[ANNOUNCE] External Keyboard Support - extkbd - Page 35 - maemo.org

jschan | # 341 | 2011-10-25, 15:30 | Report

Originally Posted by freemangordon View Post

@FrankT and jschan - If my memory serves me well extkbd has never had a dependency on bt-hid-scripts, actually those are marked as incompatible...

Yeah, I found it on extmou (which I'm guessing most people install along with extkbd). Here's what I'm seeing on the package query:

Code:

Nokia-N900:~# apt-cache showpkg extmou
Package: extmou
Versions: 
1.0.6 (/var/lib/dpkg/status)
 Description Language: 
                 File: /var/lib/dpkg/status
                  MD5: a50410620c23d11c4959e4385cce18e1


Reverse Depends: 
Dependencies: 
1.0.6 - xserver-xorg-input-evdev-mouse (0 (null)) libconbtui0-hid (0 (null)) libc6 (2 2.5.0-1) libgcc1 (2 1:4.2.1) libqt4-core (2 4.7.0~git20100909-0maemo1+0m5) libqt4-dbus (2 4.5.3~git20090723-0maemo4+0m5) libqt4-gui (2 4.5.3~git20090723-0maemo6+0m5) libqt4-xml (2 4.5.3~git20090723-0maemo4+0m5) libstdc++6 (2 4.2.1-4maemo9+0m5) libx11-6 (2 1.1.99.5+0m5) libxmuu1 (2 1.0.4-1) bt-hid-scripts (0 (null)) 
Provides: 
1.0.6 - 
Reverse Provides: 
Nokia-N900:~#

I'm just did a quick check though, and it looks like it's a bug in apt-cache showpkg that lists conflicts as dependencies. I did a secondary check to confirm the it's actually listed as a conflict:

Code:

Nokia-N900:~# apt-cache depends extmou
extmou
  Depends: xserver-xorg-input-evdev-mouse
  Depends: libconbtui0-hid
  Depends: libc6
  Depends: libgcc1
  Depends: libqt4-core
  Depends: libqt4-dbus
  Depends: libqt4-gui
  Depends: libqt4-xml
  Depends: libstdc++6
  Depends: libx11-6
  Depends: libxmuu1
  Conflicts: <bt-hid-scripts>
Nokia-N900:~#

So false alarm on that one. Thanks for the insight.

I've only tried using the latest dev packages for both extkbd and extmou.

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jschan | # 342 | 2011-11-11, 20:50 | Report

Just checking in. Anyone have any new leads as to what the problem might be or what we might want to have a deeper look to help identify the problem?

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hypnotoad123 | # 343 | 2012-01-02, 13:30 | Report

Originally Posted by leohart View Post

the kbdd(http://fanoush.wz.cz/maemo/) used to support SPP profile keyboard， and this keyboard is listed as support（btfoldable HP iPAQ bluetooth foldable keyboard）. Unfortunately， the kbdd only support old model N770/N800 and I cannot make it work under N900

Now kbdd is available and packaged for maemo:
http://maemo.org/packages/view/kbdd/

Version kbdd 0.10Maemo0-4 should work for quite many spp keyboards. It is in extras-devel but there are virtually no dependencies and it should not harm a running system. You can install the .deb from the webpage if you do not want to add extras-devel to the apt repository.

Help on building a nice GUI for the driver selection would be appreciated.

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lonk | # 344 | 2012-01-02, 15:06 | Report

Originally Posted by hypnotoad123 View Post

Now kbdd is available and packaged for maemo:
http://maemo.org/packages/view/kbdd/

Version kbdd 0.10Maemo0-4 should work for quite many spp keyboards. It is in extras-devel but there are virtually no dependencies and it should not harm a running system. You can install the .deb from the webpage if you do not want to add extras-devel to the apt repository.

Help on building a nice GUI for the driver selection would be appreciated.

Hi, thanks for the info, I installed kbdd and followed all the steps and it sucessfully connected with my keyboard (bluetooth icon is blue), however the keys are mapped wrongly and don't know how to fix that.

- I'm using Freedom Universal Keyboard 2 (so I set it as freedom in configuration)

-I can see SerKBD in extkbd, but don't know which layout to pick

- I tried setxkbmap Serkbd and I get this:

Code:

Nokia-N900:~# setxkbmap SerKBD
Error loading new keyboard description

thanks

Edit: btw the keyboard works fine in HID mode with the steps on the Wiki, Im doing this for test purpose and get this keyboard to work in spp mode

Last edited by lonk; 2012-01-02 at 16:20.

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hypnotoad123 | # 345 | 2012-01-03, 11:35 | Report

Hi,

unluckily there are quite a few different freedom keyboards around.
There is the freedom keyboard (which I have),
the freedom i-connex and the freedom pro. The respective languages are not relevant for kbdd as they are translated by the keyboard language set in extkbd.

If you want to contribute your keys, use

Code:

 sudo gainroot
 stop kbdd # to stop the running daemon
 rfcomm bind all #once to create the device files
 kbdd -d -c /etc/bluetooth/kbdd/kbdd.conf # to output the input keys
 start kbdd # to start the daemon again

press the keys which are working wrong and send me the output. Please add some annotation what the respective key presses are.

I set the keyboard layout to standard 105 keys. kbdd maps the key events to uinput keys which are standard keyboard (which is English) equivalent.

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Estel | # 346 | 2012-01-03, 18:54 | Report

@freemangordon
After Easy Debian went 100% Squeeze-based, it turned out that all one need to do, to achieve 100% working hardware keyboard mapping in ED (including custom remapping, done in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/nokia_vndr/rx-51), is to replace /.debian/usr/share/X11/xkb/ (when ED partition/image is mounted) with usr/share/X11/xkb/ (maemo one).

Ho ever, it doesn't work, if one got extkbd installed (yet, no external keyboard connected ATM) - all blue arrow keys aren't working, and blue arrow act like real AltGr.

It's not a problem, but an idea came to my mind - knowing that, wouldn't it be easy for You, to enhance extkbd to work simultaneously on usr/share/X11/xkb/ (as it does now) and /.debian/usr/share/X11/xkb/, so it would allow hassle-free usage of external keyboard in Easy Debian, putting unmaintained and troublesome bt-hid-scripts into long-deserved obsoleteness?

Considering, that now everyone can use LbreOffice or Chromium hassle-free, extending extkbd to support ED in LXDE (for ED programs run under Maemo via 'debbie', extkbd works already), would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance

/Estel

Last edited by Estel; 2012-01-06 at 19:33.

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lonk | # 347 | 2012-01-06, 14:39 | Report

Originally Posted by hypnotoad123 View Post

Hi,

unluckily there are quite a few different freedom keyboards around.
There is the freedom keyboard (which I have),
the freedom i-connex and the freedom pro. The respective languages are not relevant for kbdd as they are translated by the keyboard language set in extkbd.

If you want to contribute your keys, use

Code:

 sudo gainroot
 stop kbdd # to stop the running daemon
 rfcomm bind all #once to create the device files
 kbdd -d -c /etc/bluetooth/kbdd/kbdd.conf # to output the input keys
 start kbdd # to start the daemon again

press the keys which are working wrong and send me the output. Please add some annotation what the respective key presses are.

I set the keyboard layout to standard 105 keys. kbdd maps the key events to uinput keys which are standard keyboard (which is English) equivalent.

Ok here is a photo of the keyboard

And I'm going to start pressing keys from the first row top left to the right ( so ESC key, 1, 2, 3 ,4 .... BACKSPACE) then do the same with second row and so on

Here is the result for the first row from ESC to 5 (key 6 causes a crash and the terminal closes, it could be key 5 causing this )

Code:

Nokia-N900:~# kbdd -d -c /etc/bluetooth/kbdd/kbdd.conf
14 32
press 32
142 33
release 33
dð^[[^[[C22 57
press 57
 150 15
release 15
 ^[[^[[C30 12
press 12
-158 13
release 13
\^[[^[[C38 26
press 26
166 27
release 27
[^[[^[[C37 25
press 25
p165 26
release 26
þ^[[^[[C46 28
press 28
174 49
release 49

EDIT: the battery keeps draining fast on this keyboard! and when I put new ones in it doesn't turn on automatically, so sorry it might take a while for me to get the full output

second row
thrid row
fourth row
[/CODE][/CODE]

Last edited by lonk; 2012-01-06 at 14:41.

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hypnotoad123 | # 348 | 2012-01-08, 10:59 | Report

Originally Posted by lonk View Post

And I'm going to start pressing keys from the first row top left to the right ( so ESC key, 1, 2, 3 ,4 .... BACKSPACE)

Hi lonk,
since this is not extkbd related, lets move to this thread.

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freemangordon | # 349 | 2012-01-08, 12:24 | Report

Originally Posted by Estel View Post

@freemangordon
After Easy Debian went 100% Squeeze-based, it turned out that all one need to do, to achieve 100% working hardware keyboard mapping in ED (including custom remapping, done in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/nokia_vndr/rx-51), is to replace /.debian/usr/share/X11/xkb/ (when ED partition/image is mounted) with usr/share/X11/xkb/ (maemo one).

Ho ever, it doesn't work, if one got extkbd installed (yet, no external keyboard connected ATM) - all blue arrow keys aren't working, and blue arrow act like real AltGr.

It's not a problem, but an idea came to my mind - knowing that, wouldn't it be easy for You, to enhance extkbd to work simultaneously on usr/share/X11/xkb/ (as it does now) and /.debian/usr/share/X11/xkb/, so it would allow hassle-free usage of external keyboard in Easy Debian, putting unmaintained and troublesome bt-hid-scripts into long-deserved obsoleteness?

Considering, that now everyone can use LbreOffice or Chromium hassle-free, extending extkbd to support ED in LXDE (for ED programs run under Maemo via 'debbie', extkbd works already), would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance

/Estel

I am not sure I understand exactly what "work simultaneously" means, but anyway what extkbd does is to setup hal in such a way that correct mappings to be used. All other stuff is done by hal and X, extkbd is just an UI.

Estel | # 350 | 2012-01-08, 22:47 | Report

By "work simultaneously", I meant that it could do exactly the same operations on /.debian/usr/share/X11/xkb/, as it does on /usr/share/X11/xkb/.

I understand (so-so) what You mean by setting up hal to use correct mapping, but, /usr/share/X11/xkb/ on device without extkbd installed is *much* different (in countless of file comparisons), that one device with extkbd. That's why someone using extkbd can't just copy /usr/share/X11/xkb/ to /.debian/usr/share/X11/xkb/ after dist-upgrade (people without extkbd upgraded can do it to get correct N900 hardware keyboard mapping, people with extkbd installed cannot, as it results in non-working special characters, invoked by BlueArrow (aka AltGr).

I just though, that part of things that extkbd does, is to manipulate /usr/share/X11/xkb/, and restore it back from backup, when external keyboard gets disconnected. So, I got an idea, that the same can be applied to /.debian/usr/share/X11/xkb/, thus achieving workign external keyboard inside LXDE.

If no, what the heck bt-hid-scripts are doing, that they support external keyboard on LXDE? As you probably noticed, qole shifted gis interest in Harmattan, and getting even simplest answers from him, require weeks of waiting (and, a little provocation

). So, in fact, Easy Debian is now maintained (unofficially) by Sulu and me - thus, extensive work on Squeeze image.

That's why it would be really great, if You could look @ possibilities to achieve external keyboard support also in LXDE (by looking at bt-hid-scripts code, or other means), via extkbd (GUI and it's backend parts). Of course, I know that You're already working actively on plentora of N900 projects, and I'll 100% understand, if You just plain lack of time to do so.

/Estel