Binding laptop multimedia keys

MJBoa · 2015-10-15 08:03:59

Hi everyone,

On my laptop I have a key to switch display between external/internal or both. It doesn't do anything under linux though. It doesn't even seem to register using `xev` or `showkey -a`. Is it possible to bind it still? What's the "lowest" I can go to see if linux registers it at all?

Any tips? Thanks.

olive · 2015-10-15 11:38:22

You can see the lowest thing the kernel see with

showkey --scancode

You have to run this command in a linux console (not in a terminal under X). Do other multimedia keys works?

Last edited by olive (2015-10-15 11:38:44)

MJBoa · 2015-10-22 08:51:02

Ran it, no output when I press the key. What's happening that Windows understands the key press but Linux can't?

Other multimedia keys work, I'm using them to control my music player.

olive · 2015-10-22 09:02:57

MJBoa wrote:

Ran it, no output when I press the key. What's happening that Windows understands the key press but Linux can't?
Other multimedia keys work, I'm using them to control my music player.

Probably a deficiency of the driver. Normal keyboard key are completely standard, usual multimedia key such as Vol+, etc. are somewhat standard too and this is less standard and dependent of the specific laptop. Note that the fact that linux does not see the key does not mean you loose some other functionality. Just bind some key combination that linux see to what you want.

Last edited by olive (2015-10-22 09:03:20)

mauritiusdadd · 2015-10-22 10:49:37

olive wrote:

MJBoa wrote:
Ran it, no output when I press the key. What's happening that Windows understands the key press but Linux can't?
Other multimedia keys work, I'm using them to control my music player.
Probably a deficiency of the driver. Normal keyboard key are completely standard, usual multimedia key such as Vol+, etc. are somewhat standard too and this is less standard and dependent of the specific laptop. Note that the fact that linux does not see the key does not mean you loose some other functionality. Just bind some key combination that linux see to what you want.

The culprit could be also the firmware of the motherboard because a lot of manufacturers do strange things in the DSDT for this multimedia key: someone changes the behaviour of the key according the OS running, others require a special acpi_osi string to be explicitly passed as kernel parameter, and others just bind the key to the WIN+P combination .

If you want, you can try to dump and disassemble the DSDT of your motherboard and see if there is some exotic implementation for that multimedia key, or you could try so use one of the common Windows osi strings. In each case, the easyest way is the one suggested by olive: just bind the functionality to another key/key combo.

Last edited by mauritiusdadd (2015-10-22 10:51:43)

Trilby · 2015-10-22 12:10:44

Are you using any of the laptop tool packages - there are many that claim to help manage these keys. But I'd advise against using any of them. In my experience they manage them by capturing them at a very low level, so if the tool doesn't do exactly what you want you are SOL as you can no longer bind them yourself.

The only time I've ever seen media keys not being accessible is when there is some laptop-mode daemon running or driver installed.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-10-15 08:03:59

Binding laptop multimedia keys

#2 2015-10-15 11:38:22

Re: Binding laptop multimedia keys

#3 2015-10-22 08:51:02

Re: Binding laptop multimedia keys

#4 2015-10-22 09:02:57

Re: Binding laptop multimedia keys

#5 2015-10-22 10:49:37

Re: Binding laptop multimedia keys

#6 2015-10-22 12:10:44

Re: Binding laptop multimedia keys

Board footer