Keycodes,scancodes ,how to set them for keyboard backlit

[tgalati4]

Bring up calculator and View-->Programming. That brings up a programming calculator with Hex to Dec conversion. c5 is 197.

Does your laptop have a Fn key? On my thinkpad, I have blue markings on some of my function keys that are activated by pressing Fn-F5--which turns off wireless for instance.

Typically F1 through F12 are reserved for application quick-keys. So extra laptop functions are handled with a Function-F-key.

[cpu2007]

yes it does have an fn key. when I use the other keys f2,f3,f4 etc. I have to use them in combination with fn . so for example to get the screen brightness up i use fn+f4, fn+f3 for screen brightness down, similar for volume. However some keys don't work, keyboard backlight,wireless and fan toggle. I wanted to start with the keyboard backlight (I really need it) and then see if I can adjust the others as well

[tgalati4]

So, you need to use xev. Run it and place the mouse cursor in the xev box. Type a few regular keys: a s d f, and you will see keycodes show up in the terminal. Then start typing your Fn keys. The ones that don't show up are ones that are captured by BIOS/ACPI and hidden to the X-server. Any function keys that do show up, note the keycode and use the Keyboard Preferences and assign shortcuts to those keys. You can write a script to turn wireless on and off, turn on fans, lights, just about anything.

So, if you can see the keys in xev then you can assign shortcuts. If you can't see the keys in xev, then you need to use the ACPI framework, which consists of modifying the scripts that you looked at earlier with the correct keycodes. This takes some trial and error.

[cpu2007]

Sorry, your explanations are great and I do understand the logic behind it but I'm confused on how to put all of this into practical.
In one of my previous posts I've posted the results of the xev command,which are as follow for F9 and F10:

KeyRelease event, serial 41, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001,
    root 0x9b, subw 0x4600002, time 1187461, (38,47), root:(828,99),
    state 0x0, keycode 75 (keysym 0xffc6, F9), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

KeyPress event, serial 41, synthetic NO, window 0x4600001,
    root 0x9b, subw 0x4600002, time 1188081, (38,47), root:(828,99),
    state 0x0, keycode 76 (keysym 0xffc7, F10), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

When pressing the fn key,while the xev command was running, I didn't get any result, does that mean that this is picked up by the bios or acpi right?

What I did next is change the asus_brightnessup and down file by changing the values in it with
000000c7(for brightness up) and 000000c6 (for brightness down); I thought these are the values tham I'm looking for as they are in the xev results.
Have I done this right?

It didn't work, I don't really know where to go from here.

[tgalati4]

You are getting closer. The reason the asus_brightness script doesn't work is because you don't have a module loaded into memory that watches for those keys.

So, leave the keyboard brightness alone for now. What other keys are you trying to activate? Let's get one thing working at a time.

First the basics, what modules are you running?

lsmod

I'm running on a Dell Inspiron 600m and it show the following:

tgalati4@Dell600m-mint14 ~ $ lsmod
Module Size Used by
vesafb 13478 1
arc4 12474 2
joydev 17162 0
snd_intel8x0 33107 2
snd_ac97_codec 105652 1 snd_intel8x0
ac97_bus 12671 1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm 80235 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec
snd_seq_midi 13133 0
snd_rawmidi 25383 1 snd_seq_midi
dell_laptop 17162 0
snd_seq_midi_event 14476 1 snd_seq_midi
dcdbas 14055 1 dell_laptop
snd_seq 51281 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer 24412 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 14138 3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
b43 347496 0
microcode 18210 0
snd 62146 11 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,sn d_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
radeon 825498 0
pcmcia 39545 0
mac80211 461261 1 b43
psmouse 89579 0
cfg80211 175574 2 b43,mac80211
soundcore 14600 1 snd
video 18895 0
snd_page_alloc 14037 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
ttm 75535 1 radeon
serio_raw 13032 0
drm_kms_helper 47304 1 radeon
bcma 34484 1 b43
rfcomm 37277 0
yenta_socket 27096 0
pcmcia_rsrc 18192 1 yenta_socket
bnep 17708 2
parport_pc 31969 0
drm 239022 3 radeon,ttm,drm_kms_helper
i2c_algo_bit 13198 1 radeon
mac_hid 13038 0
ppdev 12818 0
bluetooth 183310 10 rfcomm,bnep
pcmcia_core 21506 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,pcmcia_rsrc
binfmt_misc 17261 1
lpc_ich 16926 0
shpchp 32190 0
p4_clockmod 12829 0
i8k 13909 0
lp 13300 0
parport 40754 3 parport_pc,ppdev,lp
ssb 50294 1 b43

So, I have a module that is named dell_laptop and it probably has to do with special functions on dell laptops. To find out if this module has any special switches:

modinfo dell_laptop

tgalati4@Dell600m-mint14 ~ $ modinfo dell_laptop
filename: /lib/modules/3.5.0-39-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/dell-laptop.ko
license: GPL
description: Dell laptop driver
author: Matthew Garrett <mjg@redhat.com>
srcversion: F3778843864566B6FA396E8
alias: dmi*:svn*DellComputerCorporation*:ct*8*:
alias: dmi*:svn*DellInc.*:ct*9*:
alias: dmi*:svn*DellInc.*:ct*8*:
depends: dcdbas
intree: Y
vermagic: 3.5.0-39-generic SMP mod_unload modversions 686

So no switches, but it does give a location of where the modules are located:

tgalati4@Dell600m-mint14 /lib/modules/3.5.0-39-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86 $ ls
acerhdf.ko classmate-laptop.ko fujitsu-laptop.ko intel_ips.ko msi-wmi.ko thinkpad_acpi.ko
acer-wmi.ko compal-laptop.ko fujitsu-tablet.ko intel_menlow.ko mxm-wmi.ko topstar-laptop.ko
amilo-rfkill.ko dell-laptop.ko hdaps.ko intel_mid_powerbtn.ko panasonic-laptop.ko toshiba_acpi.ko
apple-gmux.ko dell-wmi-aio.ko hp_accel.ko intel_mid_thermal.ko samsung-laptop.ko toshiba_bluetooth.ko
asus-laptop.ko dell-wmi.ko hp-wmi.ko intel_oaktrail.ko samsung-q10.ko wmi.ko
asus-nb-wmi.ko eeepc-laptop.ko ibm_rtl.ko intel_scu_ipcutil.ko sony-laptop.ko xo15-ebook.ko
asus-wmi.ko eeepc-wmi.ko ideapad-laptop.ko msi-laptop.ko tc1100-wmi.ko

So you can see a samsung module.

tgalati4@Dell600m-mint14 /lib/modules/3.5.0-39-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86 $ modinfo samsung-laptop
filename: /lib/modules/3.5.0-39-generic/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/samsung-laptop.ko
license: GPL
description: Samsung Backlight driver
author: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@suse.de>
srcversion: FFB59C04A71D56CEEE3ACD6
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*n*N250P*:rn*N250P*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*n*N250P*:rn*N250P*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*n*NF110/NF210/NF310*:rn*NF110/NF210/NF310*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*n*N150/N210/N220*:rn*N150/N210/N220*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*n*N145P/N250P/N260P*:rn*N145P/N250P/N260P*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*n*N150P*:rn*N150P*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*:ct*14*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*:ct*10*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*:ct*9*:
alias: dmi*:svn*SAMSUNGELECTRONICSCO.,LTD.*:ct*8*:
depends: video
intree: Y
vermagic: 3.5.0-39-generic SMP mod_unload modversions 686
parm: forceisable the DMI check and forces the driver to be loaded (bool)
parm: debugebug enabled or not (bool)

Unfortunately, this seems to only control the screen backlight.

I did find this post: http://askubuntu.com/questions/23331...msung-series-9

Other folks are having problems on Win8 which were fixed by a BIOS flash. So I would suggest updating your BIOS to the latest.

Try some of these things: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SamsungSeries9#FnKeys

[cpu2007]

Sorry for the late reply, I was trying to follow the instruction and make it work.

lsmod didn't give me anything useful so I decided to follow the instructions on the links you've provided. What I got in lsmod was as follow

Module                  Size  Used by
uvcvideo               80847  0 
videobuf2_vmalloc      13056  1 uvcvideo
videobuf2_memops       13202  1 videobuf2_vmalloc
videobuf2_core         40513  1 uvcvideo
videodev              129260  2 uvcvideo,videobuf2_core
bbswitch               13611  0 
btusb                  22474  0 
nvram                  14362  0 
pci_stub               12622  1 
vboxpci                23194  0 
vboxnetadp             25670  0 
vboxnetflt             23479  0 
vboxdrv               320372  3 vboxnetadp,vboxnetflt,vboxpci
parport_pc             28152  0 
ppdev                  17073  0 
rfcomm                 42641  0 
bnep                   18036  2 
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     36906  1 
bluetooth             228667  12 bnep,btusb,rfcomm
snd_hda_codec_realtek    78399  1 
binfmt_misc            17500  1 
joydev                 17377  0 
coretemp               13355  0 
kvm_intel             132891  0 
kvm                   443165  1 kvm_intel
ghash_clmulni_intel    13259  0 
cryptd                 20373  1 ghash_clmulni_intel
arc4                   12615  2 
snd_hda_intel          39619  5 
snd_hda_codec         136498  3 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep              13602  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm                97451  4 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
iwldvm                241872  0 
mac80211              606457  1 iwldvm
snd_page_alloc         18710  2 snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel
snd_seq_midi           13324  0 
snd_seq_midi_event     14899  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_rawmidi            30180  1 snd_seq_midi
microcode              22881  0 
iwlwifi               173516  1 iwldvm
i915                  600349  3 
lpc_ich                17061  0 
snd_seq                61554  2 snd_seq_midi_event,snd_seq_midi
psmouse                95905  0 
cfg80211              510937  3 iwlwifi,mac80211,iwldvm
snd_seq_device         14497  3 snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_midi
serio_raw              13215  0 
snd_timer              29425  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
drm_kms_helper         49394  1 i915
snd                    68876  19 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_device
drm                   286028  4 i915,drm_kms_helper
mei                    41158  0 
soundcore              12680  1 snd
i2c_algo_bit           13413  1 i915
nls_iso8859_1          12713  1 
video                  19390  1 i915
wmi                    19070  0 
mac_hid                13205  0 
lp                     17759  0 
parport                46345  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
ahci                   25731  4 
libahci                31364  1 ahci
r8169                  67466  0

After following the instructions on the link you've provided, I get the logo of the screen keyboard brightness,which stays always to full but the keyboard doesn't lit up.
Even using alt+F4 for some reasons doesn't work(to close windows, folders etc)
Here's the keymapping:

0xCE prog1              
0x89 brightnessdown   
0x88 brightnessup
0x82 switchvideomode
0xF9 f23
0xA0 mute
0xAE volumedown
0xB0 volumeup
0x97 kbdillumdown
0x96 kbdillumup
0xB3 prog3
0xD5 wlan

As you can see from the pic below, when I press FN+F9 or FN+F10, I get the same logo of the keyboard with full bar (ignore the fan logo)
[IMG][/IMG]


Any advice on what I'm doing wrong here?
plus, is it possible to update the bios without having windows installed?