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    #1

    Right ALT key

    Hi,

    I've been trying to find an answer to this at various places, but I couldn't.

    I would like to be able to use the right Alt key to have the same (or any?) function as ALt_L. I've been trying to play around with xmodmap but nothing I tried worked.

    Does anyone have any suggestion as to what to try? Or is there a reason why this is disallowed? Am I the only one who cares about this?

    If you answer just one of these questions, make it the first ;-)

    Thanks,
    -Krampusz
    Tags: None
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    #2
    Re: Right ALT key

    There is a line in the xorg.conf file that causes the Right Alt key to be reserved for making special characters that, if you are a US user you will never need. If you open your xorg.conf file,

    kdesu kate /etc/X11/xorg.conf

    and find the stanza that looks like this,

    Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
    Driver "kbd"
    Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
    Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
    Option "XkbLayout" "us"

    If there is a line in yours about the R-Alt key, delete it or comment it out.Then save the file. I can't remember what the line says, because I deleted mine a long time ago. If I remember correctly, it was the last line in the stanza.

    Restart KDE, Ctrl-Alt Backspace.
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      #3
      Re: Right ALT key

      Beautiful. So simple. Thanks! The line in question was

      Option "XkbOptions" "lv3:ralt_switch"

      -K
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        #4
        Re: Right ALT key

        I wonder if it depends upon the version of Ubuntu / Kubuntu you're using? I am on Hardy Heron, and my xorg.conf does not have that line to begin with. Just curious...
        Registered Linux User: #281828 | Kubuntu User: #22280

        Kubuntu 18.04 LTS
        Dell Precision Workstation T5500 (Xeon @ 2.13GHz x 2 / 12 GB RAM)
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          #5
          Re: Right ALT key

          This may be related, maybe not.

          I am trying to get alt-f1 and alt-f2 to work in kde4 remix / kde4.1.

          Those combos appear to have been disables although they (well alt-F2 does) show up in systemsttings>keyboard shortcuts.

          Any ideas on how to config this manually in a file?

          I never needed to do this befre so I don't know where to look :P
          HP Pavilion dv6 core i7 (Main)
          4 GB Ram
          Kubuntu 18.10
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            #6
            Re: Right ALT key

            Originally posted by Fintan
            This may be related, maybe not.

            I am trying to get alt-f1 and alt-f2 to work in kde4 remix / kde4.1.

            Those combos appear to have been disables although they (well alt-F2 does) show up in systemsttings>keyboard shortcuts.

            Any ideas on how to config this manually in a file?

            I never needed to do this befre so I don't know where to look :P
            What happens if you run the program called "xev" from the terminal, focus its main window, and press F2?

            If the terminal shows something like the following, then the F2 key is recognized as F2.
            Code:
            KeyPress event, serial 32, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
  root 0x1a6, subw 0x0, time 12141440, (162,11), root:(1261,829),
  state 0x0, keycode 68 (keysym 0xffbf, F2), same_screen YES,
  XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
  XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
  XFilterEvent returns: False
            If the returned output does not say F2 like above, then the F2 key is not recognized as F2. Let's figure that out first.
            Registered Linux User: #281828 | Kubuntu User: #22280

            Kubuntu 18.04 LTS
            Dell Precision Workstation T5500 (Xeon @ 2.13GHz x 2 / 12 GB RAM)
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              #7
              Re: Right ALT key

              Thankx. Let me get back to my kde4 machine. 5min.

              Edit:
              This is the out put for F2:
              KeyRelease event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
              root 0x6a, subw 0x2c00002, time 448140, (39,41), root1136,838),
              state 0x0, keycode 68 (keysym 0xffbf, F2), same_screen YES,
              XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
              XFilterEvent returns: False
              and for F1:
              KeyPress event, serial 31, synthetic NO, window 0x2c00001,
              root 0x6a, subw 0x2c00002, time 498957, (48,42), root1145,839),
              state 0x0, keycode 67 (keysym 0xffbe, F1), same_screen YES,
              XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
              XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
              XFilterEvent returns: False
              What now?
              HP Pavilion dv6 core i7 (Main)
              4 GB Ram
              Kubuntu 18.10
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                #8
                Re: Right ALT key

                Originally posted by Fintan
                What now?
                Your outputs show that both your F1 and F2 keys are recognized as such at the X Window level. It means KDE itself somehow does not allow <Alt + F1> and <Alt + F2>. Just curious, are there any shortcuts that include the <Alt> key that work? For instance, can you open the Windows operation menu by pressing <Alt + F3>? If that does not work either, then I can only imagine the <Alt> key itself is disabled.
                Registered Linux User: #281828 | Kubuntu User: #22280

                Kubuntu 18.04 LTS
                Dell Precision Workstation T5500 (Xeon @ 2.13GHz x 2 / 12 GB RAM)
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                  #9
                  Re: Right ALT key

                  If that does not work either, then I can only imagine the <Alt> key itself is disabled.
                  That seems to be the case because alt+F3 doesn't work either.

                  But ctrl+alt+backspace does

                  How does one activate it?
                  HP Pavilion dv6 core i7 (Main)
                  4 GB Ram
                  Kubuntu 18.10
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                    #10
                    Re: Right ALT key

                    Originally posted by daihard
                    I wonder if it depends upon the version of Ubuntu / Kubuntu you're using? I am on Hardy Heron, and my xorg.conf does not have that line to begin with. Just curious...
                    Yes, I noticed that also. They left that out of HH. I don't know if it was in GG or not, because when I installed GG it was through the updrade method from FF, and I had changed it in FF. But this install of HH was a new install, and it's not there.
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