Steam Deck users: Does the keyboard randomly crash your deck?

[Warnstaff]

Digital keyboard and only while playing Dwarf Fortress, obviously. I ask because bringing up the keyboard in this game carries a slight risk of crashing my Deck. Not just the game. I've tried multiple compatibility versions, disabling the steam overlay, assigning the keyboard command to different buttons (crashes on steam + X too). Verifying the cache doesn't help either.

I use it semi-frequently, and a lot more now that DFHack is getting alphas out for the Steam version. This is quickly going from mildly annoying to quite irritating.

[EDIT] POSSIBLE solution in need of more testing: Turn keyboard haptics off in the system keyboard settings. As of the time of writing I've gone 3 whole days without a keyboard crash.

[elaforma]

I have the same problem. I hope that either Valve or the devs can fix this (since it crashes the entire deck, I'd say Valve gets a share of the blame here), but I guess that's one of the perils in using an unsupported emulation layer.

[Warnstaff]

Originally posted by fNek:

I have the same problem. I hope that either Valve or the devs can fix this (since it crashes the entire deck, I'd say Valve gets a share of the blame here), but I guess that's one of the perils in using an unsupported emulation layer.

I did try something new 3 days ago now (including today, which is almost over for me). I turned the haptics off for the keyboard in the keyboard settings. I haven't overly used it since, but no crashes in normal us SO FAR in these 3 days.

[Outcast]

It crashed my deck. It freezes half the screen sometimes. In desktop mode it won't even pop up if there's a fullscreen application running, and upon trying, the application becomes completely unresponsive to clicks. Super frustrating and it makes gaming in desktop mode literally impossible if you need keyboard inputs.

[Warnstaff]

Quick update on my multiday fix: it just crashed, but this this time only the game. But prior to that, DF had some sort of spasm that ended up requiring a reboot. I still recommend turning the keyboard haptics off, at least while playing this game. It's unacceptable, but the reality.

[Warnstaff]

Sorry to bump from page 3 but I have an update on my "fix"...
it's not. For whatever reason I just got lucky with not crashing. I have crashed twice today from bringing up the keyboard. Most irritating.

I am wide open to suggestions. This predates mods and DFHack, so it is a vanilla issue.

[Holyvision]

Only suggestion at this point is patience. Give the two (now three) dudes time. Desk wasn't even on their "radar" until Steam Release became a thing, and you've got decades of time before that happened.

Edit: I also get deck crashing.

[Warnstaff]

Originally posted by Holyvision:

Only suggestion at this point is patience. Give the two (now three) dudes time. Desk wasn't even on their "radar" until Steam Release became a thing, and you've got decades of time before that happened.

Edit: I also get deck crashing.

Understandable. Plus I've got over 430 hours in with this issue. You are right though, patience. Still wish there was a way around it though that (and I'm making a guess here) did not involve a USB hub and a real keyboard. So cumbersome and the hub needed to also charge and type.

[Warnstaff]

I think I figured out a solution of sorts. I made a layout called "Warnstaff's Anti-Keyboard Crash Layout v1" that turns the radials on both sides into keyboard halves. Seems to be working since it doesn't bering up the keyboard at all. It is unfortunately kind of awkward so feel free to take it and modify it to your heart's content. I'll update if I can think of a better layout, but for right now, this is the best I got.

[Warnstaff]

I have more info on this. I think the crash has less to do with the keyboard it's self and more to do with the steam deck's system overlay, separate from the steam overlay. I for example am able to crash out the exact same way as the keyboard by access my internet settings.

[That Trunk Monkey]

Chiming in to say I'm having this issue too. First few times just DF crashed, but recently the whole Deck just reboots. I made D-Pad Up & Down function as Scroll-Up & Down to make navigating a little easier so I don't need to use the keyboard, but at this point I still save and quit, or make a manual save, if it's been a while and I need to bring up the keyboard for a work order or something.

Also wanna say, you're the real MVP for troubleshooting this. I haven't seen any real useful information regarding this problem, and just the fact that you discovered that it crashes when you access the internet settings is incredibly helpful.
Keep it up!

[🌟booma🌟 🚴🎧]

looking forward to buy and play this on my steam deck .have you tried the preview steam deck firmware and check if the problems still occur??

[Warnstaff]

Originally posted by That Trunk Monkey:

Chiming in to say I'm having this issue too. First few times just DF crashed, but recently the whole Deck just reboots. I made D-Pad Up & Down function as Scroll-Up & Down to make navigating a little easier so I don't need to use the keyboard, but at this point I still save and quit, or make a manual save, if it's been a while and I need to bring up the keyboard for a work order or something.

Also wanna say, you're the real MVP for troubleshooting this. I haven't seen any real useful information regarding this problem, and just the fact that you discovered that it crashes when you access the internet settings is incredibly helpful.
Keep it up!
:urist:

Thank you! Much appreciated.
Yeah, I had accessed my internet settings several times in the few minutes prior (was giving me fits) before it crashed, just like the keyboard. I know I made a bit of a jump, but it seemed logical.

Originally posted by 🌟booma🌟 🚴🎧:

looking forward to buy and play this on my steam deck .have you tried the preview steam deck firmware and check if the problems still occur??

This had strangely not occurred to me. I will try this out today. Thanks for the suggestion :)

[Warnstaff]

Originally posted by 🌟booma🌟 🚴🎧:

looking forward to buy and play this on my steam deck .have you tried the preview steam deck firmware and check if the problems still occur??

Super fast update: preview firmware causes the keyboard to disappear as soon as it appears. Can still type on it, just invisible. Trying Beta branch now. I f that doesn't work, preview may have a fix by day' s end.

[Warnstaff]

Ok, the good news is the invisible keyboard is NOT limited to Dwarf Fortress. The other good news is I was able to open and close the keyboard in the beta branch a couple dozen times in a row without issue- but more testing is needed. In the meantime, if you aren't experiencing issues with your games on it, I'd suggest sitting on the preview channel for a POSSIBLE fix, hopefully soon.

[Warnstaff]

Yay! A user by the name of Suropege pointed out in the steam deck bug reports that the keyboard icon on the bottom of the Quick Access Menu (the 3 dots button below the right haptic) stays up and I can confirm. Until the actual bug is fixed, this is the actual keyboard we should try to use from the preview branch now. Or at least I am. It shows promise and I may be jumping the shark when I say "we".