showkeys command not returning anything

English Hardware
1

Hi
I’m facing a litle issue in xfce, with the volume keys and notifications.
In xfce irc , I’ve learn that I can make a shortcuts keys using the the panel, that writes to a xml config file this

<property name="XF86AudioRaiseVolume" type="string" value="amixer -q set Master 5%+"/>
<property name="XF86AudioLowerVolume" type="string" value="amixer -q set Master 5%-"/>

But, this is not working.
I need to be sure that XF86AudioRaiseVolume are the proper keys…

Where can I see that in opensuse … or something

Thanks

2

ok
So I’ve learn that showkey it’s a command that only works outside a X session.
I’ve done that , and I get this return for the volume keys :

For Volume up:
keycode 115 press
keycode 115 release

For Volume down:
keycode 114 press
keycode 114 release

Where can I now map this keys in opensuse ? From the xfce irc this is as far as I can get. They say it’s a bug in the distro.
But , with kde, they do work… but not sure if xfce gets the some attention in openususe has KDE.

Any direction would be much appreciated

Thanks

3

xfce is pretty well supported but it really depends what the upstream developers do.

4

After all, using showkey command, the returns will be different from a X window. It will get the key codes, but they can only be used outside X.
So, I’ve install xev.

Pressing the Num Lock key, launch, audio play, audio next, audio previous :

KeyPress event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 2404739, (159,219), root:(753,525),
    state 0x0, keycode 77 (keysym 0xff7f, Num_Lock), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 2404807, (159,219), root:(753,525),
    state 0x10, keycode 77 (keysym 0xff7f, Num_Lock), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 4391548, (-312,385), root:(282,691),
    state 0x0, keycode 156 (keysym 0x1008ff41, XF86Launch1), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 4391548, (-312,385), root:(282,691),
    state 0x0, keycode 156 (keysym 0x1008ff41, XF86Launch1), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

MappingNotify event, serial 38, synthetic NO, window 0x0,
    request MappingKeyboard, first_keycode 8, count 248

KeyPress event, serial 38, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 4401154, (-312,385), root:(282,691),
    state 0x0, keycode 172 (keysym 0x1008ff14, XF86AudioPlay), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 38, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 4401158, (-312,385), root:(282,691),
    state 0x0, keycode 172 (keysym 0x1008ff14, XF86AudioPlay), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 39, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 4404889, (-312,385), root:(282,691),
    state 0x0, keycode 171 (keysym 0x1008ff17, XF86AudioNext), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 39, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 4404891, (-312,385), root:(282,691),
    state 0x0, keycode 171 (keysym 0x1008ff17, XF86AudioNext), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 39, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 4406821, (-312,385), root:(282,691),
    state 0x0, keycode 173 (keysym 0x1008ff16, XF86AudioPrev), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyRelease event, serial 39, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    root 0x84, subw 0x0, time 4406824, (-312,385), root:(282,691),
    state 0x0, keycode 173 (keysym 0x1008ff16, XF86AudioPrev), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

Pressing the Brightness keys ( they work on xfce ) , but more difficult to read


MappingNotify event, serial 90, synthetic NO, window 0x0,
    request MappingKeyboard, first_keycode 8, count 248

FocusOut event, serial 90, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    mode NotifyGrab, detail NotifyAncestor

FocusIn event, serial 90, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    mode NotifyUngrab, detail NotifyAncestor

KeymapNotify event, serial 90, synthetic NO, window 0x0,
    keys:  2   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   
           0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   

RRNotify event, serial 90, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    subtype XRROutputPropertyChangeNotifyEvent
    output LVDS, property BACKLIGHT, timestamp 2910925, state NewValue

Now Pressing the volume up key, there’s no notify or property** :**

FocusOut event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    mode NotifyGrab, detail NotifyAncestor

FocusIn event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x5200001,
    mode NotifyUngrab, detail NotifyAncestor

KeymapNotify event, serial 37, synthetic NO, window 0x0,
    keys:  95  0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   
           0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0

Not sure what to do.

5

The puzzled thing, it’s it seems it’s not possible to use a xmodmap file, because there’s no keycode return by xev.

6

However, after installing a xmodconfig, I notice that the XF86AudioRaiseVolume is present.
So I’ve try to use some other present command in xfce desktop shortcuts with the key XF86AudioRaiseVolume, i.e:

<property name=“XF86AudioRaiseVolume” type=“string” value=“exo-open --launch MailReader”/>

And now, the key, opens thunderbird. :\

So, it’s something about the amixer -q set Master 5%+ , that’s not working.
Possibly related with the sound cards config ?

7

Moving on :

After changing the active sound card in xfce4-mixer.config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<channel name="xfce4-mixer" version="1.0">
  <property name="sound-card" type="string" value="HDAudioGenericAlsamixer"/>
  <property name="sound-cards" type="empty">
    <property name="HDAudioGenericAlsamixer" type="array">
      <value type="string" value="Master"/>
      <value type="string" value="Headphone"/>
      <value type="string" value="Speaker"/>
      <value type="string" value="Microphone"/>
    </property>
    <property name="PlaybackBuiltinAudioDigitalStereoHDMIPulseAudioMixer" type="array">
      <value type="string" value="Master"/>
    </property>
  </property>
  <property name="window-height" type="int" value="400"/>
  <property name="window-width" type="int" value="640"/>
  **<property name="active-card" type="string" value="PlaybackBuiltinAudioDigitalStereoHDMIPulseAudioMixer"/>**
  <property name="volume-step-size" type="uint" value="5"/>
</channel>

And mapping again desktop-shortcuts to


<property name="XF86AudioLowerVolume" type="string" value="amixer -q set Master 5%-"/>
<property name="XF86AudioRaiseVolume" type="string" value="amixer -q set Master 5%+"/>

I now can raise and lower the volume, but , the notify and the sync with the pulse-audio widget, is not right.
But this leads me again to the bloody audio cards configuration.

Getting somewhere