New keyboard layouts

[Walter Bender]

On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 12:27 PM, Tiago Marques <tiagomnm at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 5:21 PM, Paul Fox <pgf at laptop.org> wrote:
>>
>> tiago wrote:
>>  > I must ask, what's the default behavior of function keys in the new
>> layout?
>>  > Fn changes them to F keys, or are they F keys without Fn pressed?
>>
>> the labels on the function keys are just alternate meanings, not
>> alternate scancodes.  i.e., the key labeled 'network
>> neighborhood' on an XO has always generated the F1 scancode.
>> this will continue to be the case, with no modifiers required.
>>
>> i believe the only keys the Fn key modifies, currently, are the arrow
>> keys, which generate pgup/pgdn/home/end when modified by Fn.
>>
>> (yes, you've been caught by an ambiguity in the keytop labeling.)
>
> I know :|
> Not understanding anything of the underlying software or hardware, wouldn't
> it be possible to have the Fn keys really modifying those keys? That could
> bring some benefit, at least for me. I frequently find myself needing the F
> functions in gnome.
> Also, if that's the case, and the default are the sugar actions, why not
> make those the big symbols at make the F* keys smaller?

We could do that. We are trying to strike a balance between the
expectations of someone using the GNOME desktop and Sugar. (I'll make
a mock-up in any case.)

-walter

> Best regards,
> Tiago
>
>>
>> paul
>>
>>  >
>>  > Tiago
>>  >
>>  > On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 2:49 PM, Mikus Grinbergs <mikus at bga.com> wrote:
>>  >
>>  > > > The following are the keyboard layouts and legends for these
>>  > > > new keyboards.   Much thanks to Walter Bender for developing
>>  > > > these given a bad set of constraints.
>>  > > > http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_English_Non-membrane_Keyboard
>>  > >
>>  > > There may be users who wish to plug in an external keyboard.  Such
>>  > > external keyboards often have function keys grouped in sets of four.
>>  > > Such grouping places F5 at the beginning of a row of four keys, and
>>  > > places F6 in the middle of a row of four keys.
>>  > >
>>  > > Suppose users might be pressing the key for 'frame' more often than
>> the
>>  > > key for 'search'.  Should the 'frame' function be assigned to the F5
>>  > > key, since on external keyboards the F5 key might be easier to locate
>> ?
>>  > >
>>  > > mikus
>>  > >
>>  > > _______________________________________________
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>>  > >
>>  > part 2     text/plain                 129
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>> =---------------------
>>  paul fox, pgf at laptop.org
>
>
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>



-- 
Walter Bender
Sugar Labs
http://www.sugarlabs.org