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#1 2023-09-26 00:35:53
Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
This is one of those laptops where the function keys have special action assigned to them. The extended functions "just work" in the Ubuntu based distros, where as the same is not true when using the Debian and Devuan distros of the same version. I've tested with Debian Bullseye, Devuan Chimaera, and Mint/Ubuntu/PopOS based on Bullseye. As I say, all the Bullseye based Ubuntu distros "just work" (Win10 does as well).
I don't need to change the setting in the BIOS; I can live-boot or install a *buntu and the keys work as expected.
What is the mad science they're doing to Debian to make these keys work in Ubuntu???? 
Ps. Loving Daedalus on my desktop. Thank you for all your hard work!
Last edited by Tatwi (2023-09-26 00:41:06)
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#2 2023-09-26 16:14:33
- Altoid
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- Registered: 2017-05-07
- Posts: 1,436
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Hello:
... laptops where the function keys have special action assigned to them.
My Asus 1000HE had/has a similar issue which was never fixed by Debian.
Check the Ubuntu dmesg printout against the Devuan dmesg printout and see if there's any mention of that.
There's probably some driver or module you need loaded, present in the Ubuntu distribution and not in the Debian based ones.
Best,
A.
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#3 2023-09-30 19:17:57
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Thanks, A.
I finally had some time to look into the the kernel log and the only keyboard related stuff I found was
Ubuntu 22.04-1 (Linux version 5.15.0-43-generic)
[ 0.740658] kernel: input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /devices/platform/i8042/serio0/input/input3
[ 23.149199] systemd[1]: Starting Set the console keyboard layout...
[ 25.390693] kernel: input: Ideapad extra buttons as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.0/PNP0C09:00/VPC2004:01/input/input8
Devuan 4 (Linux version 5.10.0-23-amd6)
[ 2.366659] input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /devices/platform/i8042/serio0/input/input0
[ 5.505134] input: Ideapad extra buttons as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.0/PNP0C09:00/VPC2004:01/input/input6It's been a thousand years since I compiled my own kernel, so I can't say that I am in any way an expert, but looking at this output it would seem that both systems pick up the special keys at the kernel level. There must be some additional software configuration that makes them work.
OS: Devuan GNU/Linux 4 (chimaera) x86_64
Host: 81CY Lenovo 100e
Kernel: 5.10.0-23-amd64
Uptime: 1 day, 1 hour, 35 mins
Packages: 2066 (dpkg)
Shell: bash 5.1.4
Resolution: 1366x768
DE: Xfce 4.16
WM: Xfwm4
WM Theme: Clearlooks-Phenix-Deepsea
Theme: Clearlooks-Phenix-Deepsea [GTK2], Adwaita [GTK3]
Icons: Deepsea [GTK2], Adwaita [GTK3]
Terminal: xfce4-terminal
Terminal Font: Monospace 14
CPU: Intel Celeron N3450 (4) @ 2.200GHz
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 500
Memory: 947MiB / 3553MiB This is a stock installation of Devuan. "Launch Gnome services at startup" is checked in the "Sessions and Startup" window, something Ubuntu (Gnome) and Mint (Xfce) also do.
I'm not really sure where else to look or what to look for, as I don't recall having any keyboard related issues over the years. Hmm...
Seems the end point of Devuan's keyboard startup is loading /etc/console-setup/cached_UTF-8_del.kmap.gz. I'll have to boot Ubuntu again and compare the content of its keymap file. Seems reasonable the difference could be in there.
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#4 2023-09-30 21:31:51
- Altoid
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- Registered: 2017-05-07
- Posts: 1,436
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Hello:
Thanks ...
You're welcome.
... look into the the kernel log and the only keyboard related stuff I found was
Ubuntu 22.04-1 (Linux version 5.15.0-43-generic) [ 0.740658] kernel: input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /devices/platform/i8042/serio0/input/input3 [ 23.149199] systemd[1]: Starting Set the console keyboard layout... [ 25.390693] kernel: input: Ideapad extra buttons as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.0/PNP0C09:00/VPC2004:01/input/input8 Devuan 4 (Linux version 5.10.0-23-amd6) [ 2.366659] input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /devices/platform/i8042/serio0/input/input0 [ 5.505134] input: Ideapad extra buttons as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.0/PNP0C09:00/VPC2004:01/input/input6
Right.
We can see that both installs 'see' and 'identify' both the keyboard and the Ideapad extra buttons.
... must be some additional software configuration that makes them work.
Could be.
Note the process in each boot.
Ubuntu 22.04 is Starting Set the console keyboard layout... while Devuan 4 is not.
... where else to look or what to look for, as I don't recall having any keyboard related issues ...
Something (module? package?) in being loaded by Ubuntu but not by Devuan.
In Ubuntu, the infamous systemd is taking care of that.
Just in case, check dmesg for errors:
~$ sudo dmesg | grep -i "error\|warning\|fail\|segfault\|fatal\|not"I recall that the issue with my 1000HE was related to a file/package (eeepc-wmi?) not loading due to some change in the kernel.
Best,
A.
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#5 2023-10-23 16:55:05
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Life has been very busy... I drafted replies a couple times, but only just now found the time to finish...
At one point between now and the last updates, I RTFM and found where there was a difference between Ubuntu 22.04 and Devuan 4:
/usr/share/X11/xkb/keycodes/evdev
However, when I updated my laptop to Daedalus the files are identical, save for Daedalus having a line about emojis.
That was my only lead, so I still don't know what's going on. I can say for sure that "Fn" key doesn't register at all in Devuan or Debian, using any of the software for finding keycodes. It stands to reason that's why none of its key combinations work. However, in this BIOS mode the F1-F12 keys should default to their special functions, but they're just being treated like normal function keys.
I went through every keyboard related config file in /etc and /usr and the initramfs of Ubuntu and Devuan and I RTFM, but I still wasn't able to find the difference. They "just work" in Ubuntu... must be magic, I guess.
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#6 2023-10-23 18:30:13
- Altoid
- Member
- Registered: 2017-05-07
- Posts: 1,436
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Hello:
... "just work" in Ubuntu... must be magic ...
Magic? *
Nonsense.
No such thing at work in your Ideapad when running on Ubuntu or Mint.
There is something that Ubuntu/Mint loads that makes those Fx keys work as F100e keys.
ie: not in their default function or otherwise mapped function.
Look in dmesg or in the Xorg log, it has to show up somewhere.
See if you can search/ask at the Ubuntu/Mint fora.
eg: seach for "Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-keys not working" and maybe you'll get a lead as to what it is.
Like I mentioned, my Asus 1000HE required a driver to be loaded for F1 to F12 to do something else (Fn+Fx) to work.
Otherwise they acted as regular F keys.
That said, maybe there is some key combination you have to press to "come and go" from regular F-key function to special F-key function.
Check that you are enabling the BIOS setting properly.
* Magic
What Devuan devs/packagers/maintainers and admins do to keep the Devuan project alive and running.
Best,
A.
Last edited by Altoid (2023-10-23 18:41:11)
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#7 2023-10-23 19:36:29
- aluma
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- Registered: 2022-10-26
- Posts: 533
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
There are two kernel modules for ideapad (Daedalus for example )
/lib/modules/6.1.0-10-amd64/kernel/drivers/platform/x86/ideapad-laptop.ko /lib/modules/6.1.0-10-amd64/kernel/drivers/input/misc/ideapad_slidebar.ko Are they loaded?
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#8 2023-10-23 19:52:05
- Altoid
- Member
- Registered: 2017-05-07
- Posts: 1,436
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Hello:
... two kernel modules for ideapad ...
... loaded?
Do this:
lsmod | grep "ideapad"That said, here's what ubuntu.pkgs.org has to inform.
That package has a number of modules for Ubuntu 22.04, among them ideapad-laptop.ko, which is why it works.
Debian/Devuan probably does not have that package yet.
Best,
A.
Last edited by Altoid (2023-10-23 20:04:11)
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#9 2023-10-23 20:19:51
- aluma
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- Registered: 2022-10-26
- Posts: 533
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
These packages are available in Devuan.
Maybe they are modified in Ubuntu, then there should be patches for the kernel code.
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#10 2023-10-23 21:15:24
- golinux
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- Registered: 2016-11-25
- Posts: 3,153
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Reminder from https://www.devuan.org/os/packages lest you want a 'Franken-devuan'
Devuan package repositories are exclusive. Other repositories, including Debian, Ubuntu, Mint etc, should NOT be used directly.
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#11 2023-10-23 22:52:09
- aluma
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- Registered: 2022-10-26
- Posts: 533
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Lenovo Ideapad s205, ideapad_slidebar module does not load by default
root@AA:/# uname -a
Linux AA 6.1.0-10-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.38-2 (2023-07-27) x86_64 GNU/Linux
root@AA:/# lsmod | grep "ideapad"
ideapad_laptop 40960 0
platform_profile 16384 1 ideapad_laptop
sparse_keymap 16384 2 acer_wmi,ideapad_laptop
rfkill 36864 6 acer_wmi,rt2x00lib,bluetooth,ideapad_laptop,cfg80211
video 65536 4 acer_wmi,amdgpu,radeon,ideapad_laptop
wmi 36864 4 video,acer_wmi,wmi_bmof,ideapad_laptop
root@AA:/# lsmod | grep ideapad_slidebar
root@AA:/#modinfo ideapad_slidebar
filename: /lib/modules/6.1.0-10-amd64/kernel/drivers/input/misc/ideapad_slidebar.ko
license: GPL
description: Slidebar input support for some Lenovo IdeaPad laptops
author: Andrey Moiseev <o2g.org.ru@gmail.com>
alias: dmi*:svn*LENOVO*:pn*20035*:pvr*LenovoIdeaPadY550P*:
alias: dmi*:svn*LENOVO*:pn*20017*:pvr*LenovoIdeaPadY550*:
depends:
retpoline: Y
intree: Y
name: ideapad_slidebar
vermagic: 6.1.0-10-amd64 SMP preempt mod_unload modversions
sig_id: PKCS#7
signer: Debian Secure Boot CA
sig_key: 32:A0:28:7F:84:1A:03:6F:A3:93:C1:E0:65:C4:3A:E6:B2:42:26:43
sig_hashalgo: sha256
signature: 7C:AB:96:F7:1E:9A:CA:DA:3B:4A:30:C3:38:14:6D:C8:48:56:DB:74:
C9:F8:14:44:27:F4:91:D7:C7:03:15:27:B7:2C:AF:69:F5:C3:9A:04:
0A:41:61:A4:80:4F:55:EE:88:03:4F:4C:F0:DC:52:64:53:72:6A:F9:
C1:57:0F:BD:17:E2:35:5D:6F:1E:43:90:A0:24:9C:BA:DE:E5:0D:A1:
D3:1A:DB:94:82:8D:2C:A0:A9:9A:74:C0:55:68:A2:6B:76:4D:72:B3:
BE:DB:E0:CA:A4:27:A8:30:A1:19:13:B9:40:A0:CE:99:A5:27:4E:67:
6D:BC:18:68:1C:0F:39:25:19:6A:B7:D5:92:B3:F0:9F:45:F3:C4:C3:
CA:89:8B:D5:47:EF:A4:D1:66:0A:97:D5:4B:00:7F:3E:37:9E:84:71:
CF:8E:25:32:8D:75:90:36:08:B8:89:A7:4F:76:22:FD:BB:99:61:6A:
E1:F2:DF:05:09:60:5E:73:5B:7A:C7:31:71:4E:4B:5C:1A:54:0C:B4:
AE:87:BB:D5:5D:00:C9:C4:D5:B0:CC:0A:83:DB:11:DB:60:0A:33:F2:
94:38:63:4D:2C:9E:12:A8:43:70:17:0C:CB:44:6C:99:BE:24:00:3F:
C1:ED:A2:EE:5E:D3:29:66:8C:CA:B3:D5:B6:1F:8E:77
parm: force:Force driver load, ignore DMI data (bool)
root@AA:/# Obviously the kernel doesn’t “see” it, just like the hardinfo program, by the way.
But it’s already 2 am, it’s time to sleep.
Last edited by aluma (2023-10-23 23:04:48)
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#12 2023-10-25 04:42:38
- aluma
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- Registered: 2022-10-26
- Posts: 533
Re: Lenovo Ideapad 100e F-Keys Work in Mint/Ubuntu but not Devuan/Debian
Perhaps the following should be added.
On my ideapad the second OS is OpenSuse 15.4. The ideapad_slidebar module in it is also “invisible” for lsmod and hardinfo.
But at the same time, function keys works in OpenSuse and Devuan.
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