Pine64s keyboard case in the latest linux-megi kernel (5.17.6-1) does not work completely

[Dan-Sun]

• Device: PinePhone
• Kernel Version : 5.17.2-1-danctnix
• UI: Phosh

I actually just wanna keep issue-#304 running/updated (info) until the keyboard, including keymap, is fully working via kernel.

Workaround

Keymap

su
pacman -S ppkb-tools
systemctl enable --now ppkb-i2c-inputd.service
cd /boot
nano boot.txt

Change line 19:

setenv bootargs loglevel=4 console=${console} console=tty0 root=/dev/mmcblk${linux_mmcdev}p${rootpart} rw rootwait pinephone-keyboard.disable_input

mkimage -A arm -O linux -T script -C none -n "U-Boot boot script" -d boot.txt boot.scr
mkinitcpio -P
reboot

Edit:
The workaround doesn't seem to work. I had to downgrade linux-megi to 5.17.0-2 and change line 19 to kb151.disable_input instead of pinephone-keyboard.disable_input at the end.

Edit (28.5.22): xkb configuration. Check https://github.com/dreemurrs-embedded/Pine64-Arch/issues/376#issuecomment-1140079905

[chookity-pokk]

If you're talking about the function keys working instead of the special characters next to them, that seems to be by design, according to Megi. I also ended up downgrading my kernel as well and blocked it from updating until I could figure out how to get a custom keymap working.

[tanabi]

You guys have probably already seen this, but I'll throw it out in case you haven't. Megi noted this re. making keymaps:

https://xnux.eu/log/#066

When he refers to XKB, https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Custom%20keyboard%20layout%20definitions has some information.

Not sure if this helps anyone, sorry if it is old news :)

[chookity-pokk]

@tanabi Thanks for the XKB like, that's really helpful! I will have to test it out with the keyboard.

[sado1]

https://github.com/dreemurrs-embedded/Pine64-Arch/commits/master/PKGBUILDS/danctnix/xkeyboard-config I think these changes were supposed to help (adding proper keymap for the function/number key row), but on fully updated PlaMo build, I am unable to use the third row with any modifier key I can think of. (I am not sure this is fully configured yet)

[JonathanReeve]

It seems like this problem persists with linux-megi-5.17.6-1. The workaround isn't working for me. This could be related to #296.

Trying to type symbols on the top row, with FN+1, FN+2, etc., either produces no output, or the wrong output. FN+1, FN+2, produce no output, while other numbers all print ~. This is exceptionally annoying, since I can type commands in a terminal, for instance, but can't type -, which is necessary for just about every terminal command.

@Danct12 , could it be that you have the wrong keycodes in this commit?

[JonathanReeve]

Related post about this on the Pine forums. There are some pretty hacky workarounds, but no fix, yet

[Dan-Sun]

I haven't tried it, but here is maybe another solution. I saw it in the pine64 forum. https://codeberg.org/HazardChem/PinePhone_Keyboard

It may also work on phosh.

[LinuxLikeUnix]

I haven't tried it, but here is maybe another solution. I saw it in the pine64 forum. https://codeberg.org/HazardChem/PinePhone_Keyboard

It may also work on phosh.

Is there an easy / ELI5 explination on how to do this?

[sado1]

I haven't tried it, but here is maybe another solution. I saw it in the pine64 forum. https://codeberg.org/HazardChem/PinePhone_Keyboard It may also work on phosh.

Is there an easy / ELI5 explination on how to do this?

As the newest danctnix build already has the needed xkb configuration, follow the instructions at the end of https://wiki.mobian-project.org/doku.php?id=ppaccessories - you simply need to add the override file and reboot or restart Phosh. Then, AltG can be used to use the top row's keys that were missing earlier.

[Dan-Sun]

That's great! That's a way better solution. Thanks for sharing @sado1 !

systemctl edit phosh.service

[Service]
Environment=XKB_DEFAULT_MODEL=ppkb

After this, the top row symbols will be available as L3-{0-9}. The L3 key can be configured in settings...

Settings → Keyboard → Special Character Entry -> Alternate Characters Key

Edit: But FN would be better ;)

[hal9yo]

As the newest danctnix build already has the needed xkb configuration, follow the instructions at the end of https://wiki.mobian-project.org/doku.php?id=ppaccessories - you simply need to add the override file and reboot or restart Phosh. Then, AltG can be used to use the top row's keys that were missing earlier.

So you don't need to install xkb-data? Just set the environment variable "XKB_DEFAULT_MODEL=ppkb" ?

I got confused because I tried installing xkb-data and didn't find it in the repos, and then I was like, am I supposed to build it from source?

I'm running the SXMO build, I dunno if that makes a difference, is anyone doing this on the SXMO build?

[Crsarmv7l]

@Dan-Sun thanks for typing the specifics out. I had tried the mobian instructions before with no luck. I had to use sudo for the systemctl but it works great now.

I posted your comment in the Arch pinephone forum (top thread is this issue), with credit to you and sado1 (who also posted there!)

[kuba160]

@hal9yo :

I'm running the SXMO build, I dunno if that makes a difference, is anyone doing this on the SXMO build?

You currently have to add this to your sway config file:

input "0:0:PinePhone_Keyboard" {
      xkb_layout us
      xkb_model ppkb
      xkb_options lv3:ralt_switch
}

Here you can find issue discussed in postmarketOS: https://gitlab.com/postmarketOS/pmaports/-/issues/1515

It also looks like the fix has been added to sxmo itself, but it is not available in 1.9.0: https://git.sr.ht/~mil/sxmo-utils/commit/d6a6fc2c4767a49e8fd1be7293c2bbd47da3f811

I am not liking the new layout so much, really enjoyed writing minus sign with Fn + 9. I also wanted to use right alt as shift for letters. I found a way to achieve this by adding these lines to ppkb symbols in /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/inet:

ppkb symbols I used:

    key <FK08>   {       [ equal              ] }; // F8
    key <FK09>   {       [ minus, underscore  ] }; // F9
    key <FK10>   {       [ plus, equal        ] }; // F10

    key <LatQ> { [ q,Q,Q] };
    key <LatW> { [ w,W,W] };
    key <LatE> { [ e,E,E] };
    key <LatR> { [ r,R,R] };
    key <LatT> { [ t,T,T] };
    key <LatY> { [ y,Y,Y] };
    key <LatU> { [ u,U,U] };
    key <LatI> { [ i,I,I] };
    key <LatO> { [ o,O,O] };
    key <LatP> { [ p,P,P] };
    key <LatA> { [ a,A,A] };
    key <LatS> { [ s,S,S] };
    key <LatD> { [ d,D,D] };
    key <LatF> { [ f,F,F] };
    key <LatG> { [ g,G,G] };
    key <LatH> { [ h,H,H] };
    key <LatJ> { [ j,J,J] };
    key <LatK> { [ k,K,K] };
    key <LatL> { [ l,L,L] };
    key <LatZ> { [ z,Z,Z] };
    key <LatX> { [ x,X,X] };
    key <LatC> { [ c,C,C] };
    key <LatV> { [ v,V,V] };
    key <LatB> { [ b,B,B] };
    key <LatN> { [ n,N,N] };
    key <LatM> { [ m,M,M] };

Also I used xkb_options lv3:ralt_switch_multikey in sway config which makes Shift + Right Alt act as compose key. I wish I would be able to use Page Up/Down as Ctrl + Home/End but I don't know yet how to achieve this.

[bakerk98]

Any advice on how to set this in Plasma Mobile?