Iris key remapping

[Kipp Hickman]

In article <8901100147.aa05163 at SEM.BRL.MIL>, mike at BRL.MIL (Mike Muuss) writes:
> As best as I can tell, the "4D" series of SGI machines use
> IBM PS/2 keyboards, probably from a second-source vendor.
>  ...
> To date, SGI has not provided this same capability under SGI Release 3.1,
> so we continue to use Sun-3/50 workstations as "front-ends" to our SGI
> workstations.  We can't stand the keyboard layout of the PS/2 keyboard.
>  ...
> 	Best,
> 	 -Mike

We supposedly use an IBM-RT keyboard, for what its worth.  From my own
personal experience, I had a tough time at first when I transitioned from
my 3000 keyboard to my 4D keyboard...It didn't take too long to adapt to
it, however.

Release 3.0 of the IRIX 4D system supports a simplified keyboard re-mapping
capability.  The relevant documentation is squirrel'd away in the
appendix/section that describes the escape sequences that wsh(1G) uses.

For the 3.2 software release, the program bindkey(1G) will be provided
which gives a simple user interface to the simple keyboard re-mapping
that 3.2 will support.  Future releases will do everything you are asking
for, but for obvious reasons, I can't promise a date as priorites change
often around here.

Here is an example code sequence that will bind your F1 key to say
"ls -l\r" (I am using printf notation):

	#include <device.h>

	int key_number = F1KEY;
	char *key_value = "ls -l\r";
	printf("\033P101;%d.y%s\033\\", key_number, key_value);

If you run that code sequence, it will do the trick.  Alternatively, if
you are brave and understand your shell and how it handles back-slashes,
you can type the underlying escape codes in from the keyboard.

If you are even braver, you can examine the PostScript support for 
keyboard binding.  This support varies based on what release you have.

If you have 3.0, heaven forbid, then look in /usr/NeWS/lib/NeWS/bindkey.ps.
If you have 3.0 (or earlier) I suggest you update to 3.1 asap, as 3.0
had some serious deficiencies in its keyboard handling (binding was
global across all wsh's).

If you have 3.1 or later, then look in /usr/NeWS/lib/NeWS/sgiwin.ps in
the procedure called ``bindasciikey''.  Hacking up what 3.1 does will
probably work up to (but not in) release 4.0.

Customer support will not be able to help you at all with this hacking,
so you are on your own (sorry).

Hope this helps.

				    kipp hickman (kipp at sgi.com)