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

[Marcelo Magno T. Sales]

Em Dom 06 Mai 2007, Doncho N. Gunchev escreveu:
> 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 must be a way to use these keys because, as I stated in a previous 
message, keytouch (http://keytouch.sourceforge.net/) detects the key presses, 
while "showkey -s" does not. Have you tried it with your notebooks? Run 
keytouch-editor and see what happens. However, even after the keys were 
detected and an action was assigned for them, I couldn't make them work with 
this software.
I must say that, in my case, the problematic keys are not ACPI related. They 
should raise / low / mute the volume and open applications when pressed. The 
keys for increasing / decreasing the LCD brightness, on the other hand, are 
not detected by keytouch. Instead, ACPI messages are logged 
in /var/log/messages, but the keys don't work neither.

[]'s
Marcelo