Translating MacBook keyboard to CentOS keystrokes / combinations?

Issues related to hardware problems
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oceanjeremy
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Translating MacBook keyboard to CentOS keystrokes / combinations?

Post by oceanjeremy » 2020/06/09 15:46:18

I've got CentOS 8 running on an Apple machine (as in, I wiped OSX entirely and installed CentOS 8). I'm having trouble figuring out which keys on my MacBook keyboard correspond to what keys CentOS thinks I'm stroking.

"control" is obviously Ctrl, but it seems like sometimes "fn" is Alt and sometimes "command" is Alt. The keys along the top of the keyboard mostly work (volume, keyboard backlight brightness, CD/DVD controls, eject button). But the screen brightness isn't translating.

Another weird part is figuring out how to use F# keys — no combination of shift / fn / control / option / command seems to bring me F-key functionality.

So specifically I need to know:
  • Screen brightness control
  • How to get F-key functionality
I've googled all over the dang place and searched these forums and can't find anything. Does anyone know a resource where these translations are documented?

Or, almost as good, a CentOS utility that would read my keystrokes and tell me what key I'm pressing?
Last edited by oceanjeremy on 2020/06/09 20:43:30, edited 1 time in total.
Please be kind! I've only been a Linux user for eight months.

lightman47
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Re: Translating MacBook keyboard to CentOS keystrokes / combinations?

Post by lightman47 » 2020/06/09 20:39:58

Perhaps Apple (the apparent source of your problem)? It sounds like they have different key codes from everyone else from your description.

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oceanjeremy
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Re: Translating MacBook keyboard to CentOS keystrokes / combinations?

Post by oceanjeremy » 2020/06/09 20:42:14

Sorry, I should have clarified!

I'm not running a virtual machine.

I wiped OSX and installed CentOS 8 on my machine. It's a CentOS machine running on Apple hardware. Apple isn't going to help me out with this at all.
Please be kind! I've only been a Linux user for eight months.

lightman47
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Location: Central New York, USA

Re: Translating MacBook keyboard to CentOS keystrokes / combinations?

Post by lightman47 » 2020/06/09 20:45:38

As mentioned, I expect you're dealing with Apple keyboard codes. Hopefully I am wrong but ...

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oceanjeremy
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Re: Translating MacBook keyboard to CentOS keystrokes / combinations?

Post by oceanjeremy » 2020/06/09 20:52:34

No one at Apple is going to help me figure out how to use a different operating system on their hardware.

I figure enough people are running Linux on old Macs that surely someone has some insight into this?
Please be kind! I've only been a Linux user for eight months.

xnobodyx
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Re: Translating MacBook keyboard to CentOS keystrokes / combinations?

Post by xnobodyx » 2021/07/13 02:54:30

are you looking for something like showkey: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/showkey-c ... -examples/?

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jlehtone
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Re: Translating MacBook keyboard to CentOS keystrokes / combinations?

Post by jlehtone » 2021/07/13 06:30:21

Package xorg-x11-utils contains program xev, which prints contents of X events. That is what I've used to look at key codes in the past.

The xev is an utility for X11. No idea how it behaves if you have Wayland session.

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