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[Gabey8]

The only thing I've noticed about the brightness settings is that using the brightness-adjusting keys is a way to determine if the CTRL key is sticking.

Pressing CTRL with the reduce-brightness key turns the backlight off. Pressing CTRL with the increase-brightness key raises the backlight to its maximum. So if you press the backlight-control keys and instead of seeing incremental adjustments, the brightness jumps right to the minimum or maximum, check the CTRL key and see if it's sticking.

But I haven't seen anything in the actual brightness setting on the XO that has had an effect on whether there are sticking keys. (The sticky keys issue seems to affect some of the keys in the lower left part of the keyboard; the brightness keys are on the top row. That might be why the brightness doesn't seem to impact whether keys are sticking.)

Hope this helps.

[openmike]

I have two XOs. One has a sticky CTRL key the other doesn't (yet ??).

I have noticed that when the CTRL key sticks I can eliminate the problem by applying pressure between the SHIFT key and the CTRL key (just over the S) with a smooth object that fits between the CTRL and SHIFT key without touching either.

Obviously this isn't a solution but it points to a defect in the keyboard that is intermittent.

I certainly hope that the XOs I donated as part of the G1G1 program do not have this problem.

This problem (along with the lack of information on the problem from OLPC) is frustrating and disappointing to me and I've been using computers for over 30 years.

New users are overwhelmed by computers that work perfectly. How awful will it be if the XO sows computer phobia instead of opening up the world for children.

Apple has Human Interface "Police" to protect the average user from the engineers (I'm an engineer).

Protect in the sense that the "Police" will not allow a product to be released that has a flawed user experience, and they ensure that a large percentage of processor performance is pointed at making the technology easy to use not just clever and interesting technically.

All the great technology (hardware and software) in the world is useless, ineffective, and a waste of development time if the Average User can't access it easily.

When users are turned away from an inacessible technology they feel it's their fault and this is a hard thing to reverse.

Where are the XO laptop user interface "Police" ?

[jfh]

Why, openmike, haven't you figured that out yet? WE are the XO "Police" - or, put another way, their quality control inspection department. Many of those who ordered these machines are computer literate and will uncover the hardware and software defects - and perhaps even solve them.  Negroponte & Co. may have made one slight miscalculation in their timing. http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_America.  By instituting the G1G1 program before OLPC America, they have created a substantial body of very disgruntled and disappointed users of the XO laptop, many of whom may figure that it is one thing to drop a few hundred of their own money on a half-baked device, but it would be quite another to see a state or local government gamble thousands of taxpayers money on it.     

[labelreader]

xmodmap -e "remove Control = Control_L"
xmodmap -e "remove mod4 = Super_L"
xmodmap -e "keycode 37 ="
xmodmap -e "keycode 133 = Control_L"
xmodmap -e "add Control = Control_L"

Does anyone have a comprehensive list of the XO keyboard keys and their respective symbols? Due to the sticky keys problem, I removed my XO's keyboard and replaced it with a mini USB model, which works great for typing, but I'd like to remap some of its keys to useful XO functions so I can control screen brightness, type alt. gr characters, etc.

Thanks!

[CatMoran]

It looks like "xmodmap -pk" should give you a list of what it thinks the XO keys are, and what they do. I don't have mine running right now, so I can't try it.

[kirish43]

I am cracking up -"Human interface police" What a great term. I also understand what you are talking about.

When I teach staff development classes (to get teachers to use their PC's)  I make very sure I use people terms. Instead of saying use the control box and minimize your window before opeing a second window-I say:"Look up at the little boxes in the top corner-these are called control boxes. They control the computer windows just like the buttons in your car control your windows. The box with the minus sign will roll the window down and you will see the top of it in the blue bar at the bottom. Just like when you roll your car window down-it is not gone-it just can't be seen. In the same way your window is just waiting for you on the bottom. When you want to use that window again just click on it and it will roll the window back up" Using simple terms that relate things they are already familar with.

Now before you are begin to question the educational system I'd like you to know that this is where I start. Using comparisons to real life situations gives learners a frame of reference and a comfort level. Many of them go on and are become very efficient computer users, learning the vocabulary as they go along. After I saw them all the cool on-line tools -they are hooked.

I guess the point here in the above example is-Keep It SImple... as comfort levels increases users will be willing to take more chances.

I say hurrah for the Human Interface Police-We Love you all!

[labelreader]

It looks like "xmodmap -pk" should give you a list of what it thinks the XO keys are, and what they do. I don't have mine running right now, so I can't try it.

Well, I figured out that brightness is controlled with F9 and F10 just by trial and error!

That xmodmap command seems to tell you which scancodes have been assigned to what symbols, but what I need is specific to the XO -- what symbol is is associated with the "alt. gr" key? I wouldn't have guessed that the "hand" keys were Super_L and Super_R!

[Tortuga]

labelreader wrote:

what I need is specific to the XO -- what symbol is is associated with the "alt. gr" key?

Maybe the information here will be helpful?

Added this addition:
Scan-code table
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Keyboard_layouts

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Customizing_NAND_images#Keyboard
Since Ship.2, the keyboard layout configuration lives in /etc/sysconfig/keyboard:


The definitive list of OLPC keyboard layouts and variants can be found in the Manufacturing Data.

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Manufacturing_data#Keyboards
The scheme selected (using the KM, KL, and KV flags) maps directly to the X Window System Xkb extension.

[labelreader]

Maybe the information here will be helpful?

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Customizing_NAND_images#Keyboard
Since Ship.2, the keyboard layout configuration lives in /etc/sysconfig/keyboard:


The definitive list of OLPC keyboard layouts and variants can be found in the Manufacturing Data.

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Manufacturing_data#Keyboards
The definitive list of OLPC keyboard layouts and variants can be found in the Manufacturing Data.

Thanks! Meanwhile, I figured out that ISO_Level3_Shift is the symbol for the alt. gr. key by looking through xmodmap -kp for suspicious-sounding symbols. So, 'keysyms Caps_Lock = ISO_Level3_Shift' does that part for me: ωøω!

[jt42]

I was having trouble typing well because the keyboard was too small so I ordered one of those USB silicone roll up flexible keyboards and love it.

Now that my keyboard has developed the alt key sticking problem, I use the external keyboard all the time. 

Even though I have a work-around, I did send the XO back with an RMA because I would like one that works properly but, if you are past your return date and are going crazy, you might consider one of the external keyboards.

[labelreader]

Now that my keyboard has developed the alt key sticking problem, I use the external keyboard all the time [...] but, if you are past your return date and are going crazy, you might consider one of the external keyboards.

My problem was more advanced, I guess, and definitely past the 30 day return date. Even when not using the internal keyboard, the Ctrl key would stick down, preventing me from typing on the external keyboard. I could have disabled the internal keyboard by simply opening the case and disconnecting it, but while I was in there I decided to do this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Installing-a-USB-Keyboard-into-an-OLPC-XO-Laptop-/

[eden]

This may be old news to all of you, but someone tried this:

I fixed my keyboard by taking it out, and rubbing on the underlying sensor. I know its not a very technical fix, but it works. The keyboard is a bit tricky to get out of there, but I got it out using the wiki instructions and now my XO is just working fine again.

and posted a week later saying the keyboard was still behaving.   

[openmike]

I tried the keyboard disassembly solution as well, and it's working so far.

[LaPaglia]

A common problem is some sort of manufacturing "gunk" (technical term) gets under the keyboard. The next step you can try if just rubbing doesn't work is peel back the membrane from the underlying board and clean the back of the membrane and the board with 90% Ethel, 90% isopropol(not rubbing) or Methyl Alcohol.  Clean it well using saturated cue-tips that have been twisted extra tight. Clean, allow to dry well then wipe with a dry lint free cotton pad make sure there is no dust or lint between the board and the underside of the keys. This should solve most of the sticky problems. It will remove any of the "Gunk" that is under there. I've done this and it works great.