Hi Guys, genuine noob here. I need some help with my first 'puter project -

I have a PI2 running Raspbian, a vintage ZX Spectrum computer & hacked USB keyboard chip.

I've used the USB keyboard chip to interface the keys from the Spectrum into my PI2.

Unfortunately, I'm having problems re-mapping the keys using XMODMAP...

Now this where it gets weird, let me explain -

Firstly, I've managed to successfully map the basic numbers & letters, so that the Spectrum keys trigger the appropriate KeySymbol.
However, I'm having serious problems with the modifier keys...

SHIFT_L is mapping perfectly, and will trigger CAPITALIZED letters.
BUT... I can't seem to get accurate results from my re-mapped ALTGR button -

It works fine for SOME keys, but for others it will behave like SHIFT_L or not work at all

So as you can see below, I've (attempted) to re-map the Spectrum's SYMBOL SHIFT key to 'MOD5' (altgr), so that the 'number' keys will trigger !,@,#,$,%,&,',(,) and _.

so for 12345767890, I SHOULD be getting !@#$&%'()_
But - instead I'm getting 12345&78)_
It's working fine for keys '6', '9' and '0' but NOT for the other keys....

GGGrrrrrr... I don't understand what's happening here

Anyway, this is my xmodmap code. Please help me!

# first, sort out CAPS SHIFT and SYMBOL SHIFT as a shift and AltGr key..
xmodmap -e "keycode 85 = Shift_L"
xmodmap -e "keycode 97 = Control_R"
xset -r 85 # prevent new shift from autorepeating
xset -r 97 # prevent new AlrGr from autorepeating
xmodmap -e "add shift = Shift_L"
xmodmap -e "remove control = Control_R"
xmodmap -e "add mod5 = Control_R"

# one key maps to 'Caps Lock', need to remove this function to get it working
xmodmap -e "remove lock = Caps_Lock"

# Right, standard keys now... top row first, left to right...
xmodmap -e "keycode 89 = 1 1 exclam exclam exclam"
xmodmap -e "keycode 88 = 2 2 at at at"
xmodmap -e "keycode 112 = 3 3 numbersign numbersign numbersign"
xmodmap -e "keycode 34 = 4 4 dollar dollar dollar"
xmodmap -e "keycode 33 = 5 5 percent percent percent"
xmodmap -e "keycode 60 = 6 6 ampersand ampersand ampersand"
xmodmap -e "keycode 173 = 7 7 apostrophe apostrophe apostrophe"
xmodmap -e "keycode 114 = 8 8 parenleft parenleft parenleft parenleft"
xmodmap -e "keycode 106 = 9 9 parenright parenright parenright"
xmodmap -e "keycode 86 = 0 BackSpace underscore underscore underscore"

I should also mention that I've asked this same question on the PI forum, and no one's replied -

https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/v...8&t=108434&e=0

Hopefully I can get some help here, as this project is currently useless without being able to re-map the keys.

Many thanks

I remember the Sinclair Spectrum - the worst Basic interpreter of all time, cassette tape loading programs, etc. Non maskable interrupt rewriting the screen every 20 milliseconds. All for £120. It seemed like Sinclair could do no wrong - but that didn't last forever.

The keyboard is horribly non standard.I very much doubt if you can separate left & right Alt keys. It's also likely to map things to a Basic keyword - remember all those crazy modes?

I advise: Remove the keyboard chip and Sinclair Spectrum. Insert a usb keyboard into the Raspberry Pi, and go from there. You are reinventing the wheel there. And without wishing to pour scorn on your considerable efforts, the original is a little better than the one you have going.

Hey, don't knock the Speccy - it's still going strong after 35 years. Probably will be long after you and I are dead & buried

OK, perhaps I wasn't clear - the internal workings of the Spectrum have been removed. Now it's just a box containing a PI2, USB keyboard chip and a brand new membrane (working perfectly) along with the lovely rubber keys.

I've used XEV to confirm that the keys are all functioning correctly (no double triggers, etc.), so there's no problem with the hardware side of things.

Therefor it's likely that the problem is with XMODMAP / my XMODMAP programming - can I please get some helpful advice in resolving this problem?


Many thanks.

You do need to set up your modifiers somewhere. Then there is the basic format

keycode = 1 2 3 4

1 = Code shown when you press the key
2 = Code shown when you press the key and Shift
3 = Code shown when you press the key and Modifier
4 = Code shown when you press the key and Modifier and Shift

The code is something like 'pound sign' for £ and do forth. I found a file where the standard keycodes were all listed. That was invaluable.