

– Ctrl+(Left/Right/Up/Down) Arrows does not activate Mission Control functions (switch to left/right Spaces, windows list).
– Ctrl keyworks well in terminal (e.g., Ctrl-C sends interrupt, Ctrl-R starts history search, etc.).
– Fn keys do not activate the corresponding functions mapped in MacOS (Mission Control, Volume Control).

I carried out the following tests:
– Ctrl and Fn keys are correctly received by the keyboard viewer.
– Ctrl keys are detected by xev.
– I tried to connect with different clients/OSs (5.x and 4.x on Linux Debian sid and Windows 7), getting the same behavior.

Everything worked fine before the update, so I don’t think this is a configuration issue (“Grab the input keyboard” is checked on the client). It seems NoMachine is no more sending the Ctrl/Fn keys to the main window manager.

Is anyone else experiencing the same problem? Does anyone know if this is a known issue that will be solved in next versions?

Cheers,
Matteo

[graywolf]

Hello,

can you tell me which NoMachine version worked for you, before the update?

Ctrl+(Left/Right/Up/Down) Arrows does not activate Mission Control functions (switch to left/right Spaces, windows list).

I tried this with 5.1.54, no problem. I suspect those combo do nothing if  Spaces are not enabled or have only one Space.

Ctrl keyworks well in terminal (e.g., Ctrl-C sends interrupt, Ctrl-R starts history search, etc.).

So you have no problem with Ctrl key.

Fn keys do not activate the corresponding functions mapped in MacOS (Mission Control, Volume Control).

Mission Control, Volume Up/Down, Brightness actually don”t work. But Mission Control pops up if I use F9 (that means I have to press two keys: fn + F9). But I see previous version of NoMachine had the same behavior. Did they work in old version you used before the update?

 

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by graywolf.

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[matte]

Hello,

can you tell me which NoMachine version worked for you, before the update?

NoMachine 5.1.24. I cannot rollback because that version doesn’t work on MacOS Sierra.

So you have no problem with Ctrl key.

Ctrl key works well, but it looks like its combination with arrows are not intercepted by the OS. Indeed, when the focus is on a terminal, I see some weird characters (like “;5C”) when I press one of the combinations Ctrl + Left/Up/Down/Right arrow.

Mission Control, Volume Up/Down, Brightness actually don”t work. But Mission Control pops up if I use F9 (that means I have to press two keys: fn + F9). But I see previous version of NoMachine had the same behavior. Did they work in old version you used before the update?

They all worked in old versions… After some more trials, I discovered that F-keys in my local keyboard (Linux OS) behave like fn+F-key in the remote keyboard (macOS). Unfortunately, I have a standard PC keyboard on my local machine (which runs Linux) and cannot try if the local combination fn+F-key activate Mission Control and similar features (main functions for first row keys in the Mac keyboard). In my environment, F9-F10 are intercepted by Linux for Volume control.

Matteo

 

 

[graywolf]

I discovered that F-keys in my local keyboard (Linux OS) behave like fn+F-key in the remote keyboard (macOS).

So forget what I wrote about fn+F9. Just press F9 and you should get Mission Control. But you wrote F9 is caught by your Linux desktop. It looks like “Grab the keyboard” is not enough. Try to run client in full screen mode (this completely grabs the keyboard). If nothing changes, remap the keyboard shortcuts of your Linux desktop.

Try also this: edit configuration file /Applications/NoMachine.app/Contents/Frameworks/etc/node.cfg to have:

DisplayServerExtraOptions "-oldeventapi 0"

and check if behavior changes.

[matte]

Hi,

So forget what I wrote about fn+F9. Just press F9 and you should get Mission Control. But you wrote F9 is caught by your Linux desktop. It looks like “Grab the keyboard” is not enough. Try to run client in full screen mode (this completely grabs the keyboard). If nothing changes, remap the keyboard shortcuts of your Linux desktop.

I always use the client in fullscreen mode. After some more digging, I can confirm my F-keys are sent from client (Linux) to server (MacOS) as mere F-keys: F11 and F12, which are mapped to “show desktop” and “show dashboard” work well. What I feel is missing, is a method to map keys to the actions implemented by default in the Mac keyboard (the big icons in the F-keys), for example an emulation of the Fn key.

Try also this: edit configuration file /Applications/NoMachine.app/Contents/Frameworks/etc/node.cfg to have:

DisplayServerExtraOptions "-oldeventapi 0"

That works!!! Now the combinations Ctrl+Up/Down/Left/Right work as expected and I can switch my virtual desktops.

Thank you very much.

[graywolf]

I always use the client in fullscreen mode. After some more digging, I can confirm my F-keys are sent from client (Linux) to server (MacOS) as mere F-keys: F11 and F12, which are mapped to “show desktop” and “show dashboard” work well. What I feel is missing, is a method to map keys to the actions implemented by default in the Mac keyboard (the big icons in the F-keys), for example an emulation of the Fn key.

OK. Definitely this is something to be implemented, it didn’t get broken because of the software update.

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