Certain key combinations are not working

Question

I'm using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on HP Laptop.

I'm experiencing some issues with certain key combinations in my laptop keyboard.

Following key combinations are not working.

• Right Shift Key + E
• Ctrl + C

Ctrl + other keys are working, also, c is working independently. Right Shift + other keys are working. Left Shift + E is also working.

Can anyone help me to identify if it is a configuration issue or an indication of an upcoming hardware failure?

I have used some diagnosis tools and identified these combinations ar re not detected. Would it be a hardware issue when these keys are working independently and in combination with other keys.

Answer 1

To assess whether the keyboard is failing, you could use any application to monitor key presses. See options here, here, here:

1. screenkey
2. sudo evtest
3. xev

You can perform further evaluations by:

1. Booting from a Live USB and/or Windows. If the problem stems from your Ubuntu configuration, these should work.
2. Using another keyboard in your Ubuntu.

All this should suffice to give a clear answer.

Related

1. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTesting/Keycodes
2. https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/focal/man1/showkey.1.html

Answer 2

I tried the tools suggested in the other answer, and found the mentioned key combinations are not detected, even though they are detected independently.

I tried pressing the keys a little bit harder, and now the key combinations are working.

So, I think there was some contact issue in the keyboard because of dust.