Re: [gentoo-user] Lenovo USB Keyboard

[Albert Hopkins <marduk@letterboxes.org>]

On Thu, 2009-10-29 at 17:42 +0100, Stefan G. Weichinger wrote:
> Got myself a Lenovo keyboard ...
> 
> a "ThinkPlus Enhanced Performance USB Keyboard"
> 
> wow, it looked much better online than it feels now ... *sigh*
> 
> I want to use that keyboard with Gnome (2.26 right now).
> 
> I googled how to use the multimedia-keys already, seems as if I have
> to
> face some serious key-logging and hacking around to get those working
> (no, nothing usable on that funny CD).

Most of the time with GNOME they work out of the box.

I too use a keyboard that has all those glitzy keys on them.  I rarely
use them however.  I usually map them to other CTRL-ALT-ALNUM-like
shortcuts because then if I ever switch keyboards all my shortcuts will
still work and the keys are (for the most part) always in the same
location. But anyway, most of them just work except for the zoom in/out
keys.  I haven't seen any X events for them yet.

GNOME has a settings for keyboard shortcuts.  Usually you just have to
assign an even to a key if it's not already assigned.

I use the evdev managed keyboard.  It seems to work much better than the
pre-defined layouts.  And also I can easily switch keyboards and have
stuff "just work".

> Some of them work (volume, internet-keys to the left), only the 7 keys
> on top miss. I don't actually NEED them, but as I PAID them .... you
> know ... ;-)
> 
> --
> 
> Just before I start hacking myself, I want to ask you if maybe someone
> has already gone through this and is willing to share ...?
> 
> Sorry if I sound lazy, actually I am already getting a bit tired of
> hacking stuff like that everytime I get a new piece of hardware.

Have you tried using the evdev driver?