virtual keyboard working on RPi

[vinloren]

Hi everybody,
I think a softkeyboard (virtual keybd) would be very useful on Raspberrypi so you could nicely use a simple RF mouse and a USB WiFi dongle to completely manage the box without the need of any expansion USB hub nor costly Bluetooth Keyboard.

I succeded in this right now thanks to Tom Sato (http://homepage3.nifty.com/tsato/xvkbd/) after downloaded http://homepage3.nifty.com/tsato/xvkbd/xvkbd-3.3.tar.gz and compiled the sources on my Raspberrypi-2012-07-15-wheezy-raspbian. I just had to hack a bit installing the required libs:
sudo apt-get install libxt-dev libxaw7-dev libxtst-dev xutils-dev
Then run xmkmf; make install install.man and the softkeyboard was ready for use.

Hope this can be helpful, cheers

[vinloren]

I eventually discovered, thanks to MagPi issue 3 magazine, that a very nice virtual keyboard can be installed by:
sudo apt-get install matchbox
Have a try to it..

Cheers

[cjl1954]

I installed the Matchbox, but I don't see any keyboard?

Any help with running the software such as matchbox-session or what needs to happens to get the keyboard to appear on the screen?

[vinloren]

simply you grt to enter thr 'accessories' lxde menu and click on 'keyboard'. The keyboard will stay there until you kill it or lower it down. The keyboard size can also be reduced by using the mouse.

Hope thi can help, bye

[Siobhan]

Thanks for this!
It's not as polished as I've seen on *spit* windows, but it does the job, and well enough for my needs.

[omurcha]

thanks for the solution " sudo apt-get install matchbox " at the LXTerminal prompt did the trick.
Have my rpi installed on my battery powered wheelchair. Taking 12v supply off one of my two 50amphr car type batteries I created two circuits - 12v and 5v - both regulated and fused. The 5v circ runs the rpi and the 12v runs the monitor - a retasked 10" camera field monitor. Looking great. Still trying to sort the MIFI - will start new topic thread on this.

[rporter887]

Hello omurcha, I would be interested in collaborating with you on wheelchair mods. My wife has a Pride-Mobility with a Pride Quantum Q-logic controller DWR1234L145 (Curtis). I am interested in programming some of the servo action but powering of the Pi off of the batteries sounds like a good first step to bigger and better things. I haven't been registered long enough to post private messages, maybe if you send me one, I will be able to reply?

Thanks.
RP

[meltwater]

Hi,
Was looking for virtual keyboard solutions for use with a touch screen. I will give matchbox a go, just wondering how flexible the layout can be (i.e. can you just put a few keys on there etc).

Alternatively it may be useful to create a single line keyboard which you can scroll side to side, I imagine it wouldn't be a massive task using Tkinter.

[thumper300zx]

I installed the matchbox keyboard -- have rebooted, tried to reinstall (says I have the most recent version installed) -- I try to start the keyboard and nothing happens. It looks like it's trying, but it never pops up. Any help?

[sebassir]

Hello,

I need to set a virtual touch screen keyboard to be used in a kiosk mode over a browser Pi.
I'd like to show the full screen kiosk and to open the keyboard only when it is needed. Like in an ipad, for example.

Is there any solution for this?

Thanks!

[phgachoud]

I installed the matchbox keyboard -- have rebooted, tried to reinstall (says I have the most recent version installed) -- I try to start the keyboard and nothing happens. It looks like it's trying, but it never pops up. Any help?

Did you try the command

Code: Select all

matchbox-keyboard

in a terminal?

[Dugger]

I have a virtual keyboard running on ubuntu called onboard it is pretty good but I have not had success getting it running on the pi. Anyone else get it going. I will post back if I get it going.

[Dugger]

Now I have one of the new Raspberry Pi touch screen displays I need an on screen keyboard. I liked Onboard but it is designed for Gnome and I could not get it working on the pi.
Matchbox does work to a certain extent but there is a bug that causes it to use 100% of the processor when running. This is not released when Matchbox is closed so you need to restart your pi or kill -KILL 'process no' from the terminal. The kill command does not always work probably because the processor is working so hard.You can find the process number using the top command. Interestingly when using with a Pi 2 it only runs the processor at 25% so only hogging one core.
Florence is another keyboard that at least installs and does not use 100% of your processor but dissapears when you type something and does not redirect the key to the application. So not much use.

Anyone get a virtual keyboard working? Now we have a proper Raspberry Pi Touchscreen it is a shame we can not actually use it.
I am running Raspbian Jessie 2015-09-24. I am happy to provide any more info so that this bug can be sorted.

[ghans]

I have not tested it , but only have heard it being recommended ...

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install florence

ghans

[Dugger]

Got the Florence keyboard working you need to install at-spi2-core

sudo apt-get install at-spi2-core

will now uninstall matchbox.

Thanks to Hove for this.

[19walter57]

With reference to your last message, Dugger, could you post the link to Hove that you used. Thanks, Walter

Got the Florence keyboard working you need to install at-spi2-core

sudo apt-get install at-spi2-core

will now uninstall matchbox.

Thanks to Hove for this.

[DirkS]

With reference to your last message, Dugger, could you post the link to Hove that you used. Thanks, Walter

viewtopic.php?f=108&t=123189

[anaxiis]

Hello,

I installed matchbox and it works perfectly but since I've done this, I can't reach the graphic window of my document (File Manager in the toolbar). And everytime I try to install virtual keyboard (like matchbox keyboard) I got the same problem.

[GreenWenonah]

I too have experienced the pcmanfm / matchbox logjam and so switched to xvkbd. It seems functional but right now the only way I've been able to start it is by connecting a physical keyboard to run the start command. I know I can do a .sh file on the desktop and make it executable but I would much rather start it from the accessories menu like matchbox did. Can anyone point me to an idiot's guide to adding programs to the drop-down start menu? Alternatively, just tell me how to do it.

--- I learn, I do, I forget. Repeat as necessary. ---

[Ihateusernames]

Thanks for the tip @phgachoud; the tutorial I followed said it would appear in the accessories tab but it didn't.

Just need to find out how to activate it without using a keyboard first now!