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I agree!

I had a look through the forum for posts on this topic (audio controls via keyboard), and also through the extensive documentation in the MorphOS Library, but I just cannot find anything on the topic, so . . .

For MorphOS 3.19 and later, I would like to see the volume/mute buttons supported on external wired, and even bluetooth (which work via Dual Boot - paired via Mac OSX) keyboards, particularly the Apple keyboards, as many users will probably be using them, as there does not even seem to be a command that will allow them to have these keys be made functional as a "custom key" in MorphOS.

I know it's only a minor point and we all have mice/trackpad/trackballs to click on the functions on the volume bar or the slider in the Mixer, though there does not even seem to be a command to control Mixer either, and the Mute function in the Mixer does not even have a keyboard shortcut option so even if you could open the Mixer with a shortcut key you cannot access any function or Tab with a keyboard shortcut. Audio is one of the fundamentals of using a computer, so why MorphOS is so poorly featured in this regard I am at a loss to understand.

I do use the excellent "mfkey" utility by Alfonso Ranieri which does allow you to customise the Function Keys - as far as I am aware - which seems to be the only way to customise the F1-12 Keys on a MorphOS used external keyboard!

Though that still leaves the Apple keyboards F13 to F16 keys and the audio (volume down/up/mute) are all, by default, useless/impotent. I initially on my MacMini setup a custom key for the eject key to be used with a combined keypress with Control+eject, though on my iMac the eject key does seem to be catered for. That said, what about the additional F? Keys 13-16 which on Windows keyboards seem to have the equivalent keys of F14-Print Screen, F15-Scroll Lock, F16-Pause-Break, and so, these keys are not possible, not even with Alfonso Ranieri's utility, to be able to access these keys in a custom way, as they are totally unused within MorphOS, as far as I can determine? So, that's 19 keys at least on just about every external keyboard that are useless for use with MorphOS, unless you utilise Alfonso Ranieri's MorphOS FKey utility !

Also, the keybinding of the F1 and F2 keys of the iMac to turn the screen brightness down/up (respectively) could do with a serious re-think. As not every user will find that the F1 and the F2 keys will suit their use of MorphOS, as PageStream has some F-Keys actions (F1 to F4) that have specific functions within that program, so there needs to be a utility (like mfkey) that will allow a user to choose which "F key" they personally, and individually, want to 'specify' for their needs with MorphOS. Ideally there should be additional key qualifiers, L/Control, L/Alt, L/Cmd, R/Control, R/Alt, R/Cmd, as well as L/Shift and R/Shift. This would allow for a far greater way to launch favourite programs. As the only way to do so currently is to chase the program down with the mouse/trackpad/trackball which usually means opening a multitude of directories to reach the folder/directory that contains the program/game that the user is looking to load, instead of a multi-key press shortcut.

By the way, for MorphOS developers information, the utility "KeyMorpher" has the Command and Alt keys the wrong way round, as the Command key is always closest to the spacebar. Also, there is no Help key between the right Alt/Option and Control keys on the Apple/Windows embedded or external keyboards. The "Help" key on Apple external keyboards seems to usually be placed where the "Insert" key is shown on "KeyMorpher". Some older Amiga programs might benefit if the Apple "Help" key was diverted from the Amiga historical position of the Help key and made to operate as the Amiga Help key as there is no equivalent for where it was originally and where KeyMorpher seems to expect MorphOS to be able to get "[b]Help" by pressing a non-existent key[/b]!!

Also, the F13, F14 (Print Screen), F15 (Scroll Lock), F16 (Pause-Break) and the eject and audio control keys are just not shown on "KeyMorpher" and non-functional with external keyboards with MorphOS.

KeyMorphos is not part of the MorphOS but just an external tool that does not know wether you are using an Apple or PC keyboard, hence some keys get misplaced.

F10-19 can be tracked in USB prefs and redirected to some ARexx script.

For more convinient us you might want to look at Geit's MMKeyboard which should do most of want you want.

Sure could all be better intregrated but I don't think it is that urgent.

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I've been using Geit's MMKeyboard, as Kronos suggested too. It has worked fine with all my keyboards during the years, with those custom audio control keys as well as browser etc. keys. I've also used it with some USB IR remote controllers to control my MorphOS machines with a remote controller (for example to control my MorphOS based "home entertainment system" at living room for music playback, videos, viewing photos, to shut down the machine, etc.).


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There's the SetMixer command in MorphOS to control Mixer from command line or scripts. Mixer also has an ARexx port for controlling, so some RXCmd line does the job too.

I've made a script to control several media player applications, but it can also control the Mixer volume/mute by using those features in MorphOS. The script can be assigned to any keys you want with MMKeyboard or similar.. GlobMute, GlobVolUp, and GlobVolDown arguments can be used to control MorphOS system volume.


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Hmm... so iMac seems to work with that feature like Powerbook, but on Powerbook you have the Laptop preferences where you can swap it so that you need to press the Fn qualifier to get brightness adjusted, F1 and F2 do work normally for other programs then. I guess iMac doesn't have that kind of preferences then?


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MMKeyboard can do that.

> MMKeyboard […] has worked fine with all my keyboards during the years,
> with those custom audio control keys as well as browser etc. keys.

A decade ago, there was a discussion of MMKeyboard not working with certain keys of certain keyboards:

https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=10268&forum=3&start=16 (#17, #19)

I guess that's still the issue at hand.

MMKeyboard is not a hardware driver unless it is used on classic system with adapter hardware.

However it detects all keys provided by the input stream using the normal input device and allows to swap, replace and modify them.

So if the key is not visible a special mode is used (not sure if there is any) or the keys are simply not processed by MorphOS.

@jPV

That USB IR receiver could become a very - very intersting article imho. Couldn't find any detail regarding the device on the Hardware Compatibility at MorphOS Libary. Care to shed some more light pls? Perhaps in a different thread, when you are in the mood :)

The Euro € character is missing. It is not possible to obtain it by the normal combination altgr + e. And this regardless of the computer or keyboard used. It is not possible to see it with KeyExplorer. Why is it ignored ? Is this a keyboard driver problem or something else ? Otherwise, does anyone know how to obtain the euro € character, whether in a reply on a forum or to type a password. If I try to display a password containing the euro € character, ambient seems to consider ii as being binary.

Brumiga

> Couldn't find any detail regarding the device on the Hardware
> Compatibility at MorphOS Libary. Care to shed some more light pls?

He offered some details very long ago:
https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6762&forum=9&start=6 (#7)

The link he gave does no longer work. Wayback Machine from 2018:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180708143342/http://www.dx.com/p/super-compact-media-center-ir-remote-controller-with-usb-receiver-9877

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Basically a USB IR receiver (at least basic ones) works as a standard keyboard on a computer, so it doesn't need anything special. When you press a button on the remote control, you get a key press on the computer. If the key press doesn't do what you want, you can assign a different operation for it by some external program. I've used MMKeyboard, which can even be configured per appliaciton (task) basis if there would be any overlapping shortcuts, but maybe you could also configure/remap something from the USB preferences per device.

For example, my remote control gave a Ctrl-e press when pressing the Video button on it, and I assigned an ARexx command to open my Movies directory on Ambient. The Close button gave Ctrl-r and I assigned it for Ctrl-Esc which I use to close an active window on my setup. The Skip Forward button gave Shift-Ctrl-f and I assigned that as the Right arrow key to be able to fast forward videos in MPlayer. And so on. And of course for generic play/stop/pause/volume/etc. buttons I used my MultiMeedio script to be able to use the same buttons with all player programs.

I seem to have an old (2011) photo of the setup here. The USB control is the small white keys one on the right side, but it was a cheap one from China and I don't remember if it was branded at all :)

BTW. other useful USB devices that work as a standard keyboard are bar code readers/scanners. I've had a cheap one for years (decade+) and it works just fine on MorphOS when paying bills/invoices on an online bank, no need to type anything manually when you get bills on paper.