microsoft natural keyboard 4000 F10/Spell

[Frank Cox]

I have a Microsoft Natural 4000 keyboard on this computer.

If anyone is looking for a nice keyboard, I can recommend this one with one
caveat:  The space bar is not up to the standard of the rest of the keys --
everything else has a very nice feel but the space bar is stiff and bangs
when you use it.  If it wasn't for the space bar issue, this would be a perfect
keyboard to type on.

It does, however, have those horrible dual-function F-keys where the F-keys work
normally (F1, F2, etc) when the F-lock key is on, but have different functions
(Help, Undo, etc) when the F-lock key is off.

I would like to reprogram these keys so F-lock state becomes irrelevant and I
always have F1, F2 available.  I don't need or want Help, Undo, etc.

I figure the fix is to fire up xev, get the keycodes for each of the function
keys when F-lock is off, then write a little xmodmaprc file to reprogram those
keys to act "normal".

Unfortunately, F10/Spell doesn't have a keycode according to xev.  In fact, xev
doesn't register any event at all when I press F10 with F-lock off. (Of course,
I get keycode 76 when F-lock is on.)

So it appears that F10/Spell isn't recognized by the keyboard driver (or
something).  All the rest of the F-keys are recognized and have a keycode when
F-lock is off, with the single exception of F10/Spell.

Am I just outta-luck here?

-- 
MELVILLE THEATRE ~ Melville Sask ~ http://www.melvilletheatre.com