Alienware-Macro-Key-Remapping-Linux-Ubuntu-Plasma

These macro keys slept for too long in Linux system, until they were finally woke up!

Scancode for Macro Keys From X,1,2,...,9

XF86LaunchX = e011
XF86Launch1 = e012
XF86Launch2 = e013
XF86Launch3 = e014
XF86Launch4 = e015
XF86Launch5 = e016
XF86Launch6 = e017
XF86Launch7 = e018
XF86Launch8 = e01a
XF86Launch9 = e01b

Infomation obtained using:

dmesg | grep key

Default keycode for Macro Keys

This map is tricky. It seems useful, but some of the keycode cannot be seen by KDE or xev. And the keycodes here actually differ from what we need to use in setkeycodes by 8! (e.g. XF86Launch1 here is 156, but we need to set it using setkeycodes e012 148 )

keycode 128 = XF86LaunchA NoSymbol XF86LaunchA
keycode 156 = XF86Launch1 NoSymbol XF86Launch1
keycode 157 = XF86Launch2 NoSymbol XF86Launch2
keycode 192 = XF86Launch5 NoSymbol XF86Launch5
keycode 193 = XF86Launch6 NoSymbol XF86Launch6
keycode 194 = XF86Launch7 NoSymbol XF86Launch7
keycode 195 = XF86Launch8 NoSymbol XF86Launch8
keycode 196 = XF86Launch9 NoSymbol XF86Launch9
keycode 210 = XF86Launch3 NoSymbol XF86Launch3
keycode 211 = XF86Launch4 NoSymbol XF86Launch4
keycode 212 = XF86LaunchB NoSymbol XF86LaunchB

Infomation obtained using:

xmodmap -pke | grep Lau

Map Scancode to Keycode

Finally, I decided to set up the left 6 macro keys and one right macro keys. Cannot find available key slot for the rest three.

create a file in /etc/init.d/ with arbitrary name (I used macrokey-remap), and put these commands in.

#!/bin/sh
# XF86WakeUp
setkeycodes e011 143
# XF86Launch1
setkeycodes e012 148
# XF86Launch2
setkeycodes e013 149
# XF86Launch5
setkeycodes e014 184
# XF86Launch6
setkeycodes e015 185
# XF86Calculator
setkeycodes e016 140
# TouchpadToggle
setkeycodes e017 191
# Unknown
# setkeycodes e018 188
# setkeycodes e01a 202
# setkeycodes e01b 203

Make it active

sudo chmod a+x /etc/init.d/macrokey-remap
sudo ln -s /etc/init.d/macrokey-remap /etc/rc2.d/S99macrokey-remap

If xev can see the key press, KDE Global Shortcut Setting can use the key.

According to Global Shortcut Settings ?

yet another different values

148 = Launch(3)
149 = Launch(4)
184 = Launch(7)
185 = Launch(8)

Infomation obtained while I was setting them in Global Shortcut:

Show key code

Another advanced tool which can see any key pressed (at least we know the keyboard has no problem):

sudo showkey