A question for the special (multimedia) keys on a laptop

[Tim]

Doncho N. Gunchev:
>> There's no way to assign a key that does not generate a key code
>> and that's the situation with my email key for example. The Fn+? are
>> OK. In KDE I don't have to assign shortcuts, I just add:

The other day I tried setting up some keyboard shortcut preferences,
with a multi-media keyboard.  At times, I'd get a raw scan code appear,
then pressing the same key, again, I'd get an X name for that key.

Marcelo Magno T. Sales:
> I have the same problem with my notebook here, some of the Fn keys do not 
> generate X events nor their presses is detected by the kernel (no messages 
> in /var/log/messages).

Would that be one of those keyboards where you have to press some toggle
key on the board to swap F keys between keyboard F keys and custom
buttons for that device?  (e.g. Some laptops re-use a few F keys for
internal/external VGA display toggling.)

> Does any one know a way to use keys which do not generate X events and for 
> which the kernel does not log messages of unkown key pressed 
> in /var/log/messages?

That depends on what you're doing.  I found that XMMS could use some
multimedia keyboard keys, when not setup for X to make use of them.  I
also found the opposite - that if you did map them in, XMMS would ignore
them.  e.g. I could have the system, overall, pay attention to
play/pause buttons, or XMMS, but not both at the same time (other music
players needed X to recognise them).

-- 
(This box runs FC6, my others run FC4 & FC5, in case that's
 important to the thread.)

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