[UpsideDownFace]

My laptop has suddenly started opening a new terminal whenever I press the "q" key whilst using the command line.
This makes it impossible to use "apt-get" to load "sqlite3".
I haven't got a "q" alias, and I don't think it is a hot key.
I was using Ubuntu 7.10 and changed to 8.04, but it made no difference.
Has anybody got any ideas.
I guess I have inadvertently changed something, but don't know what.

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

First of all, let checks if anything is wrong with conf files.
Execute this

mv .gnome gnome.bak
mv .gconfd gconfd.bak

Log out and log in back.

[UpsideDownFace]

Hello
I have done the 2 mv operations and log out and log back in.
I can't see any difference.
Is this to make the operating system regenerate .gnome and .gconfd?
The other thing that is wrong with my laptop is that it has slowed down, like from about a second to start up gedit, to about 30 seconds to start it.

[devils casper]

Is this to make the operating system regenerate .gnome and .gconfd?

Yes.

The other thing that is wrong with my laptop is that it has slowed down, like from about a second to start up gedit, to about 30 seconds to start it.

Execute this

sudo lspci | grep -i vga
grep -i driver /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Post output here.

[UpsideDownFace]

here is what I get :-

sudo lspci | grep -i vga

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82852/855GM Integrated Graphics Device (rev 02)

grep -i driver /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Driver "kbd"
Driver "mouse"
Driver "synaptics"

[UpsideDownFace]

I have found the cause of "q" opening a new terminal.
The Edit menu has "Keyboard Shortcuts" with "File" > "New Profile" set to "q"
By right clicking on that line followed by <Backspace> the wrong action is disabled.
I have no idea how it became set.
But there are several other peculiarities, so I guess my laptop has got a virus, or is ready to go soon to the workstation in the sky.

It has been interesting to see what happens on this site, even though my problem wasn't solved like I had hoped