[gentoo-user] [OT] Searching for a solution to a logical problem...

[gentoo-user] [OT] Searching for a solution to a logical problem...

[meino.cramer]

Hi,

The problem for which I am looking for a workaround is not based on 
a bug -- it is a logical problem.

I am using session manager like KDE/Gnome/XFCE and others but openbox
as a window manager.

The mapping of keystrokes to certain funtionalities is a common
feature or most applications nowadays.

And with this keymappings there come the conflicting of keymappings
into existence...

With openbox I have mapped Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-right to next-desktop
and previous-desktop.
When starting blender, which is a great keymapper also, I know have
"lost" the keymapping which is mapped to Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-right,
since openbox catches this one and blender does not get a glimpse of
it.

The remapping of "lost keymaps" not always helps, since often used
functions are mapped to key combos, which can be reached easily. Those
are used often and therefore overlap often.

Remapping to avoid conflicts then led to situations where a simple
"del-char" of an editor is mapped to something awful like
<Left-Ctrl-ALT-6> (exaggerated...;)

Since there is one rule in the internet: "You are not the first person
haveing a certain problem..." I dare to ask   :) .....

Is there any way to ease this situation?

Thank you very much in advance for any help! Have nice sunday!
Best regards,
mcc

Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Searching for a solution to a logical problem...

[Albert W. Hopkins]

On Sun, 2011-11-06 at 07:45 +0100, meino.cramer@gmx.de wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> The problem for which I am looking for a workaround is not based on 
> a bug -- it is a logical problem.
> 
> I am using session manager like KDE/Gnome/XFCE and others but openbox
> as a window manager.
> 
> The mapping of keystrokes to certain funtionalities is a common
> feature or most applications nowadays.
> 
> And with this keymappings there come the conflicting of keymappings
> into existence...
> 
> With openbox I have mapped Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-right to next-desktop
> and previous-desktop.
> When starting blender, which is a great keymapper also, I know have
> "lost" the keymapping which is mapped to Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-right,
> since openbox catches this one and blender does not get a glimpse of
> it.
> 
> The remapping of "lost keymaps" not always helps, since often used
> functions are mapped to key combos, which can be reached easily. Those
> are used often and therefore overlap often.
> 
> Remapping to avoid conflicts then led to situations where a simple
> "del-char" of an editor is mapped to something awful like
> <Left-Ctrl-ALT-6> (exaggerated...;)
> 
> Since there is one rule in the internet: "You are not the first person
> haveing a certain problem..." I dare to ask   :) .....
> 
> Is there any way to ease this situation?
> 
> Thank you very much in advance for any help! Have nice sunday!
> Best regards,
> mcc

What a immensely long way to ask a simple question!

Here's the simple (and brief answer):

You can't have an app and window manager use the same keybindings.
AFAIK the window manager will always win.  Best solution is to change
the bindings of one or the other.

Personally, I'd cjamge.  (CTRL-Left/Right) is simply too "simple" of a
keybinding to have grabbed at the window manager level.  I actually use
CTRL-ALT-Up/Down to switch (vertical) workspaces.  I believe
CTRL-ALT-Arrow_keys is the default on most window managers because it's
"sane", which the openbox setting is not.

Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Searching for a solution to a logical problem...

[meino.cramer]

Albert W. Hopkins <marduk@letterboxes.org> [11-11-06 12:08]:
> On Sun, 2011-11-06 at 07:45 +0100, meino.cramer@gmx.de wrote:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > The problem for which I am looking for a workaround is not based on 
> > a bug -- it is a logical problem.
> > 
> > I am using session manager like KDE/Gnome/XFCE and others but openbox
> > as a window manager.
> > 
> > The mapping of keystrokes to certain funtionalities is a common
> > feature or most applications nowadays.
> > 
> > And with this keymappings there come the conflicting of keymappings
> > into existence...
> > 
> > With openbox I have mapped Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-right to next-desktop
> > and previous-desktop.
> > When starting blender, which is a great keymapper also, I know have
> > "lost" the keymapping which is mapped to Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-right,
> > since openbox catches this one and blender does not get a glimpse of
> > it.
> > 
> > The remapping of "lost keymaps" not always helps, since often used
> > functions are mapped to key combos, which can be reached easily. Those
> > are used often and therefore overlap often.
> > 
> > Remapping to avoid conflicts then led to situations where a simple
> > "del-char" of an editor is mapped to something awful like
> > <Left-Ctrl-ALT-6> (exaggerated...;)
> > 
> > Since there is one rule in the internet: "You are not the first person
> > haveing a certain problem..." I dare to ask   :) .....
> > 
> > Is there any way to ease this situation?
> > 
> > Thank you very much in advance for any help! Have nice sunday!
> > Best regards,
> > mcc
> 
> What a immensely long way to ask a simple question!
> 
> Here's the simple (and brief answer):
> 
> You can't have an app and window manager use the same keybindings.
> AFAIK the window manager will always win.  Best solution is to change
> the bindings of one or the other.
> 
> Personally, I'd cjamge.  (CTRL-Left/Right) is simply too "simple" of a
> keybinding to have grabbed at the window manager level.  I actually use
> CTRL-ALT-Up/Down to switch (vertical) workspaces.  I believe
> CTRL-ALT-Arrow_keys is the default on most window managers because it's
> "sane", which the openbox setting is not.
> 
> 

The question was not that simple as this answer implies and which
convice me again and again to send postings which explain in detail
what I really mean.

Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Searching for a solution to a logical problem...

[Jesús J. Guerrero Botella]

If I am understanding the problem, maybe what you should do is to
choose a window manager that can disable a given binding when the
focus is at a given window (blender, in this case). I think fvwm can
do this, but it takes some learning to use it with proficiency.

In any case, there will always be shortcomings to this. While you are
working at blender you will surely sometimes activate that  key combo
hoping for the blender functionality, but sometimes you will forget
you are working with it and hence you will expect that combo to take
you to another desktop. The only real solution is mind-reading, which
computer will handle someday, but not quite yet.

In the while, what I suggest you is to use saner bindings. In a pc the
mod4/win key does nothing useful, if you become accustomed to use it
for all your WM bindings there will not be conflicts with most
applications, probably. That's what I do. Learning some WMs can be
time consuming, but configuring the keybindings is usually quick
enough.
-- 
Jesús Guerrero Botella

Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] Searching for a solution to a logical problem...

[meino.cramer]

Jesús J. Guerrero Botella <jesus.guerrero.botella@gmail.com> [11-11-06 12:32]:
> If I am understanding the problem, maybe what you should do is to
> choose a window manager that can disable a given binding when the
> focus is at a given window (blender, in this case). I think fvwm can
> do this, but it takes some learning to use it with proficiency.
> 
> In any case, there will always be shortcomings to this. While you are
> working at blender you will surely sometimes activate that  key combo
> hoping for the blender functionality, but sometimes you will forget
> you are working with it and hence you will expect that combo to take
> you to another desktop. The only real solution is mind-reading, which
> computer will handle someday, but not quite yet.
> 
> In the while, what I suggest you is to use saner bindings. In a pc the
> mod4/win key does nothing useful, if you become accustomed to use it
> for all your WM bindings there will not be conflicts with most
> applications, probably. That's what I do. Learning some WMs can be
> time consuming, but configuring the keybindings is usually quick
> enough.
> -- 
> Jesús Guerrero Botella
> 

Hi Jesús,

yes, seems to be the only way to... :)

Sideeffect: There is no mod4/win on my keyboard... ;) ... I am
using an IBM model M of 1988...a time, when win-keys where 
pure science fiction.

Buth this doesn't nullify the idea of "make all keybindings unique"
in any way!

It seems there is a lot of work ahead for me :)

Thank you for your help and for your understanding!
Have a nice sunday!
Best regards,
mcc