Author Topic: Assigning Windows key to KMenu - Why is this method not working for me?  (Read 590 times)

Offline sling-shot

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I have been longing to assign the Windows key (called the Meta key by KDE people) such that it will launch the PC menu. But everywhere the answer has been that it is not possible without combining it with another key.

However today I came across 2 pages that seem to say that it could be done. Unfortunately, I have met with failure.
The first method explained here ended up opening the Right Click menu instead of PC menu.
The second method explained here ended up doing nothing.

But as these seem to be authentic sources, they should work. What is it that I am doing wrong?

I am running a pretty standard PCLinuxOS KDE setup without any fancy keybindings or things like that.
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Online kjpetrie

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Re: Assigning Windows key to KMenu - Why is this method not working for me?
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2012, 05:44:42 AM »
You need to remap the windows key from Meta to F13. If you are using KDE this can be done by creating an Autostart entry with the following code as the command:
Code: [Select]
sleep 5;xmodmap -e 'keycode 133=F13'
The keycode (in my case 133 [0x85]) will vary according to your keyboard and locale. xmodmap with no arguments in a terminal might give you that information, or there is a command that displays keycodes when keys are pressed, but I can't remember what it is.

Once it's mapped to F13 you should be able to select it in the usual way.
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Offline sling-shot

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Re: Assigning Windows key to KMenu - Why is this method not working for me?
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2012, 06:12:09 AM »
You need to remap the windows key from Meta to F13. If you are using KDE this can be done by creating an Autostart entry with the following code as the command:

<snip>

Once it's mapped to F13 you should be able to select it in the usual way.


That is exactly how it is explained in the second method I linked above. On doing that everything appears fine but nothing actually happens when hit the Meta / Windows key.

Wonder who is catching the key?
Packaging well will cure headaches of many :) But learning to package will cause headaches in many :(

AMD AthlonX2 3600+/ASUS M2NPV-VM/ATi HD4670/Onboard sound/3.5GB DDR2-533 RAM/SEAGATE 160+320GB HDD/DELL S2240L FullHD/Creative SBS370 2.1/PCLinuxOS2013/KDE4
Samsung NP305U1-A06IN | Nokia E6