[ltp] Lenovo Thinkpad 11e: F12 & Fn keys

[Kim Blewett (gm)]

Hello Maurice,

I don't see any more answers to your question. Can you use the other 
F-keys in their Linux F-assignments without simultaneously pressing Fn? 
For example, in Ubuntu Alt+F2 should open a command box, but you might 
have to also hold down the Fn key; plain Alt+F2 might be volume-down. I 
don't have an 11e in front of me right now, but on the two Lenovo 
laptops I have, the default functions assigned to the Fn keys are 
printed as large icons on the keys: brightness up/down, audio 
up/down/mute, etc. To get the actual F1-F12 functions you must 
simultaneously press the Fn key; you can tell whether your laptop is set 
up this way by whether "F1" "F2" etc is printed smaller than the "mute" 
"volume down" etc icons on the keys.

But if this is the case you should be able to toggle-switch these two 
sets of functions: On the two Thinkpads I have here, the Esc key has 
"FnLk" printed in small letters. If I hold Fn while pressing Esc, the 
F1-F12 functions become primary and the other functions become 
secondary; after which I must press Fn+"mute" to turn the sound off, 
etc, but Alt+F2 (in Ubuntu) gives me the command box, etc. There's a 
light on either the Esc or Fn key that is lit when the secondary 
functions are active.

Does this explanation fit your computer's configuration? If your Esc key 
has "FnLk" printed on it, try holding Fn while pressing Esc to toggle 
the F-key function set, then see if F12 works as you want it to.

Kim

On 4/11/19 10:39 AM, Dave Woodfall wrote:
> On Thursday 11 April 2019 11:49,
> Maurice <maurice at bcs.org.uk> put forth the proposition:
>> Although in the BIOS setup F12 can be selected separately (e.g.to select
>> booting device)
>> when it comes to invoking the Linux terminal-session app Yakuake (default
>> setting =
>> F12), F12 no-ops unless the 'Fn' key is also pressed, which is a nuisance.
>>     [One solution is to define a different F key, but I use F12 on all our
>> other PC's.]
>>
>> Is there a way of avoiding the Fn key in this case?
>>
>> /\/\aurice
>>
>> --
>> The linux-thinkpad mailing list home page is at:
>> http://mailman.linux-thinkpad.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-thinkpad
> That's odd.
>
> Does F12 work with any other applications?
>
> If you type 'cat' in another terminal like xterm, what is the code
> that is output when you press F12?  What do you see with fn+F12?
>
> i.e. For plain F12, I get:
> ^[[24~
>
> Cheers
> Dave
> --
>
> A Los Angeles judge ruled that "a citizen may snore with immunity in
> his own home, even though he may be in possession of unusual and
> exceptional ability in that particular field."