My new Keyboard has an extra key.

[blackbelt_jones]

I've never seen this before. There's a key in the lower left-hand corner that says "Fn" I keep hitting it when I mean to hit "Ctrl".

Anybody know what this is for? Any chance that it can be used for fluxbox keybindings?

Incidentally, my new keyboard is pretty awesome. It doesn't have the keypad, and all keys to the right of the "Enter" key have been moved to the left and integrated into the main cluster of keys. So the whole keyboard is about 1/3 shorter, even though the keys are generally normal sized. Looks great on my coffee table.

[klackenfus]

That's the Function key. Look on your keyboard, do you see some keys that have their main function and another image on them that is a different color?

[heckle]

The Fn key should be labled in light blue right? Look for any other light blue keys and press to use.

[bwkaz]

And no, as far as I know, you can't bind anything to the Fn key. I am pretty sure that no keyboards' Fn keys have their own scan-code; the keys do all their modifications inside the keyboard's internal logic, and present a single scan-code to the rest of the computer.

However, you can probably find out using both "showkeys" (on a real terminal) and "xev" (from inside X). If showkeys doesn't show anything, then xev won't either.

[blackbelt_jones]

The Fn key should be labled in light blue right? Look for any other light blue keys and press to use.

No, the character key are grey, all the other keys are a kind of bluish grey. There's a bunch of buttons on the top with symbols for firward and backward and other media stuff. I'm guessing that it's all about Windows, and totally useless to me.

[klackenfus]

Check out this image:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?Image=23-157-025-05.jpg&S7ImageFlag=0&Depa=1&Description=SPEC+Research+Black+Wired+Keyboard

It shows the Fn key in the lower left. Look closely at the keyboard, do you see the keys with the blue numbers on them? This is what we are referring to.

[ph34r]

Only time I've seen the blue fn key is on laptops, use it for turning wireless radio on/off, setting display to internal, external, or both, etc. Also able to use to change screen brightness, etc. and cause the U-I-O, etc. keys to become a number pad.

But like I said, thats on a laptop....

[klackenfus]

But like I said, thats on a laptop....

Generally, you will only find these on laptops but there are special keyboards used for things like server racks and cramped spaces that eliminate the number pad and have the Fn and multipurpose keys.

[blackbelt_jones]

Only time I've seen the blue fn key is on laptops, use it for turning wireless radio on/off, setting display to internal, external, or both, etc. Also able to use to change screen brightness, etc. and cause the U-I-O, etc. keys to become a number pad.

But like I said, thats on a laptop....

Now it all makes sense. Thanks. I use this computer from my sofa, so the keyboard sits on the coffee table, and I chose this keyboard for its compactness. I've never used the number pad except for some shortcuts in Gnome, and I haven't used Gnome in ages. What do people use the number pad for, by the way?

[klackenfus]

What do people use the number pad for, by the way?

I'd die without it! I end up pinging multiple IPs and SSHing at least twenty times a day and logging on and off multiple servers. It's just a handy tool.

[blackbelt_jones]

I'd die without it! I end up pinging multiple IPs and SSHing at least twenty times a day and logging on and off multiple servers. It's just a handy tool.

(sigh)So very very much I still don't know.::(

[phlipant]

(sigh)So very very much I still don't know.::(

You would think, at the ripe old age of 32, you would have figured it out by now :D

[blackbelt_jones]

You would think, at the ripe old age of 32, you would have figured it out by now :D

I wish.:rolleyes:

[lazybird]

I'd never have any experience with that keyboard , sounds fantastic .

[JohnT]

Now it all makes sense. What do people use the number pad for, by the way?

P-s-s-s-t....Don't let this get out or I'll be the laughing stock of the board....but I found an awesome use for it......NUMBERS:D
Seriously though...(really:confused: ) I find it so much easier than reaching to the top of the board when working with numbers......it comes from years of using a calculator.

[blackbelt_jones]

P-s-s-s-t....Don't let this get out or I'll be the laughing stock of the board....but I found an awesome use for it......NUMBERS

It's weird that I never thought of that! I used a typewriter for years before I used a computer, and so it never occurred to me to go anywhere for numbers than where I've been going all these years.

My first typewriters were manual, and so I still hit the keyboard way too hard. One day, it will cost me.

[JohnT]

It's weird that I never thought of that! I used a typewriter for years before I used a computer, and so it never occurred to me to go anywhere for numbers than where I've been going all these years.

My first typewriters were manual, and so I still hit the keyboard way too hard. One day, it will cost me.
I used a manual also...but A short stint some years back taught me the value of 10-key.

[blackbelt_jones]

Truth is, I just don't have to type numbers all that much. If that changes, I'll learn.