Adding section to Wiki/documentation about how to get AltGr-working

[ghost]

This issue has been migrated from old Barrier Github repository debauchee/barrier#630

Issue created on: 2020-04-19 by @dd1982
Issue last updated on: 2021-09-10

Adding this trick helped me finally get barrier to a useable state on a Ubuntu-server with a Windows 10-client - with my keyboard layout the following keys are accessible via AltGr: @${}[]~| so you can imagine my frustration trying to write code until I figured this out.

By saving the config to a file, adding the lines with the arrows below to the config and starting barrier with barrier --config /path/to/config.file I finally got AltGr working.

section: screens
    linux:
    windows7:
        meta = altgr    <----
        altgr = shift     <----
end

Props to @wjtk4444 that spelled it out clearly in input-leap/input-leap#438 - I was to thick to get it to work the first time around.

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Commented on: 2020-04-19 by @wjtk4444

Well, it's just a hack that happens to work for some reason. Windows still sees the Alt key in a weird way, for example PrintScreen is getting captured as Alt+PrintScreen (and some other mild annoyances).

I also can't get Ctrl+Alt+Delete to work, and it's a surprisingly essential shortcut when a fullscreen application stops responding...

EDIT: got it working!

• Go to the Local Group Policy Editor (Type "gpedit.msc" in the run menu)
• Dig down to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Logon Options
• Open up the "Disable or enable software Secure Attention Sequence" option
• Set it to "Enabled" and then select "Services and Ease of Access applications" below, click OK

Sources (last url is already dead, so I copy-pasted the contents above):
https://superuser.com/questions/267532/
https://superuser.com/a/974906
http://www.robertwrose.com/2012/06/enabling-ctrl-alt-del-in-windows-7-over-synergy.html

@dd1982, could you confirm if it works on Windows 10 as well?

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Commented on: 2020-04-19 by @dd1982

Yes - I'm running the server on Ubuntu 19.10 and the client on Win 10 Enterprise 1809 and so far so good.

I have a vague recall of Windows using ctrl-alt-del as a special combo that is not supposed to be interceptable by running software - so that might be a tough one. Even when using MS Remote Desktop ctrl-alt-del is intercepted by the local machine rather than the one you're interacting with.

If any dev wants to try and make a proper fix for AltGr on Windows - the reason people are having trouble can be found in the links below - in Windows pressing AltGr results in funny keycodes;

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/inputdev/wm-syskeyup?redirectedfrom=MSDN
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/12252651/right-alt-sends-two-virtual-key-codes

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Commented on: 2020-09-24 by @github-actions[bot]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale due to inactivity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

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Commented on: 2021-09-10 by @mclang

I think it would be good to add this also:
debauchee/barrier#134