I'm not really sure whose problem this is, but seems like the X server. Vanilla gnome desktop, configured with System->Preferences->Hardware->Keyboard, go to Layouts tab, hit "Layout Options..." button, "Ctrl key position" and select "Make CapsLock an additional Ctrl". With this configuration, the keys work fine. But, the keyboard light for capslock toggles every time I use the Ctrl key (physical capslock). This does not happen in Fedora 8 using the same configuration. Same thing seen on i386 and x86_64 on different hardware.
Can fully reproduce here. And actually, I had exactly the same problem with Fedora 8.
Same problem here on both a Dell desktop and a Thinkpad X40 laptop. There is some relevant discussion here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=737480
This commit in rawhide should have fixed this issue, it certainly works in RH now. * Tue Aug 05 2008 Peter Hutterer <peter.hutterer> 1.4.99.906-5 - xserver-1.5.0-xkb-fix-ProcXkbSetXYZ-to-work-on-all.patch: force xkb requests to apply to all extension devices.
It's still a problem for me (2.6.26.3-29.fc9.i686).
xorg-x11-server-Xorg has been updated to 1.5.0 in F-9. https://admin.fedoraproject.org/updates/F9/FEDORA-2008-8032 Please give it a try and let us know if the issue is fixed.
Shazam! Pas de blinkenlight! rhgb stopped happening on boot after this update, but that is, I presume, an unrelated issue, and is also one I don't actually care about.
The problem is solved as far as I can see. Thanks.