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Bug 735783 - [RFE] developer mode for OSK to bring up special keys
[RFE] developer mode for OSK to bring up special keys
Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 659180
Product: gnome-shell
Classification: Core
Component: keyboard
3.13.x
Other Linux
: Normal normal
: ---
Assigned To: gnome-shell-maint
gnome-shell-maint
touch
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2014-09-01 04:29 UTC by Ankur Sinha (FranciscoD)
Modified: 2014-09-02 17:14 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: 3.13/3.14



Description Ankur Sinha (FranciscoD) 2014-09-01 04:29:46 UTC
Hi,

Would it be possible to have a "developer mode" in the OSK that will bring up additional keys like ctrl/alt/arrow keys. One use case here is when a developer is working on a touch only system, like the Asus Slate. To bring up looking glass, for example, one needs to use "atl f2 lg" but since alt and f2 aren't on the OSK, one cannot bring these up.

I suggest a developer mode since the normal user will probably not use these keys. User end functionality provided by ctrl/alt to switch workspaces is already handled by gestures.
Comment 1 Bastien Nocera 2014-09-01 13:13:28 UTC
I don't think it's sensible trying to launch the looking glass on a touch only system...
Comment 2 Matthias Clasen 2014-09-02 13:05:29 UTC
these keys make sense even if you're not a developer, I'd rather see them just added all the time
Comment 3 Bastien Nocera 2014-09-02 13:44:37 UTC
(In reply to comment #2)
> these keys make sense even if you're not a developer, I'd rather see them just
> added all the time

They don't. If there's a functionality hidden behind such a keyboard shortcut isn't available through some other means, then there's a bug in the application.

The only case where this would make sense is if the application is something like a terminal or an ssh client. In which case I would expect the application to tell the OSK that the application needs those specific keys (rather than implementing a "home-made" OSK in the application).

Apparently:
gsettings set org.gnome.shell.keyboard keyboard-type fullscale
already implements some of this. And bug 659180 mentions why it's not good enough for now.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 659180 ***
Comment 4 Matthias Clasen 2014-09-02 15:28:22 UTC
Arrow keys make a lot of sense to navigate around in an entry. You don't have to be a developer to use that.

Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-X are all very useful, basic editing shortcuts. One could argue that these actions should just be represented as such on the osk...
Comment 5 Bastien Nocera 2014-09-02 16:35:53 UTC
(In reply to comment #4)
> Arrow keys make a lot of sense to navigate around in an entry. You don't have
> to be a developer to use that.

You have a touchscreen for that.

> Ctrl-A, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V, Ctrl-X are all very useful, basic editing shortcuts.

Those should be offered by the application.

> One could argue that these actions should just be represented as such on the
> osk...

I would argue that they shouldn't be in the OSK, but in the application itself.
Comment 6 Matthias Clasen 2014-09-02 16:49:39 UTC
(In reply to comment #5)
> (In reply to comment #4)
> > Arrow keys make a lot of sense to navigate around in an entry. You don't have
> > to be a developer to use that.
> 
> You have a touchscreen for that.


Ever tried positioning a cursor between the tiny characters in an entry ? Maybe it works with your athletic hands, but my fat fingers basically just fail here.
Comment 7 Bastien Nocera 2014-09-02 17:14:04 UTC
(In reply to comment #6)
> (In reply to comment #5)
> > (In reply to comment #4)
> > > Arrow keys make a lot of sense to navigate around in an entry. You don't have
> > > to be a developer to use that.
> > 
> > You have a touchscreen for that.
> 
> 
> Ever tried positioning a cursor between the tiny characters in an entry ? Maybe
> it works with your athletic hands, but my fat fingers basically just fail here.

It should zoom, which is what the text selection work Carlos tries to do, IIRC.
(and if it doesn't, it should).