LinuxQuestions.org - ThinkPad T60, Window Maker, and special Fn-keys

On my ThinkPad T60 so far I used Slackware 12.1 and now I try to configure Slackware 12.2. The problem I'd like to describe here concerns some special keys on my machine: so called ``multimedia keys'', ``browser's keys'', as well as ``Windows'' and ``Menu'' keys.

Slackware 12.1

With Slackware 12.1 I was able to use these keys with Window Maker thanks to the configuration of the system.

1. In ~/.Xmodmap I put a few keyboard modifiers:

.Xmodmap

Code:

keycode 162 = XF86AudioPlay

keycode 164 = XF86AudioStop

keycode 153 = XF86AudioNext

keycode 144 = XF86AudioPrev

keycode 115 = F13

keycode 117 = F35

keycode 234 = F19

keycode 233 = F20

2. I installed ReMoot (see: http://remoot.sourceforge.net/).

3. I prepared key associations for ``multimedia keys'', ``Windows'' and ``Menu'' keys in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WMRootMenu:

WMRootMenu

Code:

(

  Applications,

  ("Run...", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+r", EXEC, "%a(Run,Type command to run)"),

  ("xterm", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+x", EXEC, "/usr/bin/X11/xterm +sb -fg black -bg white -geometry 99x49+64+0 -fn 9x15"),

  ("Firefox", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+f", EXEC, "/usr/bin/firefox"),

  ("Thunderbird", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+t", EXEC, "/usr/bin/thunderbird"),

  ("OpenOffice.org", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+o", EXEC, "/usr/local/bin/soffice"),

  ("GIMP", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+g", EXEC, "/usr/bin/gimp"),

  ("Inkscape", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+i", EXEC, "/usr/bin/inkscape"),

  ("GQview", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+q", EXEC, "/usr/bin/gqview"),

  ("gMPlayer", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+m", EXEC, "/usr/local/bin/gmplayer"),

  ("Audacious", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+a", EXEC, "/usr/bin/audacious"),

  ("Wicd", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+w", EXEC, "/usr/bin/wicd-client -n"),

  ("Play/Pause", SHORTCUT, "XF86AudioPlay", EXEC, "/usr/local/bin/remoot playpause"),

  ("Next", SHORTCUT, "XF86AudioNext", EXEC, "/usr/local/bin/remoot next"),

  ("Prev", SHORTCUT, "XF86AudioPrev", EXEC, "/usr/local/bin/remoot prev"),

  ("Stop", SHORTCUT, "XF86AudioStop", EXEC, "/usr/local/bin/remoot stop"),

  ("WPrefs", SHORTCUT, "F13", EXEC, "/usr/lib/GNUstep/Applications/WPrefs.app/WPrefs"),

  ("WMakerconf", SHORTCUT, "F35", EXEC, "/usr/local/bin/wmakerconf"),

  ("Exit", SHORTCUT, "Shift+Mod1+F4", EXIT)

)

4. I set PrevWorkspaceKey and NextWorkspaceKey variables in ~/GNUstep/Defaults/WindowMaker file:

WindowMaker

Code:

.

.

.

  PrevWorkspaceKey = F19;

.

.

.

  NextWorkspaceKey = F20;

.

.

.

And in result I could use all these keys in Window Maker.

Slackware 12.2

With Slackware 12.2 it doesn't work. Window Maker doesn't see these keys. During start procedures it displays messages:

Code:

/usr/bin/wmaker warning: NextWorkspaceKey:invalid key in shortcut "F20"

/usr/bin/wmaker warning: PrevWorkspaceKey:invalid key in shortcut "F19"

/usr/bin/wmaker warning: WMRootMenu:invalid key in shortcut "XF86AudioPlay" for entry Play/Pause

/usr/bin/wmaker warning: WMRootMenu:invalid key in shortcut "XF86AudioNext" for entry Next

/usr/bin/wmaker warning: WMRootMenu:invalid key in shortcut "XF86AudioPrev" for entry Prev

/usr/bin/wmaker warning: WMRootMenu:invalid key in shortcut "XF86AudioStop" for entry Stop

/usr/bin/wmaker warning: WMRootMenu:invalid key in shortcut "F13" for entry WPrefs

/usr/bin/wmaker warning: WMRootMenu:invalid key in shortcut "F35" for entry WMakerconf

Slackware 12.2 uses Window Maker 20060427cvs so I downgraded it to Slackware 12.1 Window Maker 0.92.0 but it displays the same messages and doesn't see these keys too.

So I tried another method.

1. In ~/.Xmodmap I put the same keyboard modifiers:

.Xmodmap

Code:

keycode 162 = XF86AudioPlay

keycode 164 = XF86AudioStop

keycode 153 = XF86AudioNext

keycode 144 = XF86AudioPrev

keycode 115 = F13

keycode 117 = F35

keycode 234 = F19

keycode 233 = F20

2. I installed the same ReMoot (see: http://remoot.sourceforge.net/).

3. In ~/.xbindkeysrc I put a few commands:

.xbindkeysrc

Code:

"remoot playpause"

XF86AudioPlay



"remoot stop"

XF86AudioStop



"remoot prev"

XF86AudioPrev



"remoot next"

XF86AudioNext

4. In ~/.xinitrc I put commands to run xbindkeys and Window Maker:

.xinitrc

Code:

xbindkeys

/usr/bin/wmaker

5. I put the same shortcuts as above in WMRootMenu and WindowMaker files.

In result when I run Window Maker it doesn't see any shortcut keys. For some reason xbindkeys forbids Window Maker to use shortcuts stored in WMRootMenu and WindowMaker files.

6. So I changed ~/.xinitrc to run KDE:

.xinitrc

Code:

xbindkeys

/usr/bin/startkde

In result when I ran KDE and Amarok I could use ``multimedia keys''.

Summary

Because usually I don't use KDE but Window Maker in the present situation I'm unable to use all these special keys as I did it with Slackware 12.1. I tried associate them to the desired actions using Window Maker configuration files as well as xbindkeys configuration file. Both these methods failed with the present version of Window Maker. I tried to downgrade Window Maker but the result was the same. I can't guess what should I do to make these keys usable with Window Maker. Any help will be welcomed.