From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Mar 27 21:33:36 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8B7A6106564A for ; Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:33:36 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kline@thought.org) Received: from thought.org (plato.thought.org [209.180.213.209]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6401D8FC1A for ; Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:33:36 +0000 (UTC) Received: by thought.org (Postfix, from userid 1001) id 57895E806C2; Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:17:53 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:17:53 -0700 From: Gary Kline To: Hackers Mailing List Message-ID: <20110327211753.GA13762@thought.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline X-Organization: Thought Unlimited. Public service Unix since 1986. X-Of_Interest: With 24++ years of service to the Unix community. User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.20 (2009-06-14) Cc: Subject: [kline@thought.org: keyboard click driver:: User-side.] X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:33:36 -0000 Note: i meant to include the hacker wizards in this post to the -questions group from 20 mins ago. Here 'tis:: Guys, I have been interested in having a FreeBSD version of the SunOS "click" utility for decades. --I first discovered that my Sun 3/80 let the keys sound a brief click sound, much softer than ye-olden IBM Selectrics, around 1988-9. I do need the audio feedback. The folks in the wizard sector at Ubuntu turned me onto a python script of about 30 pages of code called "keymon.py" written by a Scott Kirkwood. The present keymon displays certain graphics when certain keys are hit. Scott does think that his script can include the click sound that I have. My program is in C, it opens the /dev/dsp and output a click via click.h. I am learning python and find it pretty straightforward. I think using Scott's keyboard program with mine can allow me to do just what I want. On the user-side, have clicky keys where necessary. This feedback would help folks using the severely cheep keyboards that are on the notebook class as well as even cheaper laptops for children whose keyboards are nothing put cardboard wrapped in plastic. Typing on a _real_ keyboard can be satisfactory. But when you try it on one of these crappy types, forget it. Just doing several random tests, my fingers do not connect with more than 60-65% of the keys on my EEE-900A. bEcause my shoulder is partly out of socket i can only type so much, so the more people who can check out keymon.py and let me know if it is worth porting to FBSD, the better. Gary Kline kline@thought.org http://www.thought.org Public Service Unix Journey Toward the Dawn, E-Book: http://www.thought.org The 7.98a release of Jottings: http://jottings.thought.org