Thanks for the suggestion, I already have this following but no workie as JApplet under linux but fine in Windows.
//
// Input devices.
//
theUI.componentOwner = this;
theUI.keyMapper = new KeyMapper(theUI.componentOwner);
//
// Set focus.
//
setFocusable(true);
requestFocus();
requestFocusInWindow();
wounder if it may be to do with this:
http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=6448462