Remapping soft keys - G2 and Desire Z Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

So I'm looking at remaping the soft keys (specifically the search) on the front of the phone. There appears to only be one "SEARCH" in the /system/usr/keylayout/vision-keypad.kl - key 217 (see code below) - that if changed has the following 2 effects:
1. Alters the functions of both the soft key on the front of the phone and the search key on the hardware keyboard. When I remap one, they both change to match your modification.
2. When changed, long press functionality of the soft key is lost. It will only accept a short press.
"SEARCH" can be successfully changed to "MENU", "BACK", and "CALL" (possibly others I have not tried) then pushed to the phone in recovery and function perfectly. However, when I map it to be the "POWER", the soft key does nothing on press, while the hardware search key on the slide-out works fine.
Has anyone found a way around this?
We remap the track pad to wake because we dont like using the top mounted power button, but it only does a half-ass job because when you want to shut the screen back off, you still have to reach for the power button. I think the track pad wake mod needs its own 'bacon bits'
Code:
# column 0
key 185 USER3 WAKE_DROPPED
key 100 ALT_RIGHT WAKE_DROPPED
key 217 SEARCH WAKE_DROPPED
key 28 ENTER WAKE_DROPPED
key 38 L WAKE_DROPPED
key 14 DEL WAKE_DROPPED
key 54 SHIFT_RIGHT WAKE_DROPPED

I think you're out of luck with regard to an easy fix. I just did a quick experiment with evtest and it looks like the softkeys on the screen are just areas of the touchscreen that the window manager treats specially and generates synthetic key events in response to touches on, instead of being actual mappable keys.

teferi said:
I think you're out of luck with regard to an easy fix. I just did a quick experiment with evtest and it looks like the softkeys on the screen are just areas of the touchscreen that the window manager treats specially and generates synthetic key events in response to touches on, instead of being actual mappable keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the are mappable. I managed to make it be the menu button and the back button just fine. It just doesnt want to be the power button..

The same key can be used as a single quick press or a long press. It is considered two different keys though. So you would have to figure out what the long press equivalent of the search button would be and change that one.

The way this thread can stay in developmental, is show steps on how you are remapping the keys.
For others to gain knowledge or this thread is moving to Q&A

Mikey1022 said:
The way this thread can stay in developmental, is show steps on how you are remapping the keys.
For others to gain knowledge or this thread is moving to Q&A
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I'm off here, but if I was making this post to show the steps, would that not fall under a "How To" or "Guide"? My goal here is development. Development –noun 1. the act or process of developing; growth; progress. Or in my case, I'm in the act/process of developing a remapped key file to make the search soft key into a power key, and to then share with the rest of the forum. My progress so far is that I've managed to map it to a menu key and a back key with no problems, and am reaching out to others for help as to why it is that when I change it to the power key, it doesn't accept my changes.
Its kinda a gray zone, in that if I were to successfully remap it to the power button and post the file here, it would, technically speaking, be less of a development thread than it is now - because it would be finished developing and instead, merely contain a file with instructions.
However, as requested, and for those who are interested:
The file you are looking for, is as mentioned in the OP, "vision-keypad.kl" and is located in /system/usr/keylayout. You can edit it with a text editor like Notepad++. The line that I am looking at, also refer to OP, is key 217.
I'm thinking now, after messing with it some more, that maybe because it is a soft key it cant be mapped to power, being that as soon as the screen shuts off it no longer functions... But then again there exists widgets that, upon press, turn off the screen and they function fine, so I see no reason this shouldn't. I'll keep you posted on what I find, and would appreciate any help in the mean time.

i'd love to be able to map a longpress menu and a longpress back action. Cyanogen 6.1 allows longpress back to be turned into force kill foreground process. So there is a way to capture longpress on those 4 keys, the question is, what does the system read that keypress as and how can it be mapped.

sundar2012 said:
i'd love to be able to map a longpress menu and a longpress back action. Cyanogen 6.1 allows longpress back to be turned into force kill foreground process. So there is a way to capture longpress on those 4 keys, the question is, what does the system read that keypress as and how can it be mapped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it is doable! There are some .bin files in the /system/usr/keychar folder that correspond to the .kl files in the ../keylayout folder, but i havent been able to read them. Maybe thats it.. Gonna figure that out when I land tomorrow and get my computer set up

I changed the Search function key to Camera and it only works on a long press and I get no result on a short press. So maybe the function you are trying to rename the Search key to has to be specific to either way i.e. short or long press but not both.
So it will either work as a long press key for some functions or a short press key for others.

Read the window manager source (from AOSP or CM), determine what scancodes it synthesizes in response to touches or long-touches on the softkeys, edit keylayout accordingly.

Doesn't ButtonRemapper from Android App Dev section work on G2? :S

hey guys, i dont know if you all figured this out or not, I just got the g2, and to remap the key to power button you have to change it to "ENDCALL" not "POWER", after, reboot and voila! your search button now acts like a power button!!!!! Hope this helps!!!!!

Need to Map Back button to one of the soft key
Rceently I bought HTC Desire Z (no warranty), and I am facing the problem with 4 bottom buttons of the touch screen (menu, back, home and search). So I am planning to do hardware map for one of the softkeys to BACK button.
Could you please provide me step-by-step installation of all the softwares and the procedure I need to do for updating "vision-keypad.kl" file. Appreciate your help.
My one more doubt is that what is the difference between "WAKE_DROPPED" & "WAKE". I have seen these keywords in ".kl" file in GITHUB.
Please give me reply ASAP. I am frustrated with the way the mobile is working. Just imagine how it will be if back button stop working and you are in the middle of some application. I restarted my mobile some dozens of times.

Related

OK button missing -> any way to re-map another key?

so, I'm starting to realize how much I am missing the OK button, either on the side of the phone somewhere or on the keyboard. Is there a way to remap a button on the keyboard to be the OK (oh and TAB) button(s)? Also is there a way to remap a hardware button to be the OK button? (ie volume down twice = OK)?
its amazing the things you find when you search
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=544053&highlight=remap
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=548284&highlight=remap
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=538236&highlight=remap
^^^ all of those are threads about remapping keys. some point you to a program, one points you to an app someone made over in the Rhodium themes, software, etc sub forum. that can be found at the next link. I even ask the guy how to get the "Ok" function a few replies in to the thread & he tells you how. Enjoy
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=554240

[Q] Remapping the trackpad

Hi, I was wondering if I could remap the trackpad button on my Droid Incredible to the home button. Kind of like how if you press the center button on the iPhone, it goes back to the home screen. Is this possible? and I do not want to flash another ROM. Thanks.
Uhm, this phone already has a "home" button.....
mmmark111 said:
Uhm, this phone already has a "home" button.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can't we just answer the question? sometimes ppl. I would assume if he has a dinc he knows about the home shaped icon under the screen there, with that said I've never seen this question asked b4 but would assume no bcuz of already in place "home" button
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
I know there is a button, but I want to use the track pad button for the same function.
I think this would be useful as well.
JC
Look at the Optical joy stick wake thread. It's in the keymap file somewhere. I don't know what all you can remap it too but I know they remapped it to wake the device (though inconstantly but thats a sleeping problem)
Just a thought, but would you not loose all of the intended functionality as a result of doing this? For instance, how would you take a picture or record a video?
I have ruby rom so there already is a record button or camera button on the screen itself so it's not a problem.
-steve
Redemption rom use to have a tweak that let you hold down the search button key and it would start the camera application. This was done by editing the incredible-keypad.kl file in /system/usr/keylayout and changing the line "key 217 SEARCH WAKE_DROPPED" to "key 217 CAMERA WAKE_DROPED" i figure you could add a line "key 232 HOME WAKE_DROPPED" and get the home to open when the trackpad was pressed, but that didn't worked.
I've been trying to remap my trackpad to camera since I rooted my phone and still can't get the working. I hope this thread will spread some light on how to properly remap the DPAD_CENTER button.
stevethekorean said:
I have ruby rom so there already is a record button or camera button on the screen itself so it's not a problem.
-steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those two aplications remove the need for the trackpad button, however its usefulness doesn't end.there. the.ability to.scroll through text to edit without endlessly, 'push and pray' u get it in the right spot I would.imagine would get lost as well. The trackpad also can seek in some flash players too.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Okay. So this is not possible at all? Because i can edit text by zooming in on the website...
-steve
It doesn't seem to be possible... or if anyone has figured out how they don't want to share. Editing the kl files doesn't work like it does for other hardware buttons. Here's my thread asking the same thing:
[Q] Can't remap optical joystick?
would this be possible
if you were to look at the file text for the real home key maybe if you copy-pasted that txt into your trackpad txt file it would do the same function .......just a thought

[HOW-TO] Remap trackpad actions

Hi all,
My hardware keys are becoming uresponsive, so i'd like to know if I can remap the trackpad actions to act as the hardware key buttons.
I've been searching the forums for some time but coudn't find an answer.
I've also tried to remap the keyboard layouts, editing the system/usr/keylayout/bravo-keypad.kl and system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl and adding the lines:
key 105 BACK
key 108 HOME
key 103 MENU
but no luck.
Do you know if this is possible?
hi
i know it's a bit late but i just found your thread today. i found a way to remap the actions of the trackpad to HOME, MENU, BACK and SEARCH, by moving your finger up, down, left and right. to use the mod you need a rooted device to update the kernel with a modified one. if you still interested i'am able to compile you one with this mod
jaspie

Key 217 Search button?

Right now i'm looking into remapping the buttons on my One V. When I look into atmel-touchscreen.kl and himax-touchscreen.kl under /system/usr/keylayout/, I see that the search button is mapped to "key 217". I curious to what action key 217 is actually mapped to, as I've tried long pressing and combination pressing every thing on the phone.
Could someone enlighten us on the mysterious key 217?
Burlingtonrox said:
Right now i'm looking into remapping the buttons on my One V. When I look into atmel-touchscreen.kl and himax-touchscreen.kl under /system/usr/keylayout/, I see that the search button is mapped to "key 217". I curious to what action key 217 is actually mapped to, as I've tried long pressing and combination pressing every thing on the phone.
Could someone enlighten us on the mysterious key 217?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'd like to know as well!
-sent from space.
Do any of the other One series phones have a search key? Maybe they forgot to remove that line? Just an idea.
Key 217 doesn't apply on our phone as it doesn't have a search button.
Just some redundant code probably.
In phones with a search button, you can remap key 217 i.e. the search button, to the recent apps or the power button or whatever...
First come smiles. Then come lies. Last is gunfire.

Change hardware button to get 'back' in the left

Hello,
I want to change 'back' and 'menu' keys, so 'back' to be on the rigth side and 'menu' on the left. Like Samsung (I owned one). I prefer 'back' near my finger, it is more confortable.
I have been investigating. I have found a tool here in xda called buttonremapper, but after download and test, it does not work. Also it looks a bit abandoning, so it is possible it does not work for newer devices.
I have also test xposed framework + gravity box, but it has only the option to program 'long press' and 'double touch'. Under navigation bar there is an option to do what I want, but it only do it activating 'buttons in screen', so that is not a solution for me.
I suspect there is a way to do it modifying values in a /system/usr/keyloyout file, but dont know which and what modifications.
have somebody experience doing this for our device? is there a way to achieve this?
Thanks,
clonfsp said:
Hello,
I want to change 'back' and 'menu' keys, so 'back' to be on the rigth side and 'menu' on the left. Like Samsung (I owned one). I prefer 'back' near my finger, it is more confortable.
I have been investigating. I have found a tool here in xda called buttonremapper, but after download and test, it does not work. Also it looks a bit abandoning, so it is possible it does not work for newer devices.
I have also test xposed framework + gravity box, but it has only the option to program 'long press' and 'double touch'. Under navigation bar there is an option to do what I want, but it only do it activating 'buttons in screen', so that is not a solution for me.
I suspect there is a way to do it modifying values in a /system/usr/keyloyout file, but dont know which and what modifications.
have somebody experience doing this for our device? is there a way to achieve this?
Thanks,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I answer myself: it is possible modifyind the file /system/usr/keypad_8064.kl , changing the balues 'back' <-> 'menu'. It is even possible to assign buttons in another way, like right: home, center: menu and left: back.
Code:
key 114 VOLUME_DOWN
key 115 VOLUME_UP
key 116 POWER WAKE
key 139 MENU VIRTUAL
key 158 BACK VIRTUAL
key 172 HOME VIRTUAL
Just change keys 139 BACK and 158 Menu
You will find it in usr/keylayout/keypad_8064.kl

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