test-repo/g910-gkeys-setup.org

• Alternative settings for g910-gkeys
  • Preamble
  • g910-gkeys configuration file (/etc/g910-gkeys/config.json)
  • X11 keyboard mapping
    • Fix F-keys mapping with .Xmodmaprc
  • User configuration
    • G1: Activate the Emacs main window
    • Shift-G1: Launch Gnome Terminal
    • G2: Send different strings to active window
    • G5: Assign to Hyper modifier
    • G6: Move mouse cursor to top-left corner

Alternative settings for g910-gkeys

This document will explain how to setup g910-gkeys by limiting as much as possible the usage of a global config, the idea being to setup global mapping in a static manner, and let the user set the actions in his/her own environment.

Preamble

g910-gkeys allows different actions : typeout, shortcut and run. All of these actions will be performed on the process environment, that is root. Also, these actions are global.

g910-gkeys configuration file (/etc/g910-gkeys/config.json)

The configuration chosen will ba basic: assign each g-key to a key which does not exist on physical keyboard. Any key could be used, like specific localized keys which do not exist on your keyboard (example: Japanese keys for an English keyboard), or function keys above F12.

We will choose to map them to Function keys F13 to F21. It is possible that some of these F-keys are already used on your system (example: some media keys may be assigned to F20). In this case, simply use another F-key.

The g910-gkeys will be (skipping F20 on my system):

{
    "__comment": "I was unable to use F20, even xev does not show the keycode. It just mutes/unmutes sound, same as the G910's <mute> button",
    "keyboard_mapping": "en",
    "g1": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
        "do": "F13"
    },
    "g2": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
        "do": "F14"
    },
    "g3": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
        "do": "F15"
    },
    "g4": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
	    "do": "F16"
    },
    "g5": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
        "do": "F17"
    },
    "g6": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
        "do": "F18"
    },
    "g7": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
        "do": "F19"
    },
    "g8": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
        "do": "F21"
    },
    "g9": {
        "hotkey_type": "shortcut",
        "do": "F22"
    }
}

X11 keyboard mapping

By default, our F13-F22 may be mapped to some defaults (see /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/inet). For example, F13 will return XF86Tools. This is not what we want. Instead we want F13-F22 to return themselves. It could be possible to keep the default mappings, but it makes less sense.

You can check if this mapping is done on your system with:

$ xmodmap -pke | grep -E 'keycode (19[1-9]|200)'~
keycode 191 = XF86Tools NoSymbol XF86Tools
keycode 192 = XF86Launch5 NoSymbol XF86Launch5
keycode 193 = XF86Launch6 NoSymbol XF86Launch6
...
keycode 200 = XF86TouchpadOn NoSymbol XF86TouchpadOn

If the output looks like the above, you will need to use one of the two above methods :

Fix F-keys mapping with .Xmodmaprc

User configuration

Note: Configuration below will make the G-keys active only when user is logged-on, as any other key.

We will assign the F-keys we defined in config.json to any program (this includes graphical programs), or to send a string to active window (using xvkbd¹).

xvkbd not only allows to send strings ("hello, World!"), but also modifiers (as Control-A, Alt-B, Control-Left), mouse events (motion, buttons), etc… This is a subset of the typeout option of config.json. See xbkbd man page for more details.

Below are some examples (screenshots from Xubuntu 22.10). We will define the following actions :

• G1: Activate the Emacs main window (whose title is always "GNU Emacs").
• Shift-G1: Launch Gnome Terminal.
• G2 (including with modifiers): Send strings/commands results to active window.
• G4: Send current date to active window.
• G5: Assigned to Hyper modifier: G5 + a will be Hyper-a, as Control + a is Control-a.
• G6: Will move the cursor to top-left corner.

All settings below (except for G5) are configurable in Settings/keyboard, Application Shortcuts tab, or, for pasting text, via autokey : [[./img/g910-keyboard-settings.png]Xfce keyboard settings] [[./img/autokey.png]Autokey screenshot]

G1: Activate the Emacs main window

In Application Shortcut section, click on Add, then set command to wmctrl -F -a "GNU Emacs", click OK, then press G1 when asked.

Shift-G1: Launch Gnome Terminal

In Application Shortcut section, click on Add, then set command to gnome-terminal, click OK, then press Shift-G1 when asked.

G2: Send different strings to active window

We can send static/dynamic strings to active window, using autokey (on Ubuntu 22.10, autokey is provided by autokey-gtk or autokey-qt packages).

Note that you can use any combination of modifiers (for example Shift+Meta+G2). Example 1: Insert Japanese "山" with Shift-Control-G2 :

Example 2: Insert current date to active window with G2 :

G5: Assign to Hyper modifier

In $HOME/.Xmodmap, (create if non existant) rmove any line regarding add the following lines~/Move mouse cursor to top-left corner In Application Shortcut section, click on Add, then set command to xvkbd -text '\x0\y0' (or xdotool mousemove 0 0), click OK, then press G6 when asked.

G6: Move mouse cursor to top-left corner

In Application Shortcut section, click on Add, then set command to xvkbd -text '\x0\y0' (or xdotool mousemove 0 0), click OK, then press G6 when asked.

NOTE: wayland equivalent to : wtype

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