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  1. Bug #478441
  2. Comment #0

Comment 0 for bug 478441

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Zem (internetschmuddel) wrote : Many Laptops (e.g. many samsung models) do not send key-release events

A lot of people are reporting missing keyboard key-release events, especially when using Laptop special Keys (e.g. Fn keys).
Small list of reports:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/253874
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/360247
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/347623
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/338182
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/385683
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/399911

Each bug could get/was fixed by adding a model-specific quirk in atkbd.c.

linux 2.6.32 introduced a new generic mechanism using sysfs to add force-key-release quirks.
http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=14052

I've a Samsung P55-Pro which also do not generate key-release events for the brightness up/down keys.
My suggestion is to backport the generic atkbd patch to the karmic kernel (2.6.31) so one can easily add key-release quirks (without patching and recompiling the kernel) using udev or similar mechanisms.
This way we don't need extra patches for each specific laptop model and we don't have to wait for lucid to be able to fix keys easily.

as a sidenote:
I wonder why my Fn keys do work on Hardy (didn't test Intrepid/Jaunty).
At least I'm not aware of any quirks which fix missing key-release events on Hardy for my Laptop.