Keyboard in WSL2 Doesn't Follow Windows Input Language, GUI Applications Not Adhering to Set Default

[cassiocsantana]

Windows Version

10.0.22621.3007

WSL Version

2.0.9.0

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

5.15.133.1-1

Distro Version

Ubuntu 22.04

Other Software

No response

Repro Steps

• Install any application on WSL Ubuntu, such as GitKraken.
• Attempt to use the application. In my case, I use the Portuguese (Brazil) International keyboard layout on Windows. My laptop has an English layout, but I have an external PT_BR keyboard, resulting in two layouts on Windows: the aforementioned international layout and the native PT_BR layout.
• Upon opening the application, the keyboard layout is not respected, leading to the loss of all accentuations.
• Followed the steps in this tutorial without success: Keyboard layout messed up for KBD_PORTUGUESE_BRAZILIAN_ABNT2. #27

Expected Behavior

When opening the installed application, such as GitKraken on WSL Ubuntu, the keyboard layout should adhere to the settings configured in Windows. In this case, the Portuguese (Brazil) International keyboard layout should be recognized and applied within the application, allowing for proper handling of accentuations and ensuring a seamless user experience.

Actual Behavior

Upon opening the installed application, such as GitKraken on WSL Ubuntu, the keyboard layout does not respect the settings configured in Windows. Despite having the Portuguese (Brazil) International keyboard layout selected in Windows, the application fails to recognize and apply this layout. As a consequence, accentuations are not handled correctly, leading to a loss of functionality. Following the steps outlined in the tutorial (#27) did not resolve the issue, and the synchronization of keyboard layouts between WSL2 and Windows remains problematic.

Diagnostic Logs

No response

[github-actions]

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[cassiocsantana]

All options were made, however none had a satisfactory result, because if the keyboard is changed, the GUI applications do not receive updates in real time

[GuilhermeViterboGalvao]

Same issue here...

[cassiocsantana]

Anyone, no solution or update for this problem?

[pedrohsroque]

try running this
setxkbmap -layout us

[cassiocsantana]

So, I use a laptop with an external keyboard that is in the pt-br layout; The system does not trigger the layout change action for Linux, in fact it does not always trigger correctly, as at times it returns to Us.

[ubaldot]

I have a similar problem. I mapped some keys in Windows through powertoys and they are correctly inherited in WSL2 TUI but not in the GUI.

[botmaster]

Hello,
Same as Ubaldot.
Keyboard layout are correctly inherited in WSL2 TUI but not in the GUI.

[beefeater7]

Same problem here,

All input languages work in the terminal, but GUI apps like Emacs, Neovim-Qt and gedit work as follows:

• Native language (swedish) with standard keyboard layout is detected as usual
• Any other input language (including custom swedish) reverts to US layout.

[BrachystochroneSD]

Same problem. GUI launched in wslg are using a qwerty layout and not the one configured in windows.
It was working perfectly before, the ctrl-shift was shifting from one to an other. Then I decided to remove that functionality and remove the unused default languages to only keep the AZERTY that I use. and after that. The qwerty layout is kept in gui app launched in wsl

unfortunately using setxkbmap doesn't work at my end, I only manage to launch app using wayland it seems:

$ setxkbmap
Cannot open display ":0"

Locale-gen and setting X11 layout keymap doesn't help either.

Same problem on ubuntu, debian and arch.

[BrachystochroneSD]

Ok, it is resolved for me. Seems to be a problem with the entry deleted in the language option for windows. I readd the qwerty layout back and after a bunch of switch of layout in windows, the GUI switched too.

[cassiocsantana]

@BrachystochroneSD Could you explain better how you solved your problem?

[BrachystochroneSD]

The problem raised when I deleted the keyboard qwerty layouts in
Time & Language > Language & region. The only layout kept was Belgian(Comma) AZERTY, which was correct on Windows and the terminal, but the keyword on X and Wayland GUI was stuck at QWERTY layout.

What I did, is re-adding the deleted keyboard layout for QWERTY in Time & Language > Language & region, and switch back and forth between qwerty and azerty, and the GUI keyboard layout now synchronize correctly with the switch.

Unfortunately, I am not able to replicate. The way windows manage keyboard layout is cryptic and despite having only one entry in the options:

I still have three options in the list:

[cassiocsantana]

I'll try to do something similar, as my problem is linked to the keyboard layout, from English to Brazilian Portuguese, keyboard with different accents