ProgrammableKeys

Making the Assist, S1, and Vaio keys usable.
State-Solution, Featured

Updated May 2, 2011 by Jason.Do...@gmail.com

Introduction

The keys on the upper right of the keyboard either do not work or are mapped incorrectly. You need KernelSupport as well as the following udev instructions.

Details

We need to add a key remapper for udev so that X gets codes it can deal with. Download the module-sony keymap into /lib/udev/keymaps:

$ sudo -s
# cd /lib/udev/keymaps
# rm -f module-sony
# wget http://vaio-f11-linux.googlecode.com/files/module-sony

You then need to tell udev to load the keymap:

# echo 'ENV{DMI_VENDOR}=="Sony*", KERNELS=="input*", ATTRS{name}=="Sony Vaio Keys", RUN+="keymap $name module-sony"' >> /lib64/udev/rules.d/95-keymap.rules
# exit
$

You should then be all set.

Note that this maps Assist to mute, S1 to back, and Vaio to next. You can change these at your will in the module-sony file.

Comment by jfrorie@gmail.com, Feb 23, 2010

The VPCS111FM appears to only have the VAIO key and another that is (I think) used for to the push-tv function under Windoze. Is there a possible conflict that needs to be investigated? If so, let me know what kind of info you need.

Comment by davide.v...@gmail.com, Feb 26, 2010

hi, can you post more detailed instructions on how to apply this patch?

thanks Davide

Comment by bnjb...@gmail.com, Mar 27, 2010

If I understand we need to: 1. Install Sony-Laptop driver 2. Patch "sony-laptop-programmable-keys-support.patch" to the kernel 3. Rebuild the kernel Is that correct? If yes, where can we find/download the sony-laptop driver? Can't find on google search.

Comment by kilo...@gmail.com, Mar 30, 2010

Hi, I found another solution, without patching the kernel (under Kubuntu Karmic). I mapped the three keys with "sudo acpi_listen" (you have to give the command and then press a key).

My results were:

ASSIST : sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 000000a6, sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 00000026

S1: sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 00000020, sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 00000038

VAIO: sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 000000a5, sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 00000025

Then I created three file in "/etc/acpi/events" using the results of "acpi_listen" (for each result I needed just the first line). For example, to associate the Vaio key to the mute command, I created in the directory "events" a file named "sony-mute":

# /etc/acpi/events/sony-mute

event=sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 000000a5

action=/etc/acpi/mutebtn.sh

Note that in order to use the keys after that you have created the three files you have to restart acpid (sudo /etc/init.d/acpid restart) or reboot.

Comment by shand...@gmail.com, Apr 1, 2010

kiloxxx,

thanks for the info. The trick works, though I can't make X applications start from the event scripts specified as actions, so only system--level actions are available for me at the moment (e.g. rebooting the laptop, which works just fine).

Comment by kilo...@gmail.com, Apr 2, 2010

Under Kde (I don't know how it works under Gnome, because I use Kubuntu), if you want to launch non system-level applications, its enough that you map the Sony keys with Khotkeys. You can find it among "System settings", the name in English should be something like "Input actions".

Comment by shand...@gmail.com, Apr 7, 2010

By this time I have tried this trick: reaction on let's say S1 button was firing "virtual key press" of some non--existing key on the keyboard, and then, using gnome-settings I tried to bind this key to some user--level action / script.

Unfortunately although I start seeing that virtual key in xev, I still can't bind any action to it via gconf-editor. Any real key works fine there, as well as gnome shortcuts applet recognizes the "virtual key", but using pre--defined reactions is just not enough...

Comment by prog...@free.fr, Jun 28, 2010

Hi,

I have just bought a Sony Laptop "VPC-F11M1E 16,4" LED Full HD Blu-Ray grey".

I prepare a web page about the Linux install. I have already written a web page for my previous laptop : http://www.progweb.com/modules/asus/index-en.html

I have still some issues ; but I work to fix them !

About the media keys, I have patched my kernel, but to be able to use brightness keys, I have modified the scripts :

event=video/brightnessup BRTUP 00000086 00000000 action=/etc/acpi/sony-brn-up.sh

and

event=video/brightnessdown BRTDN 00000087 00000000 action=/etc/acpi/sony-brn-down.sh

I have to fix the zoom keys ; for the moment : zoom + = button/zoom ZOOM 00000080 00000000 zoom - = button/fnf9 FNF9 00000080 00000000

Regards,

Nicolas

Comment by luisgggg...@gmail.com, Nov 16, 2011

Hi all!

I have a Sony Vaio VPCSA with gentoo linux. Currently I have compiled and installed by myself the kernel 3.1.1 after patching it with the http://www.absence.it/vaio-acpi/source/patches/vaio-full-3.0.4.patch patch.

All seem to work perfectly, except that the bright keys are not recognized. In particular if I use the showkey tool I obtain:

keycode 470 press # Brightness down keycode 470 release keycode 471 press # Brightness up keycode 471 release

while with acpi_listen I obtain:

sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 00000010 sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 0000003b sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 00000011 sony/hotkey SNC 00000001 0000003b

So, I would like to map these keys with xmodmap to XF86KbdBrightnessUp and XF86KbdBrightnessDown in order to allow KDE to change the brightness. The modification of brightness works correctly, since the power manager of KDE can change it without any problem but, of course, is by using a GUI. I have also tried the suggestion that appears here:

http://www.linux.it/~malattia/wiki/index.php/Sony-laptop

and to add the:

InputDevice? "Vaio keys" "SendCoreEvents?"

to my xorg configuration. But I still can't use xmodmap since the keycodes are > 255. So, I don't know if it is a problem of the patch, or a problem with udev, ... So any suggestion about how to solve will be appreciated. BTW, by using http://vaio-f11-linux.googlecode.com/files/module-sony doesn't work too :-(

Thank you in advance

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