[openbox] Key Chains mixing XF86* and other keys

Jan Harders jan at delinquent.de
Sat Apr 26 16:19:59 EDT 2014


Hey everyone,

I bought a new keyboard (Keysonic KSK-8021 U DE, layout:
http://i.imgur.com/UGed07X.jpg) and want to use the multimedia keys
differently.
On my old Logitech, I had extra keys for play/pause, next, previous and
a wheel for volume and I liked that.
The new one works fine, but, as expected, only with Fn + F7-F12. What I
figured: use a Key Chain. I'd like to press the key with the note on it
next to F12 (xev tells me it sends XF86Tools) and then use F7 - F12 to
work their magic. Escape or XF86Tools should break the chain. I tried
(I'll keep my examples to F7 to keep it short)

<keybind key="XF86Tools" chroot="true">
  <keybind key="F7"><action
name="Execute"><command>/opt/deadbeef/bin/deadbeef
--prev</command></action></keybind>
</keybind>

but it does not work as intended, the action is not run. If I hit
XF86Tools and wait a second, the little Key Chain dialogue appears as it
should. Hitting F7 (or any other non-XF86*-key) ends the Key Chain
without executing the action.
The command itself is working just fine, and the general idea works aswell:

<keybind key="F6" chroot="true">
  <keybind key="F7"><action
name="Execute"><command>/opt/deadbeef/bin/deadbeef
--prev</command></action></keybind>
</keybind>

Works like it should. As do

<keybind key="XF86Tools" chroot="true">
  <keybind key="XF86Mail"><action
name="Execute"><command>/opt/deadbeef/bin/deadbeef
--prev</command></action></keybind>
</keybind>

and even

<keybind key="F6" chroot="true">
  <keybind key="XF86Mail"><action
name="Execute"><command>/opt/deadbeef/bin/deadbeef
--prev</command></action></keybind>
</keybind>

So mixing them in geneal works, just not the other way round.

openbox doesn't really tell me a lot, even in debug mode (provided I
entered it correctly). It just doesn't log "starting deadbeef 0.5.4
[static]" when the actions are not run.

I have been trying that with openbox 3.5.0 (3.5.0-2ubuntu2) on Lubuntu
12.04.4 LTS.
After I posted in a german forum
(http://forum.ubuntuusers.de/topic/openbox-und-key-chains-mit-xf86/)
already and HaCeMei tested at his workstation successfully on 14.04, I
upgraded. No luck. Thus I am now on openbox 3.5.2-6 on 14.04. I've tried
it with a clean config and, of course, with another type of keyboard but
to no avail.

I am at the end of my wits and I don't even know where and how to
further investigate. Does anyone have an idea for me to push me  into
the right direction? I'm happy to post more information on my setup if
you tell me what information might be helpful.

I'm fine with both on and off list communication, and will write a
summary of the solution for the list.

Thanks for reading!


jan


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