Keysym additions.

[Jim Gettys]

On Fri, 2006-09-22 at 14:07 +0200, Michel Dänzer wrote:
> 
> Apologies for not remembering all the details, but I'd guess because the
> internal handling already affects the keycodes generated by other keys,
> rendering it useless as a modifier for some keys.
> 
> 

Thanks for the quick explanation.

It seems to me Fn is useful as a modifier for the rest of the keys on
the keyboard, which is a majority of the keys on the keyboard.  It is
also useful when playing games and music that all keys actually generate
codes for applications. Given the same data I come to a different
conclusion.

My point of view is also radically different than it was and is in some
ways a blast from the past: I have completely control over my platform,
from hardware (though highly cost constrained), to keyboard firmware and
the BIOS, to the OS, to (parts of) X.  And we have a rapid release cycle
to get it into millions of people's hands. This is a luxury we have been
exploiting and will be continuing to exploit.

I really, really, dislike closing off GUI experimentation in the future
just because "I can't think of a good reason to do make it possible"
now.  We are not stuck with what the PC industry has given us. I'm in a
situation much more like I found myself in the mid 1980s, where I could
talk to the hardware people and get modifications made to the hardware,
sometimes in short order, sometimes taking a long time (when involving
custom silicon).

This is sometimes causing culture shock at the hardware companies used
to the PC ecosystem. It was an interesting discussion with the touch pad
vendor who took at least 3 rounds of mail before they understood that we
didn't care if it had a different incompatible protocol stream than a
"standard" PS/2 touch pad, that we really want both data streams from
both sensors all time, and will change our software to see if we can do
innovative things.  They are used to the idea that such hardware
features could only be done as a compatible delta from existing
practice, and that that existing practice was engraved in stone and
handed down from on high.  But volume talks wonders...
                                  - Jim

-- 
Jim Gettys
One Laptop Per Child