[SOLVED] KDE multimedia keys

[cubancigar11]

Hi!

I am coming from Slackware. There, I used xmodmap to set my multimedia keys to be recognized as XF86AudioRaiseVolume etc., and then when I would press those keys, a nice gui will show up showing the level of volume - kind of how it is in Windows or Ubuntu.

On Gentoo, I again used xmodmap to have my multimedia keys recognized, but when I would press those keys, nothing would happen.

So, I googled a little, and ultimately did this: open kmix, right-click on the master volume sidebar, select Configure Global Shortcuts, and then set "increase volume", "decrease volume" and "mute" to these keys.

Now, when I press these keys, I am able to change the volume.

BUT!

There is no fancy gui. Did I miss something? Is there a package for it? (I haven't installed kmultimedia-meta, just kmix and amarok and the dependencies). Or was it some patchwork from Slackware? I heard they didn't use to do that. Also, on Slackware, pressing these keys would change volume by ~12%, while now it changes by 1% I suppose.
_________________
eye-candy is the key to enlightenment

[IvanMajhen]

If your keys are properly mapped kmilo should show gui.

[aronparsons]

Depending on how you emerge KDE (kdebase-meta?), kmilo won't be pulled in automatically. Emerge kmilo and restart your KDE sesssion and you should be set.

[Xerionn]

I came from Slackware also and i used to xmodmap the keys and i am doing it over here without any problem
Plus i get the fancy gui as you said !

Are you sure everything is set up correctly ?

[cubancigar11]

Yep! I don't have kmilo. I am emerging it right now.

I didn't pull any meta packages...

EDIT: Yep! that was it!
_________________
eye-candy is the key to enlightenment

[Kidov]

I also have the same problem - no gui's when using multimediakeys.
I did emerge kmilo after reading this topic but it didn't help. Any other advice?

[cubancigar11]

You also need to assign names to the multimedia keys so that X system starts to understand what does it mean when bla key is pressed.

This is done using xev and xmodmap.

Main article is at http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Use_Multimedia_Keys but I will trim it down for KDE.

emerge -av x11-apps/xev

Then run xev
Place mouse inside the black box xev opens, press the multimedia keys, then note the keycode for each key you pressed.

Then create a file named .Xmodmap (or .xmodmap, I prefer the later because it is more common) with this content:

[Kidov]

My keycodes were the same as yours so I used the same content as you have - but xmodmap didn't made any difference. (I use xmodmap as well to remap my mouse buttons so I know it works.)

My keyboard is Logitech Cordless Desktop Pro and (in kde control center - keyboard layout section) I have selected keyboard model to correspond this. Maybe this makes xmodmapping unnecessary?
(I also tried to unselect keyboard model if it would make any difference to xmodmap, but it didn't)

In Global Shortcuts I see XF86AudioRaiseVolume etc reading in shortcuts. (and all shortcuts works well - only kmilo gui is missing.)

(couple of years ago, when I used monolithic packages for KDE, everything worked out of the box without xmodmapping. In that time I had keyboard model specified at Kcontrol Center the same as now.)

[Kidov]

Ok, I found the reason why I didn't got gui. It seems - at least in my case - soundcard has to be build in as a module.

[cubancigar11]

That's interesting!
_________________
eye-candy is the key to enlightenment