I sometimes use Orpheus to play music of mixed formats on the console, such as mp3s and ogg files. Normally I can load or save a playlist using the f2 and f3 keys, but if I happen to be running X I cannot. They get no response at all, though oddly f5 does work. I have noticed a couple of other times in some other apps that the f keys were non-responsive when I expected them to work, though I cannot recall now which ones, though it was always while using X. I have looked through the obvious XF86Config entries relating to the keyboard and I don't see anything relevant. I have googled and got nothing back which seemed to relate either. I am using an IBM "clicky" keyboard, which I assumed would be a generic 101 key US keyboard, and so designated it as such in xf86config. Am I overlooking something obvious here? I imagine it is likely, but I just can't seem to find it. I appreciate any tips which may fix this.

It may depend on what window manager you're running. I use fluxbox, and can configure the F keys through fluxbox's init file. Perhaps your window manager is overriding your otherwise defined F keys.

Good idea, that never occurred to me. And my window manager is heavily key based (ratpoison) and has stolen keystrokes from other programs, which would have made it a likely culprit. Unfortunately, after looking in my files, man pages, info and google searches focussed on ratpoison and f keys, I found nothing to suggest it. They don't appear, at least, to be used by ratpoison for anything at all, and there is no reference to any of them in any of the documentation at all. But, I suppose that maybe it is still affecting them in some way. I will have to search for a newsgroup or site dedicated to that WM specifically to make sure.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I've noticed that with the default settings for both
xterm and rxvt some ncurses apps (namely MC)
have problems with F-Keys in rxvt, but not in xterm.
I don't use MC enough to bother hunting down why
it doesn't work with my otherwise preferred terminal,
so just run that one in an xterm instead.

Maybe the problem is related to your terminal application
as well?


Cheers,
Tink

2 comments

1) if it's one of them nu fancy fandangle me-crow-soft kee-bored-s turn on that f lock key

2) much more likely:

gaim (0.68 and 0.75) have absorbed (on several occasions) my F-keys
I am guessing this is the price of running gnome software in kde.

Even stranger was that when investigating the problem it was the F2, F3 key only, F1 still worked fine.

so consider that ... the above mentioned are also plausible

Good look

That did it. I use rxvt by default. I like the slightly larger font and the fact that it doesn't clear the screen after every app is finished. After running less or more I like to be able to quit and then look at the info left on the screen while I am using it. With xterm it all disappears. Any idea, btw, on how to stop that? But, in any case, you were absolutely right, and with xterm in orpheus the f2 and f3 keys worked fine. And, like you and mc, I don't use orpheus all that much and so probably won't worry too much about adjusting, if possible, rxvt. Perhaps I will find an app one day which I feel is just too necessary and may look into it. But, I am glad to know what is going on, and that it is not my settings. I guess I am a bit anal about having all my configurations working correctly.

Many thanks for the info and help. I appreciate it.

Pleasure m8 :)

Maybe some day, if/when I have HEAPS of time,
I'll look at the default key bindings in both and adjust
rxvt to behave like xterm ;)



Cheers,
Tink

curious bug ....