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

Doncho N. Gunchev gunchev at gmail.com
Sun May 6 14:41:52 UTC 2007


On Saturday 2007-05-05 15:08:02 Tim wrote:
> 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.)

Most likely not, my keys are not usual keys nor F+ keys, they do not work via
the keyboard controler, they use ACPI module IIRC. Yes, the world is going
crazy...

> 
> > 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

XMMS can't access keys that the kernel can not. If 'showkey -s' shows
nothing when you press the key... forget it. There are some modules around
the net let you make use of them, but none for my laptop model (Acer 6510).
I have 10 of this type.

Reference: http://freshmeat.net/projects/acerhk/ , http://www.cakey.de/acerhk/
and also http://code.google.com/p/aceracpi/

-- 
Regards,
  Doncho




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