[SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

oldherl · 2013-09-21 03:23:36

I'm considering to buy a Lenovo Thinkpad T440s and to install Linux on it.

According to the pdf user guide and photos of T440s, to use F1-F12 you have to hold down the Fn key, or use Fn+Esc to enable "Fn Lock"(FnLk).

full size image removed -- Inxsible

Also mentioned in the user guide, there are only three settings in the "Keyboard/Mouse" section in BIOS/UEFI configuration (aka. ThinkPad Setup):

- TrackPoint (Enabled or Disabled)
- Trackpad (Enabled or Disabled)
- Fn and Ctrl Key swap (Disabled or Enabled)

No settings about F1-F12.
In this review from a Chinese forum, someone wrote:

> 如果还想用原来的操作方式，安装好驱动后，按FN+ESC键进行FnLK操作就行了，重启后该设置继续保留，无需重新设置。

which translates into:

> If you want the old way back, just press Fn+Esc to get a FnLk with the driver installed. This configuration keeps even if you reboot the machine.

Here he doesn't make clear whether the Windows-only driver is a must, or just some OSD-related stuff.

Can anybody who has a T440s tell me whether FnLk works with Linux? Or does it rely on some Windows only driver?

Last edited by oldherl (2014-01-02 03:35:46)

Inxsible · 2013-09-21 03:24:59

please do not post full size images on the boards. Use an image hosting service.

WonderWoofy · 2013-09-21 03:27:44

I have an E430, which is certainly not a T-series. But I have the ability to use the Fn lock, but it is only available to me in the bios. It cannot be changed from userspace. I have never tried to use anything but the normal functionality, but I do have the top row set as Fn keys first instead of the special keys.

oldherl · 2013-09-21 03:37:57

WonderWoofy wrote:

I have an E430, which is certainly not a T-series. But I have the ability to use the Fn lock, but it is only available to me in the bios. It cannot be changed from userspace. I have never tried to use anything but the normal functionality, but I do have the top row set as Fn keys first instead of the special keys.

Thank you for the information, but the FnLk and the previous BIOS setting are two different way of handling Fn key, I'm afriad. So I am still waiting for a T440s owner to confirm this.

WonderWoofy · 2013-09-21 04:19:52

Honestly, I think you would probably have better lock asking on the Lenovo forums. There you can at least get an answer from someone who might be using windows, but can tell you if it appears that it is done by a userspace application.

If this is such a new feature, I am going to have to guess that this functionality is probably not yet included in the thinkpad_acpi kernel module or otherwise in the kernel.

Edit: I don't know about where you are, but here in the US this machine isn't even available yet.

Last edited by WonderWoofy (2013-09-21 04:22:04)

donniezazen · 2013-09-21 16:52:09

I have a T420i. As far as I can remember everything works out-of-box on my Thinkpad except mic mute button (probably not work until someone patches the Kernel). That being said. You will have varied experience based on what you are using. For example, I have seen Fn keys working OOO on Gnome but not on KDE. You can also use xmodmap to fix them. I don't find Fn keys very useful as long as music and brightness control is working just automate other things like screen lock, etc.

Edit:- Fn+Esc isn't assigned to anything on my system. Fn+F2 that locks the system works on Gnome but not KDE.

Last edited by donniezazen (2013-09-21 16:53:39)

SchrödingersZombie · 2013-09-23 21:14:47

As a user of a Thinkpad Edge E330 I had also encountered the mic mute button problem mentioned by donniezazen a half year ago with Ununtu, now with arch everything woks fine (as long as you have defined the apropriate action for the button).

I have the option in the bios to make the F{1-12} buttons default and the special keys accessible via fn-key.

ANOKNUSA · 2013-09-24 03:52:26

My T520 hardware and function keys all work just fine while holding down the "Fn" key; the T-series Thinkpads have a long history of being Linux-friendly (mostly Intel hardware). The only thing confusing to me is what the "old way" is that was mentioned.

WonderWoofy · 2013-09-24 04:01:57

@ANOKNUSA, apparently the new T440 has a new feature that allows one to toggle the Fn key from userspace by using Fn+Esc (I think that was the gist of it). So the OP is wondering if this feature is supported in Linux or not. I guess there is a good chance that this feature is controlled by a userspace windows application.

IMO, with a feature that new on a computer that is yet to be released worldwide (at all?), it is probably the case that this has yet to be enabled in the thinkpad_acpi module.

OdinEidolon · 2013-09-29 14:25:30

Good question. I'm more puzzled whether the new touchpad "buttons" work at all tho. I will be considering a T440 or T440s if I find out it has decent Linux support.

A guy in the german Thinkpad forum has already tested it. I can't find a complete report but try this (use translator if you don't know German):

thinkpad-forum.de/threads/164991-FN-Tasten-Linux-T440s

Tasqa · 2013-12-31 00:42:33

Hey, I'm gonna chip in here for a moment, found this thread at random. I've been using my T440s with Arch and various DE's for about 2 weeks now.
I can confirm that the fn-lock function and the media keys are functioning perfectly fine. Almost everything works out of the box. There is one issue with the trackpoint buttons on the trackpad. The xorg-synaptics package has no proper interface to make them work as lenovo did in windows, but it is being worked on. There is one other issue with the intel drm driver when plugging the laptop in a dock. Other than that everything is working great .

Hope this still helps!

OdinEidolon · 2013-12-31 08:07:37

Tasqa wrote:

Hey, I'm gonna chip in here for a moment, found this thread at random. I've been using my T440s with Arch and various DE's for about 2 weeks now.
I can confirm that the fn-lock function and the media keys are functioning perfectly fine. Almost everything works out of the box. There is one issue with the trackpoint buttons on the trackpad. The xorg-synaptics package has no proper interface to make them work as lenovo did in windows, but it is being worked on. There is one other issue with the intel drm driver when plugging the laptop in a dock. Other than that everything is working great .
Hope this still helps!

Nice to know. So for now you are forced to use an external mouse?

oldherl · 2014-01-02 03:12:37

Thanks everyone.
Due to other considerations, I ended up with a Dell Latitude E7440, with similar configuration.

jasonwryan · 2014-01-02 03:33:51

Please don't use Closed, it denotes a locked thread, use Solved or Resolved instead.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-09-21 03:23:36

[SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#2 2013-09-21 03:24:59

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#3 2013-09-21 03:27:44

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#4 2013-09-21 03:37:57

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#5 2013-09-21 04:19:52

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#6 2013-09-21 16:52:09

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#7 2013-09-23 21:14:47

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#8 2013-09-24 03:52:26

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#9 2013-09-24 04:01:57

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#10 2013-09-29 14:25:30

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#11 2013-12-31 00:42:33

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#12 2013-12-31 08:07:37

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#13 2014-01-02 03:12:37

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

#14 2014-01-02 03:33:51

Re: [SOLVED] Fn Lock (FnLk) on Thinkpad T440s work well with Linux?

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