Multimedia Keys going crazy!

farghal · 2008-04-27 00:29:53

Hello Everyone,

I have installed Arch today on my Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Pi 1505, and it's working great; however:

I was trying to get my multimedia keys to work (volume up and volume down at least, as there is no hardware volume knob on the laptop). I was using the instructions in http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Extra_Keyboard_Keys, I noticed some really weird behavior.

When I launch 'xev' as per the wiki, and press the Fn+F5 button (Volume Up) the key seems to become stuck, and the same output is generated over and over and over..

KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2400001,
    root 0x78, subw 0x0, time 460150, (299,132), root:(850,467),
    state 0x0, keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2400001,
    root 0x78, subw 0x0, time 460183, (299,132), root:(850,467),
    state 0x0, keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2400001,
    root 0x78, subw 0x0, time 460183, (299,132), root:(850,467),
    state 0x0, keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2400001,
    root 0x78, subw 0x0, time 460239, (299,132), root:(850,467),
    state 0x0, keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2400001,
    root 0x78, subw 0x0, time 460239, (299,132), root:(850,467),
    state 0x0, keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2400001,
    root 0x78, subw 0x0, time 460274, (299,132), root:(850,467),
    state 0x0, keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2400001,
    root 0x78, subw 0x0, time 460274, (299,132), root:(850,467),
    state 0x0, keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2400001,
    root 0x78, subw 0x0, time 460326, (299,132), root:(850,467),
    state 0x0, keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

This goes on and on and on and on...

The same happens with Fn+F6 (Volume Down) and the only thing that stops the output avalanche is to press any other key; after which the output stops and pressing Fn+F5 or Fn+F6 does absolutely nothing.

Now I know this is not a hardware issue as up until last morning the Fn keys were working with Ubuntu 8.04.

PS.1. Why does my gut tell me the problem is in the xorg.conf file? :-)

PS.2. This is my first day with Arch, and other than this (admittedly annoying) issue, I couldn't be happier. That thing is blazing fast! :-D

PS.3. It is now 3:30 AM here in Cairo, I've been trying to get this working for three hours now. I will head to sleep now.

.:B:. · 2008-04-27 00:38:00

Hi and welcome . Things working in Ubuntu are no reference - this is Arch . That means very probably stuff will not be working out of the box.

Look into xmodmap and setting keybindings to get those buttons working. HAL and some frontends (Gnome, KDE and Xfce have their own keybinding settings) might help you oth there.

Edit: I overlooked you already checked the wiki for those keys. If the events keep repeating that looks like they are stuck somehow, quite weird behaviour. For me those Fn keys (like most if not all other keys) generate a keypress & keyrelease event. That's where it stops.

Last edited by B (2008-04-27 00:42:59)

farghal · 2008-04-27 09:26:19

B wrote:

Hi and welcome . Things working in Ubuntu are no reference - this is Arch . That means very probably stuff will not be working out of the box.

I realize that. I only mentioned it to establish that the keys are not physically stuck. The way I see it, Arch is like a do-it-yourself linux kit, and I love it! :-)

Look into xmodmap and setting keybindings to get those buttons working. HAL and some frontends (Gnome, KDE and Xfce have their own keybinding settings) might help you oth there.
Edit: I overlooked you already checked the wiki for those keys. If the events keep repeating that looks like they are stuck somehow, quite weird behaviour. For me those Fn keys (like most if not all other keys) generate a keypress & keyrelease event. That's where it stops.

I have actually gone much further than that. I've setup xmodmap. It didn't work as the keys got stuck. Mute (Fn+F3) worked though, as this one doesn't get stuck. I got the same result with keytouch. That's why I thought it's an issue with the keyboard driver in X.org.. I don't know.

I am getting frustrated. I'm pulling my hair out.

PLEASE HELP BEFORE I GO BALD! :-(

j/k.

farghal · 2008-04-27 23:08:46

BUMP!

.. or should I just keep pulling my hair out? :-D

Arch Linux

#1 2008-04-27 00:29:53

Multimedia Keys going crazy!

#2 2008-04-27 00:38:00

Re: Multimedia Keys going crazy!

#3 2008-04-27 09:26:19

Re: Multimedia Keys going crazy!

#4 2008-04-27 23:08:46

Re: Multimedia Keys going crazy!

Board footer