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How does AmigaOS 4.x handle PC-Style keyboard mapping?

Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:22 pm
by tiffers
I'm interested in how AmigaOS 4.x handles mapping a standard PC-style keyboard (with Windows keys etc) to be used as an Amiga keyboard.

Is there any sort of documentation about PC-Style (10keyless and 101/104/105 key boards) keycodes mapping to Amiga keyboards in AmigaOS 4.x?

I'm interested in what it would take to make a custom keyboard for use with AmigaOS 4.x computers, with proper keycaps etc.

Re: How doe AmigaOS 4.x handle PC-Style keyboard mapping?

Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 1:21 pm
by tonyw
Take a look at the file SYS:Documentation/keyboards.doc.

Does that answer your questions?

Re: How doe AmigaOS 4.x handle PC-Style keyboard mapping?

Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 1:28 pm
by Raziel
The NG amigas (at least XE/SE and X1000) handle foreign keys by using special UBoot/CFE commands, so nothing system software-wise.

X1000/CFE
If you are using a PC keyboard, it has a "Windows" keys (on either side & closest to the space bar) that should be
recognized as "Amiga" keys in OS4. If the keys closest to the space bar are acting like "ALT" keys, you can set a persistent
CFE variable that will attempt to reverse the condition:
CFE> setenv -p keymap_swapaltamiga "off"
In case this does not work, you can either set the value to "off" or use the "unsetenv" command to remove it.
Other PC keyboards may not have a right hand "Windows" key. In that case, you can set another CFE variable that will
use the right hand "menu" key as the Right-Amiga key instead. This is accomplished by setting the following CFE variable
as such:
CFE> setenv -p kbddev_norwin 1
XE/UBoot
These are tested with UBoot and a PC keyboard.

The following command (typed in a shell) sets the RIGHT-CTRL key to act as
RIGHT-AMIGA key.
setenv SAVE usb/hid.keyboard/rgui 0x000700E46

The following command sets the NUMLOCK key to OFF right from the start.
setenv SAVE usb/hid.keyboard/numlockoff 1

In addition to that, the UBoot variable kbddev_norwin must be set to "1" or "yes"
You should also take a look at Documentation/Keyboards.doc

What was changed or added in UBoot for the X5000 i can't tell.

There are programs out there that does that software too, iirc and there was a program that lets you remap nearly any key that was seen by the system to any other...can' remember it's name

edit: Bah, too slow

Re: How doe AmigaOS 4.x handle PC-Style keyboard mapping?

Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 1:55 pm
by nbache
Raziel wrote:there was a program that lets you remap nearly any key that was seen by the system to any other...can' remember it's name
You're probably thinking of AllKeys by Deniil. It's on OS4Depot: http://os4depot.net/index.php?function= ... llkeys.lha

Best regards,

Niels

Re: How doe AmigaOS 4.x handle PC-Style keyboard mapping?

Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 2:59 pm
by tiffers
tonyw wrote:Take a look at the file SYS:Documentation/keyboards.doc.

Does that answer your questions?
Perfect. Thanks Tony.

Re: How doe AmigaOS 4.x handle PC-Style keyboard mapping?

Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 3:02 pm
by tiffers
Raziel wrote:edit: Bah, too slow
Raziel,

I really appreciate your answer too. It does shed some extra light, which I appreciate.

Re: How doe AmigaOS 4.x handle PC-Style keyboard mapping?

Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 3:03 pm
by Roland
nbache wrote:
Raziel wrote:there was a program that lets you remap nearly any key that was seen by the system to any other...can' remember it's name
You're probably thinking of AllKeys by Deniil. It's on OS4Depot: http://os4depot.net/index.php?function= ... llkeys.lha
Is there any trick to get in use the four multimedia keys (Calculator, Speaker x, Speaker -, Speaker+) in the upper righ corner of 'Ducky' keyboards? AllKeys does not recognize them in the learn mode. The readme-file just says that "All MultiMedia-keys may not be mapped to
rawkeys and cannot be read even with this program", but does not tell any workaround.