On Mon 14 Sep 2026 at 21:34:12 (+0200), Steinar Bang wrote: > David Wright <[email protected]>: > > The firmware can act on a key and tell the OS nothing, as in my > > own keyboard backlight example. (I'm assuming the kernel is honest > > with xev.) The BIOS swap is all or nothing: it reverses the meaning > > of pressed/unpressed for the entire set of Fn-keys. > > Right! So no xev events no chance to fix this in software? (software > outside of the BIOS that is)
Only if that's the case. Having read Chris Green's comment on my post, it appears there are keyboards with a FnLock function, available by holding Fn and typing Escape (typically). Some have FnLock or a padlock symbol embossed on the key, and even an LED. Chris reports that these keyboards produce output from xev when Fn is typed alone. If your keyboard looks like one of these, it might be quite likely that lack of output means that pressing Fn is not being seen at all, by firmware or OS. > > I've no experience of that— I've always set my venerable BIOS password > > as my first action upon getting a new PC; a password I've used in > > various contexts for over fifty years. > > > Not for security, but to make sure I can get to the BIOS, change it, > > and see that all the passwords are clear— particularly the most > > "senior" one, which I then set. (All my computers are hand-me-downs.) > > Well, like I said above. I have never thought about why I should set a > password. For a single-user PC in a secure single-access location, it's for protection against yourself, similar to the root password.¹ Depending on the BIOS, it may allow browsing of all its settings but forbid any changes, making such browsing safe from accidental keystrokes. They allow you to scroll through alternative options, and read their help panels, without allowing a selection to be confirmed unless the appropriate level password has been given. For a PC with any greater accessibility, it avoids changes being made, with the best of intentions, by other parties. ¹ To be fair, some software won't run as root, or if certain basic security precautions aren't in place. Cheers, David.
