Fn key not working

DJ_Grijander · n00b Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Posts: 58

I have a Compaq Evo N600c, and the keyboard has a "Fn" key to get access to some extra functions. For example, Fn+F10 controls TFT brightness. This key works OK in console mode, but under X it does not work with all the keys (following with the same example, Fn+F10 does not work anymore in X).

I've been tweaking around and found out that the problem is related to the glx module: if I eliminate the "load glx" line in XF86Config, then the "Fn" key works OK in X. If I put that line back, the problem is also back.

To be honest, I don't know whether glx is something important (I haven't noticed any difference so far with or without it), so I would appreciate some advice here. Should I load glx (and find another fix for the Fn issue) or is it OK not to load it? These are the relevant parts of my XF86Config file:

MADcow · Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:54 am Post subject:

glx is the module that lets you use hardware 3D rendering (OpenGL)
without it, you can't play 3D games... or if you can, it will use software rendering, with is more than slow.

DJ_Grijander · n00b Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Posts: 58

Thank you for your answer. I thought that drm and dri were the modules related to rendering (I think I read somewhere that "dr" stands for "direct rendering", but I'm not sure...). Besides, I've seen another module called "opengl". What if I include a "load opengl" line in my XF86config?

dulljeff · n00b Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 65

Are the keys recognized in X? Does "xev" return values when you press the Fn-keys?

I own a HP Compaq nx7000 and the keys for brightness even work when entered lilo. They worked by default in Gnome, without me required to take action.

DJ_Grijander · n00b Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Posts: 58

Yes, the F1-F12 keys are recognized by X and xev show their keycodes. For Fn+F? xev shows no keycode, but this also happens when the combinations work (i.e., when I don't load glx and everything works OK).

But the weird thing, as I said in my initial message, is that the Fn key stops working only with some keys (specifically, with the funcion keys F1 to F12). For example, the Fn key is also used to simulate a numeric keypad, and this works OK in X even with glx loaded (Fn+m is "0", Fn+j is "1", Fn+k is "2", etc.).

Everything works OK in console mode (and in X if I remove the "load glx" line in XF86Config). So I assume the problem has something to do with glx, but I don't know what... The sequence is like this: I start up my box in console mode and everything works fine; I enter X with glx and the Fn+F? combinations stop working; I exit X and go back to console mode, and the Fn+F? don't work any longer (I have to reboot my computer to get them working again...). Strange, uh?

oai79 · n00b Joined: 22 Oct 2002 Posts: 55

Can you see anything using "cat /proc/acpi/event"? I just found out this and still trying to figure out next step. But if you can see something from the command, then there must be something to do.

DJ_Grijander · n00b Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Posts: 58

I'm not using ACPI (just APM), so /proc/acpi doesn't just exist...