[Kde-accessibility] Mouse emulation on/off

[rampsonc at comcast.net]

Thanks Bill. I appreciate your response. It was, however inadequate. As with ALL things Open Source, I googled and read and googled and read and now I know FAR MORE than I ever wanted to know about XKB! Your simple explanation below belies the complexity in implementation. 

The simple xmodmap command does not work with XK_Pointer_Enablekeys. You need to DIVE DEEP in XKB and modify a keyboard layout - but with no useful examples, it is difficult.

I NEED a step-by-step for modifying the Shift+Alt+NumLock combo into JUST using the NumLock key. Since I have 17 years of experience in *NIX, I will have NO problem following directions. Thanks to all in advance.

-Hi Chris:

-The key sequence associated with MouseKeys isn't determined by KDE.  
-MouseKeys is a feature provided by the XKB X Server extension.  A fair 
-bit of thought went into the "usual" choice of keybinding used.

-The exact key sequence used is actually determined by the xkb keyboard 
-map that you're using.  There is a special X KeySym, 
-XK_Pointer_EnableKeys.  The "de facto standard" for this according to 
-the XKB documentation is Shift+Alt+NumLock.  It shouldn't matter whether 
-the shift and alt keys are the left or right=hand ones, as long as they 
-generate the correct keysyms (possibly your right Alt key is mapped to 
-something other than 'Alt' ?).

-You probably can imagine why making NumLock alone provide MouseKeys is 
-not a good default choice for all users, and thus why it isn't defined 
-in that way in the standard XKB keymaps.  It is possible to 
-hack^H^H^H^Hmodify your keymap so that the XKB_Pointer_EnableKeys maps 
-to some other physical keycode sequence.  Alternatively, you can write a 
-utility to programmatically turn on the XKB MouseKeys Control (see 
-section 10.5.1 of the XKB manual - google for XKBlib.pdf).

-regards

-Bill


-chris wrote

> I am a systems admin and am trying to convert my handicapped friend from Windoze to \
> Linux. In using KDE, he has found some Access features lacking. 
> The story is thus - In Windoze, you can turn the mouse keys on by using the Num \
> Lock key. In KDE you need to use Left-Shift, Left-Alt, Num Lock. This is \
> unacceptable for the following reason; 
> When playing games (using VMWare workstation 5 and Windoze XP), he needs to switch \
> between mouse keys and keypad in real time. Key pads are used for movement of game \
> pieces (in this case Ultima Online), and he may need to move in a hurry!  
> He is a quadrapelegic, and has use of ONLY his right hand - so the left side of his \
> keyboard is not very accessible. 
> Q: How can I get the KDE Mouse emulation to work EXACTLY like the Windoze mouse \
> keys i.e. JUST using the Num Lock key? 
> Thanks everyone!
> 
> --
> Chris Rampson