Freedom Keyboard (kbdd) Problems
 

In spite of the quick (and noble!) effort on the part of fanoush to update his kbdd application for Bluetooth keyboards to meet the needs of the new operating system, I find several glitches still remaining. The enter key now again only serves to toggle back and forth between my Freedom keyboard and the onscreen keyboard (instead of entering a command), and I can't get the shortcut in the extras directory to work (as it did in the previous operating system). As I've finally gotten abiword to work for me in the new operating system, it's of no benefit if my Freedom keyboard also doesn't work. (The onscreen keyboard doesn't work with the current version of abiword.) Ah, yes, there are some drawbacks in adjusting to an new operating system!

Try to remove/reinsert keyboard batteries to force kbdd to pair keyboard again, i had problem when switching between different systems in flash and mmc, keyboard and n770 device got out of sync regarding to bluetooth pairing data.

Also try to read instructions both on the site and included README.txt and follow it precisely.

If it still doesn't work then describe your problem in detail, 'I can't get the shortcut in the extras directory to work' is not description of the problem. How you are trying to get it work? What you did precisely?

Regretfully, I've become something of an "old hand" at reading and following all the kbdd instructions exactly. I've printed them out and keep them close by my side! Reinserting the batteries didn't accomplish anything. I can readily activate the keyboard by entering ./btkbd when in root, and I can deactivate it the same way. However, when activated it types letters all right, but the enter key, as I said earlier, doesn't actaully enter any commands but merely toggles back and forth between a full screen of xterm text and a bottom-screen keyboard. After deactivating the keyboard through a second ./btkbd command (executed necessarily from the onscreen keyboard), I enter ./install_shortcut.sh, which installs the shortcut command in the extras menu. When that doesn't work, I go back to xterm and execute ./remove_shortcut.sh, which then does remove the command from the extras menu. All of the above commands I've executed many times, wih the same results. I successfully followed these instructions with the former operating system, but they don't work with effect in the new operating system. I hope this provides you more helpful specific information. As always, any further assistance you can provide would be most welcome.

Do you run btkbd as root or ordinary user in osso-xterm? Does 'sudo gainroot' give root prompt for you? Menu shortcut uses sudo gainroot.

As for toggling VKB via enter key it should be enough to reactivate osso-xterm window by bringing up main application menu and closing it.

In one of my replies to another thread of yours of last week, I offered the supposition that one of my problems might stem from the fact that I become root by the "sudo su" command, not through "gainroot." If this accounts for my "shortcut" problem, what edit do you suggest I make (beyond the perhaps obvious one of making this change in your "install_shortcut.sh" script)?

IN regards to your instruction to:

I don't quite understand exactly what this means or specifically how I go about doing it. Which "main application menu" do you mean and where do I find it? This no doubt appears to be a stupid question, but I am a little confused. Thanks for your quick response(s).

Yes, the problem can be also called 'not following or simply ignoring instructions' :)
If this is obvious them change it yourself :-)
I meant the start menu, the one you use to launch applications. For me it is enough to make osso-xterm to lose input focus by opening the menu and then activating osso-xterm window again. Then VKB does not show when pressing enter.

Thanks. While I didn't recognize that my 770 had a "start" menu labeled as such, I am assuming you were referring to my "extras" menu. When I re-invoked by osso-xterminal through the extras menu, the toggling problem seemed to have been resolved (at least for now!) As to editing the install_shortcut.sh script (and I presume the remove_shortcut.sh script also), I will have to wait until my Linux box is again functioning so as to accomplish this via ssh. Neither my onscreen nor Freedom keyboards seem to have the necessary "escape" keys for me to be able to utilize the vi editor with either of those two keyboards. Thanks again.

But that won't help you at all :-) Installation and removal works fine (when you are root). Executing the shortcut doesn't work.

Try modifying the btkbd script instead. And when you find it non-obvious later you still have option to make sudo gainroot working :-)

I apologize for for not making myself more clear. I wan't intending to "execute" any kbdd operational commands via ssh. I was only intending to do my vi editing of your scripts via ssh. Now, on your suggestion, I will also appropriately edit the btkbd script changing the "sudo gainroot" to "sudo su," which I presume was the intent of your suggestion.

Well, my suggestion was to make sudo gainroot working instead but yes, the btkbd is the right file to modify if executing the shortcut from menu doesn't work for you.

My ignorance apparently knows no end. How do I make "sudo gainroot" work for me. (A "sudo gainroot" entry in xterm currently has no effect, when "sudo su" does.) Also, I keep all my kbdd files in a special kbdd directory I've set up in /home/user, and I execute the ./btkbd command from that directory. Now that I think further on the matter, can the shortcut access that command currently, located as it is in the /home/user/kbdd directory?

Not just Fanoush's software
 

Interesting...I get the same thing using a Nokia SU-8W keyboard and the Maemo-BT plugin. It happens in XTerm and sometimes Opera. In Xterm it'll pop up the virtual keyboard and in Opera it'll pop up the history list.

It is doing it right now, damn it!

And if I pop into Notes and hit the [Enter] key a few times, it fixes itself. What gives?

Enable R&D mode or install latest becomeroot. I thought it is clearly written on my page in kbdd section (and in the README too, just type more README in kbdd directory).

Sorry I thought most people who need keyboard for writing can also do a bit of reading ;-)

Yes, looks like it is generic thing with input method switching. The switch is effective after active window looses input focus. Or said in different way the IM swich must be done before the window you want to write to is activated. Switching between applications or just bringing up task navigator menu does this.

Through my previous forum readings, I long ago made the decision to install becomeroot as my means of gaining root, using the "sudo su" command. This has always served me well -- except apparently when trying to get certain aspects of your otherwise useful kbdd application to work.

Over the past few hours, following your suggestions, I have edited the btkbd, install_shortcut.sh and the remove_shortcut.sh scripts and substituted "sudo su" for "sudo gainroot." Now I m pleased to report that the kbdd shortcut again works fine for me!

After more than 35 years of serving as a diplomat in my country's embassies throughout the world and then afterward as a lawyer reading and writing complex statutes and other court pleadings, I would like to believe that my reading comprehension is reasonably competent. However, sometimes the writings of computer programmers when documenting their programs are not quite as precise and comprehensible as they might be. My wife, who has been a computer programmer and analyst for government agencies for over 30 years, is a fine writer and fairly accomplished at such documentation, but often despairs over the adequacy of documentation she comes across in other programmers' programs.

As I've said earlier, I have printed out your instructions and virtually committed them to memory, but perhaps they're not as clear-cut and thorough as they might be. From my standpoint, there are a few possibly critical ommissions. But none of this should detract in any substantive manner from my ongoing appreciation for the considerable assistance you've been providing to members of this forum. Please, please keep it up.

Well you can fix the documentation (i.e. README and text on my website) if you find something is not clear enough and send me changes. Others may profit from this.

I thought sentences on the website and in README (first line) and in section PROBLEMS
are pretty clear.

I don't disagree that the sections of your instruction and README file that you quote on the issue of working from root are reasonably clear. The option of employing "becomeroot" is established, and was understood and utilized by me. However, as it apparently turns out, and was my experience, employing the "becomeroot" option doesn't work unless certain of your scripts are edited to establish "sudo su" as the operative command. This fact, if I have understood the matter correctly, is not contained in your instructions. Now that I've appropriately performed those edits, everything seems to be working fine.

The opinion I voiced on the possible gaps in your instructions concerned aspects other than gaining root. I am not opposed to attempting to flesh out your instructions based upon my experiences, to the extent they're valid, and submit them to you through a private channel for your review and possible reworking, should such an exercise and effort on my part be truly welcome to you, and would be of benefit to other forum members

Yes that might be confusing. I added this part recently after author of becomeroot changed its way to use sudo gainroot too and provided a link to becomeroot (thinking people would actually click on it to find more). I have cleaned that up.


Yes, if there is still some confusion feel free to rewrite the README as it suits you and send it to me. Thanks.

I'll have a go at it in the next few days, as an excercise to assess the level of my comprehension and determine my ability at such a thing as well as to provide you and other forum users possibly with something useful.