Error activating XKB configuration

I suppose I should add:
$ cat /etc/default/locale
LANG="en_US.UTF-8"

Hello
Is this problem present with the latest updated Karmic's, Lucid's or Maverick's packages?
Thanks in advance
Fabio

Sure is. I'm now running natty and tested it there. Using the mini.iso to install, I selected Apple, USA Macintosh as my keyboard. There were no other Apple options listed in the installer. Then upgraded to natty. System>Preferences>Keyboard however shows a graphic of USA Macintosh to be the Apple extended keyboard, so I attempted to change it to Keyboard Model: Macbook/Macbook Pro and got the same error dialog:

Error activating XKB configuration.
It can happen under various circumstances:
 • a bug in libxklavier library
 • a bug in X server (xkbcomp, xmodmap utilities)
 • X server with incompatible libxkbfile implementation

X server version data:
The X.Org Foundation
10900000

If you report this situation as a bug, please include:
 • The result of xprop -root | grep XKB
 • The result of gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd

Here's the output:
$ xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "us", "mac", "lv3:ralt_switch"
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "us", "mac", "lv3:ralt_switch"

$ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd
 layouts = []
 options = []
 model = macbook78

$ apt-cache policy libxklavier16
libxklavier16:
  Installed: 5.0-2
  Candidate: 5.0-2
  Version table:
 *** 5.0-2 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main amd64 Packages
        400 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ apt-cache policy xkbcomp
N: Unable to locate package xkbcomp
$ dpkg -S xkbcomp
x11-xkb-utils: /usr/share/man/man1/xkbcomp.1.gz
x11-xkb-utils: /usr/bin/xkbcomp
$ apt-cache policy x11-xkb-utils
x11-xkb-utils:
  Installed: 7.5+5
  Candidate: 7.5+5
  Version table:
 *** 7.5+5 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main amd64 Packages
        400 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ apt-cache policy xmodmap
xmodmap:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:

$ apt-cache show xmodmap
N: Can't select versions from package 'xmodmap' as it purely virtual
N: No packages found

$ apt-cache search xmodmap
x11-xserver-utils - X server utilities
python-mmkeys - Multimedia key support as a PyGTK object
xkeycaps - manipulate X11 keymaps (for xmodmap) graphically

$ apt-cache show x11-xserver-utils | grep xmodmap
Replaces: iceauth, sessreg, xbase-clients (<< 1:7.3), xgamma, xhost, xmodmap, xrandr, xrdb, xrefresh, xrgb, xset, xsetmode, xsetpointer, xsetroot, xstdcmap, xutils (<< 1:7.2), xvidtune
Conflicts: iceauth, sessreg, xgamma, xhost, xmodmap, xrandr, xrdb, xrefresh, xrgb, xset, xsetmode, xsetpointer, xsetroot, xstdcmap, xvidtune
  - xmodmap, a utility for modifying keymaps and pointer button mappings in X;

$ apt-cache show x11-xserver-utils | tail -n 28
Description: X server utilities
 An X client is a program that interfaces with an X server (almost always via
 the X libraries), and thus with some input and output hardware like a
 graphics card, monitor, keyboard, and pointing device (such as a mouse).
 .
 This package provides a miscellaneous assortment of X Server utilities
 that ship with the X Window System, including:
  - iceauth, a tool for manipulating ICE protocol authorization records;
  - rgb;
  - sessreg, a simple program for managing utmp/wtmp entries;
  - xcmsdb, a device color characteristic utility for the X Color Management
    System;
  - xgamma, a tool for querying and setting a monitor's gamma correction;
  - xhost, a very dangerous program that you should never use;
  - xmodmap, a utility for modifying keymaps and pointer button mappings in X;
  - xrandr, a command-line interface to the RandR extension;
  - xrdb, a tool to manage the X server resource database;
  - xrefresh, a tool that forces a redraw of the X screen;
  - xset, a tool for setting miscellaneous X server parameters;
  - xsetmode and xsetpointer, tools for handling X Input devices;
  - xsetroot, a tool for tailoring the appearance of the root window;
  - xstdcmap, a utility to selectively define standard colormap properties;
  - xvidtune, a tool for customizing X server modelines for your monitor.
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug
Origin: Ubuntu
Supported: 18m
Task: ubuntu-desktop, ubuntu-uec-live, kubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-mobile, kubuntu-netbook, edubuntu-desktop, edubuntu-uec-live, xubuntu-desktop, mythbuntu-backend-master, mythbuntu-backend-slave, mythbuntu-desktop, mythbuntu-frontend, ubuntu-netbook

$ apt-cache policy x11-xserver-utils
x11-xserver-utils:
  Installed: 7.5+2ubuntu1
  Candidate: 7.5+2ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 7.5+2ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main amd64 Packages
        400 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ lsb_release -dr
Description: Ubuntu natty (development branch)
Release: 11.04

Hello toobuntu
can you please run in a terminal
apport-collect -p xserver-xorg-input-keyboard 538474
Thanks
Fabio

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

apport information

Hello toobuntu
thanks for supporting Ubuntu.
Fabio

Confirming the bug on Natty when trying to change layout from default pc105 to "MacBook/MacBook Pro (Intl.)":

$ xprop -root | grep XKB
_XKB_RULES_NAMES_BACKUP(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "mac_nodeadkeys", ""
_XKB_RULES_NAMES(STRING) = "evdev", "pc105", "de", "mac_nodeadkeys", ""

$ gconftool-2 -R /desktop/gnome/peripherals/keyboard/kbd
 model = macbook79
 layouts = []
 options = []

Note: Layout "Apple Laptop" works.

I've had this exact problem, running
"setxkbmap -model macbook79 -layout no"
from the command worked though, and the keyboard is now working as expected.

This was filed against the wrong driver package. -keyboard is no longer maintained; keyboards are managed via the -evdev driver now. However this is a generic error message and doesn't indicate a driver problem (at least, not necessarily). Bumping to xkb-data for further diagnosis.

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.