[fpc-devel] Linux kernel behaviour change regarding keyboard

[Daniël Mantione]

Op Wed, 18 Jul 2007, schreef Michael Van Canneyt:

> =

> =

> On Wed, 18 Jul 2007, Dani=EBl Mantione wrote:
> =

> > =

> > =

> > Op Wed, 18 Jul 2007, schreef Michael Van Canneyt:
> > =

> > > > > well then that's it... If you want to use these keys, you'll have=
 to run your
> > > > > programs as root...
> > > > > =

> > > > > Or use a GUI IDE like Lazarus...
> > > > =

> > > > You just proposed this yourself, but before executing the IDE?
> > > =

> > > ? I proposed to use a small wrapper program, which does an Exec() aft=
er setting
> > > the proper TTY properties. Not set up a communication channel with a =
setuid root
> > > program. The solution is worse than the problem then...
> > =

> > What is bad about such a solution?
> =

> It's not KIS. If you can't have certain keys without being root, well then
> you'll have to learn to live with it. This is no longer the MS-DOS age wh=
en
> everything was possible. It's a shortcoming of the platform, and for me
> this is the end of the story. The keyboard unit should in no way set up
> such a communication channel; if you absolutely want that, you can set =

> it up for the IDE (I don't use it anyway), but not for the standard keybo=
ard =

> driver unit. Develop a driver that handles this, and use that in the IDE.

The "scary" thing is the setuid root. The communication channel can be =

standard i/o and there is nothing scary about that.

> I can agree that some of the Linux kernel developers are braindead - seei=
ng =

> what they have done - but I don't think we should go out of our way to fi=
x =

> that. Rather, we should request that they implement a decent keyboard =

> interface which allows you to detect properly the state of all keys on =

> the terminal which you are currently using.

Yes, I agree all kinds of hacks suck. However, the situation with Unix =

keyboard is not "if" there should be hacks, but to what extend you go. =

I.e. you can enable xterm "meta sends escape" with an escape sequence to =

allow detecting alt-key combinations. However some xterms already do this =

by default and start sending double escapes. We detect this with an ugly =

hack. =


Some people go much further I.e. you can bypass xterm limitations by =

opening a stealth connection to the X server and many people are doing it. =

However, this went too far for me for now. =


Unfortunately Unix and keyboards is one hell, like it or not. There is no =

proper "API" and you have to work around things to get work done.

By the way, I have started to talk to Andrew Morton and his reply was =

constructive. Perhaps a proper solution is possible after all.

Dani=EBl