Getting Linux to recognize my keyboard properly

[Angel Blue01]

I just bought a Toshiba Satellite A205-S4577 and installed openSUSE 10.2 in a dual boot with Windows Vista, this is my first time wit Linux on a primary machine.

Except for a few lingering problems it works fine. My sound doesn't work but that may be resolved in the next version of Alsa. SUSE doesn't recognize the ability to change the brightness which is a feature of the Windows drivers.

Right now I'd like to resolve a relativly easy-looking lingering problem that just bothers me. The machine has a large built-in keyboard and this being a laptop it has a rather odd layout.

I'd like some way of getting KDE to recognize my Windows key and map it to open the Kmenu. The context menu key doesn't work. The PrintScreen key does nothing although its configured in KDE configuration to start ksnapshot. Less remarkable but still annoying is that the function shortcuts don't work (Fn+ some key). They seem to be driven by the Windows software: stop the software and the keys in Windows stop working as Fn-enabled keys.

I tried Kubuntu and the same results.

I attached a picture of the keyboard.

Is there any way to at least get the winkey, context key, and PrintScreen key working?

[CaKeY]

Maybe if you take the stickers off...

anyway, here's some info.

[markwolfe Veteran]

Another thing is to check to make sure you get X events for your keys. Use the xev app to start. I have never had to actually change or make assignments to the keyboard (outside of creating simple keyboard shortcuts for known keys to start apps or perform functions in fluxbox), but if you verify that there are x events, you can probably work off of that to do what you need.

[Angel Blue01]

  CaKeY said:

Maybe if you take the stickers off...anyway, here's some info.

LOL I'm keeping the stickers until I get really bored.Umm... thanks, you linked to my thread on the SUSE forums, trying to answer the sound issue. :huh: As you can see I didn't get anywhere with that, so I decided to try this problem until the Alsa team updates their packages, although my request for help on their mailing list have gone unanswered so far.

  markjensen said:

Another thing is to check to make sure you get X events for your keys. Use the xev app to start. I have never had to actually change or make assignments to the keyboard (outside of creating simple keyboard shortcuts for known keys to start apps or perform functions in fluxbox), but if you verify that there are x events, you can probably work off of that to do what you need.

I get this as output:

  Quote

Outer window is 0x4600001, inner window is 0x4600002PropertyNotify event, serial 8, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x27 (WM_NAME), time 30000932, state PropertyNewValuePropertyNotify event, serial 9, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x22 (WM_COMMAND), time 30000932, state PropertyNewValuePropertyNotify event, serial 10, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x28 (WM_NORMAL_HINTS), time 30000932, state PropertyNewValueCreateNotify event, serial 11, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, parent 0x4600001, window 0x4600002, (10,10), width 50, height 50border_width 4, override NOMapNotify event, serial 12, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, event 0x4600001, window 0x4600002, override NOPropertyNotify event, serial 15, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x1c9 (_KDE_NET_WM_USER_CREATION_TIME), time 30000932, state PropertyNewValueConfigureNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, event 0x4600001, window 0x4600001, (0,0), width 178, height 178, border_width 0, above 0x4400078, override NOReparentNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, event 0x4600001, window 0x4600001, parent 0x1211816, (0,0), override NOPropertyNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x1a2 (_NET_WM_DESKTOP), time 30000969, state PropertyNewValuePropertyNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x1aa (_NET_FRAME_EXTENTS), time 30000971, state PropertyNewValuePropertyNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x10d (_KDE_NET_WM_FRAME_STRUT), time 30000971, state PropertyNewValuePropertyNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x1a8 (_NET_WM_ALLOWED_ACTIONS), time 30000971, state PropertyNewValuePropertyNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x103 (_NET_WM_STATE), time 30000971, state PropertyNewValuePropertyNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x78 (WM_STATE), time 30000971, state PropertyNewValueConfigureNotify event, serial 18, synthetic YES, window 0x4600001, event 0x4600001, window 0x4600001, (761,19), width 178, height 178, border_width 0, above 0x0, override NOMapNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, event 0x4600001, window 0x4600001, override NOVisibilityNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, state VisibilityFullyObscuredFocusIn event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, mode NotifyNormal, detail NotifyNonlinearKeymapNotify event, serial 18, synthetic NO, window 0x0, keys: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0VisibilityNotify event, serial 21, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, state VisibilityUnobscuredExpose event, serial 21, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, (0,0), width 178, height 10, count 3Expose event, serial 21, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, (0,10), width 10, height 58, count 2Expose event, serial 21, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, (68,10), width 110, height 58, count 1Expose event, serial 21, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, (0,68), width 178, height 110, count 0PropertyNotify event, serial 27, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, atom 0x1a5 (_NET_WM_ICON_GEOMETRY), time 30001186, state PropertyNewValueFocusOut event, serial 28, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001, mode NotifyNormal, detail NotifyNonlinear

so where do I go from here?

[markwolfe Veteran]

You need to see if events are generated when you press the keys. If they are, then X sees them, and it is a matter of mapping (and that is where my experience ends, I am afraid).

[Whiffle]

I know on my thinkpad there is a kernel module (ibm-acpi) that allows linux to see the fn key presses and other special keys, I wouldn't be surprised if it were the same on your toshiba. You may have to do some googling to figure out which is what though.

[Robgig1088]

http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-core-devel&amp...5900688&w=2

it appears that it was default but they disabled it... look for an option .. somewhere :p

also, maybe look at xbindkeys