[Laptop Regression] Kubuntu doesn't honour Fn Key request

[Stephan Rügamer]

Binary package hint: kubuntu-desktop

Kubuntu, at this state, doesn't honour Fn Key Request (most likely ACPI Events). So e.g. Suspend/Hibernate/Mute etc. are not working correctly.
This is a serious regression in Dapper, because it was working in Breezy.

The tested laptop is a Canonical Sponsored Laptop Toshiba Portege R200 (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/ToshibaPortegeR200). Neither KLaptopDaemon nor any other application is supporting the dapper introduced new functionality in acpi-utils.

What is the problem?

If you press an Fn Key e.g. Hibernate, you can see in /var/log/acpi the event coming to acpid and acpid is triggering the correct script in the /etc/acpi/ (e.g. hibernate == hibernatebtn.sh). The executed script is calling the `acpi_fakekey $LINUX_KEYCODE_SETUP_FOR_ACTION` command. This keycode is a linux keycode, which is catched nowhere inside Kubuntus KDE.

Running the real e.g. hibernate.sh script in /etc/acpi/, hibernation, suspend to ram etc. is working correctly without any problems.

This problem was discussed many of times and due to time problems it is not fixed.

For releasing a 3 year LTS release for Kubuntu, with printed shipit cds, this is a serious regression and does not show any confidence into Kubuntu as KDE release for the user.

I file this bug not as a rant, but as a documentation.
If we want to have a working Kubuntu release which is working 100% out of the box, we should think about fixing those regressions asap, and postponing the official Kubuntu release a couple of weeks more.

KLaptopDaemon needs to be tought to honour those acpi requests and/or we have to adjust KMilo.

[Bastian Holst (bastianholst)]

I agree, this could be a real showstopper-Bug for some people having it worked before.

(And to my mind again a problem with ubuntu-core which doesn't seem to concern KDE at their developments)

[Stephan Rügamer (sruegamer)]

It's a KDE problem not to catch LINUX Keycodes in the important applications. Gnome is working just fine.

BTW: Card Reader works like a charm

[Bastian Holst (bastianholst)]

Right, but the ubuntu-core guys should have an eye on Kubuntu, too, and ensure that everything they changed works on Kubuntu as well as on Ubuntu.

[Kenny Duffus (kduffus)]

on an HP nx6110 Fn+End which provides num lock works and so do the brightness ones (Fn+F9 and Fn+F10) but Fn+F4 which should switch display output doesn't work, it did in breezy

i would say that being able to give presentations was the most important use of the Fn key

[Luka Renko (lure)]

Please check this again with latest Kubuntu Edgy. If you still have problems, please provide more info on this page: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LukaRenko/Keycodes

[Ulrich Lukas (ulrich-lukas)]

Hi,

there is this recently fixed issue which I encountered with my Toshiba Satellite Pro 6000 notebook.

It's a a similar problem and there were several bug reports submitted:

https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.17/+bug/62382

("E.g. the "toshset" utility "segfaults" when invoked, and the Fn-keys have no effect"; ACPI...)

https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.17/+bug/61979

Maybe the descriptions in the other bug reports are helpful.

[p1977p (1977boy)]

I have the same problem with my Compaq V3000 laptop running Xubuntu feisty + nvidia Geforce 6150 onboard graphics. It's very distressing because even the LCD brightness cannot be adjusted (i guess this has been reported multiple times). Perhaps it's time for it to be fixed asap.

[Rich Johnson (nixternal)]

Confirming due to responses. I cannot confirm as everyone of my function keys work perfectly with Feisty.

[Luka Renko (lure)]

Original bug report was about Kubuntu: handling of special keys is specific (at least above kernel) to each variant (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu). I would suggest that if you have problem on Ubuntu or Xubuntu that you open new bug for it.

Kubuntu issue was partially resolved for Edgy and further improved for Feisty. Since original reporter did not provide additional info, I will consider this bug fixed.

If you still have problems with some keys not working, then please open new bug and provide info about your laptop (output of dmidecode, lshal and lspci -v) and diagnose the issue as described in https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KubuntuLaptopKeycodes