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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: jpc on Wed, 11 August 2010, 11:38:24

Title: how to activate numpad on model M mini?
Post by: jpc on Wed, 11 August 2010, 11:38:24

How do I activate numeric keypad mode on a model M mini?

For example, the "J" key which has three symbols printed on it: "J", "1", and "End".

Pressing Shift+ScrLk toggles the behavior of the key between "J" and "End". I haven't gotten a "1" yet.

This mini was this ebay auction:
  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250675586140&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

BTW I swapped the bad spring under the enter key with a good spring from the Pause key. I found a good way to insert model M springs: place the spring over the shaft of a precision screwdriver, to prevent the spring from buckling, then hold the spring and screwdriver over the key socket, line the bottom of the spring up with the nub inside the socket, and then hold the screwdriver tip down against the nub. Now push down on the top of the spring (I used an IC puller tool for this, which worked okay) and since the spring cannot buckle, it can only move down and seat itself over the nub. This was easier than it sounds.

Extracting the springs was dicey. Don't use one arm of an IC puller tool. The business end of an IC puller isn't quite sharp enough to get between the coils of the spring, not without the aid of some choice French words. Someone on another thread suggested a dental hygienist's hook/pick thingy. That would be better.

Title: how to activate numpad on model M mini?
Post by: jpc on Wed, 11 August 2010, 11:42:10

oops, why is this under geekhack wiki, it was supposed to be under keyboards. FAIL

Title: how to activate numpad on model M mini?
Post by: jpc on Wed, 11 August 2010, 17:34:45

Quote from: ripster;211441

That's weird.  Load up Autohotkey and make sure you don't have a stuck key.

So how you would access either 'End' or '1' on the 'J' key?  How would you expect it to work?

A stuck key is plausible. Hmmm, no AutoHotkey for linux. "I should get Windows!"

Title: how to activate numpad on model M mini?
Post by: jpc on Wed, 11 August 2010, 18:10:20

Under Windows, 'Shift+ScrLk' toggles between 'J' and '1' and it's not clear how to access 'End'. AutoHotkey shows nothing is stuck.

Full disclosure, this is windows running in a VirtualBox guest on a linux host, using the USB "pass through" feature of VirtualBox so that windows talks directly to the PS/2<->USB adaptor. This /should/ be as good as running Windows on bare metal and plugging in the same PS/2<->USB adaptor.

Title: how to activate numpad on model M mini?
Post by: jpc on Wed, 11 August 2010, 18:24:34

Okay, progress!  I had to tell Ubuntu that this was a "Generic 101-key" board, instead of its default "Generic 104-key". (under Settings Manager -> Keyboard -> Layout)

Now Shift+ScrLk toggles number mode.  In number mode J is "1" and Shift+J is "End".  So it's possible to access "J", "1", and "End". I could believe that's how it's supposed to work.

Title: how to activate numpad on model M mini?
Post by: jpc on Wed, 11 August 2010, 18:29:39

Correction. In number mode, Shift+J is "Shift+End".