'fn' key not functional on Apple wireless keyboard

[Paul Natsuo Kishimoto]

I have a brand-new wireless Apple wireless keyboard, connected using Bluetooth.

Some of the f-keys on this keyboard apparently have additional functions:
F1: decrease brightness
F2: increase brightness
F3: ?
F4: ?
F7: previous track
F8: play/pause
F9: next track
F10: mute
F11: decrease volume
F12: increase volume

In addition, https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AppleKeyboard indicates that Insert, Delete, PageUp, PageDown, Home and End should be available through using 'fn' with other keys.

None of these appear to work. Pressing 'fn' with any other key is identical to pressing that key on its own. Using 'xev' confirms this.

I also notice that the kernel module hid_apple is not loaded when my keyboard is connected.

There seem to be other bug reports (e.g. bug #227501, bug #499013) which report new versions of Apple peripherals having new device IDs, which prevent Ubuntu from configuring them properly when they are connected. In some cases the fix seems to be a custom kernel (!) or kernel patch. I don't know if this is the issue here. Please let me know what additional information or testing I can provide to help fix this bug.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: linux-image-3.0.0-15-generic 3.0.0-15.25
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-15.25-generic 3.0.13
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-15-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices:
 **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
 card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC269VB Analog [ALC269VB Analog]
   Subdevices: 1/1
   Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: khaeru 1665 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: khaeru 1665 F.... pulseaudio
CRDA: Error: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xff87c000 irq 47'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC269VB'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0269,102802da,00100100'
   Controls : 19
   Simple ctrls : 13
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'Webcam'/'Dynex Dynex 1.3MP Webcam at usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.1, high speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB19ff:0102'
   Controls : 2
   Simple ctrls : 1
Card1.Amixer.values:
 Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
   Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined penum
   Capture channels: Mono
   Limits: Capture 0 - 3328
   Mono: Capture 1428 [43%] [23.57dB] [on]
Date: Sun Jan 8 20:22:37 2012
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=5ed9d7ef-c002-4d0d-ab52-7ea5b8e30b8a
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
MachineType: Dell Inc. OptiPlex 980
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_CA.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 LC_PAPER=en_GB.UTF-8
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-15-generic root=UUID=c78e3709-82ba-4e14-b214-a74ef951c14a ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.0.0-15-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.0.0-15-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.60
SourcePackage: linux
StagingDrivers: mei
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-10-13 (87 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 11/03/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A05
dmi.board.name: 0C522T
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A03
dmi.chassis.type: 15
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA05:bd11/03/2010:svnDellInc.:pnOptiPlex980:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0C522T:rvrA03:cvnDellInc.:ct15:cvr:
dmi.product.name: OptiPlex 980
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Paul Natsuo Kishimoto (khaeru)]

Sorry, I should note that I had manually loaded the hid_apple module (with "sudo modprobe hid_apple") in an (unsuccessful) attempt to fix the bug; so it appears in the ProcModules.txt attached above.

"lsmod | grep hid" does not show hid_apple after a reboot, with the keyboard connected.

I can collect another report, if need be.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Paul Kishimoto, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

Also, could you please test the latest upstream kernel available (not the daily folder, but the one all the way at the bottom) following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested. For example:
kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.12

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description. As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

[Paul Natsuo Kishimoto (khaeru)]

Sometime between 12.04 and 13.10 the device ID was added to the kernel sources, so I no longer experience this bug. Since 11.10 has passed EOL, and I'm no longer using 12.04 through 13.04 (so not interested if it's fixed in those versions), I've marked this Invalid.