# The Linux Keyboard - cherry cymotion [SOLVED]

## HeXiLeD

After a long time waiting, i was able to put my hands on this sweet thing:

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/cymotion-line/cymotion-line_master_linux.htm

guys... my fingers glide like never before on these keys. Cherry does rock when it comes  to keyboards. I totally recommend cherry keyboards.

but anyway ... now my question...

currently i dont have a lot of free time to test many things so i contacted cherry regarding the linux software compatiblity with other distros and in this case, with gentoo.

( i am waiting for a reply )

the keyboard includes "SUSE LINUX 9.1 Special Edition" Software. i never used suse and dont know much about it.

The software is also mostly for kde and gnome according to  the print screens that i have seen but i belive that it does not mean  that it can not be customized for another desktop environment.

My questions are :

a) Is there anyone else out there with another keyboard like this working with gentoo ?

b) since Suse linux uses rpm im assuming that using the rpm2targz tool to convert and compile manually should work. am i right ?

c) in case the software that comes with it  works properly, can it be added to portage ?

d) Anyone interested in making an ebuild for it ? (i can post  the software package after checking with cherry if we are allowed of not)

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## gimpel

i do not have the linux, but the cymotion solar, which is basically the same, and i set it up w/o using keyman software.

see http://gimpel.gi.funpic.de/Main/Home/_articles/11.html

and there is also a good wiki article, unfortunately it seems that exists only on german wiki:

http://de.gentoo-wiki.com/Cherry_CyMotion_Master_Linux

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## mark_alec

If you investigate the download page for the keyboard, you should be able to find the source-code and kernel-module for it.  They are licensed under the GPL, so if an ebuild was made, there is no reason that they could not enter the portage tree (provided someone is willing to maintain it).  It would be preferable to compile it yourself or make an ebuild that use the SUSE software package.

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## HeXiLeD

Cherry as replied :

 *Quote:*   

> We have not tested our Linux software with Gentoo as we focused on SUSE, Fedora, Mandrake and Debian. For all other distros we provide the source code (on CD and www) so that the software can be compiled by the user itself.

 

I will look into all this and see how it goes.

 *Quote:*   

> there is no reason that they could not enter the portage tree (provided someone is willing to maintain it).

 

what is it needed to maintain it ?

and other than http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Create_an_Updated_Ebuild, is there any other recommended how to make and ebuild that i could try for this?

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## mark_alec

 *Blue-Steel wrote:*   

> .. is there any other recommended how to make and ebuild that i could try for this?

 

http://dev.gentoo.org/~plasmaroo/devmanual/  :Very Happy: 

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## HeXiLeD

new/fix kernel support for the keyboard:

(vanilla sources 2.6.16.16)

Input: HID - add support for Cherry Cymotion keyboard

author	Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech[at]suse.cz>

	Sat, 14 Jan 2006 05:25:39 +0000 (00:25 -0500)

committer	Dmitry Torokhov <dtor_core[at]ameritech.net>

	Sat, 14 Jan 2006 05:25:39 +0000 (00:25 -0500)

commit	940824b0ac6661ff4f3b36e7bce17f681d0cbc23

tree	c06af81c1983956a2beaee7c6f273a6edebef709	

parent	3dd01a831133e3260b9c77a09c234b012e9507da	

Input: HID - add support for Cherry Cymotion keyboard

The Cherry Cymotion is a special Linux keyboard made by Cherry, with

only one little problem: it doesn't work with Linux. This patch

(originally by hexten.net, cleaned up by me) makes it work including

all the special keys.

Signed-off-by: Vojtech Pavlik <vojtech[at]suse.cz>

Signed-off-by: Dmitry Torokhov <dtorm[at]ail.ru>

drivers/usb/input/hid-core.c 		

drivers/usb/input/hid-input.c 		

drivers/usb/input/hid.h

However i have mine using PS/2. does onyone knows if the issue was only usb related or ps/2 too ?

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## HeXiLeD

The keyboard has flawless kernel support for ps2 and usb.

As for the software ebuilds which  currently dont exist; i dont see much need of them specially if you are a non gnome/kde user.

I advise the use of:

```
*  x11-misc/xbindkeys

      Latest version available: 1.7.3

      Latest version installed: 1.7.3

      Size of files: 107 kB

      Homepage:      http://hocwp.free.fr/xbindkeys/

      Description:   Tool for launching commands on keystrokes

      License:       GPL-2

```

$ xbindkeys -h

```

xbindkeys 1.7.3 by Philippe Brochard

usage: xbindkeys [options]

  where options are:

  -V, --version           Print version and exit

  -d, --defaults          Print a default rc file

  -f, --file              Use an alternative rc file

  -h, --help              This help!

  -X, --display           Set X display to use

  -v, --verbose           More information on xbindkeys when it run

  -s, --show              Show the actual keybinding

  -k, --key               Identify one key pressed

 -mk, --multikey          Identify multi key pressed

  -g, --geometry          size and position of window open with -k|-mk option

  -n, --nodaemon          don't start as daemon

```

Detect your key bindings:

$ xbindkeys -k

```
Press combination of keys or/and click under the window.

You can use one of the two lines after "NoCommand"

in $HOME/.xbindkeysrc to bind a key.
```

Press a key:

```
"NoCommand"

    m:0x10 + c:156

    Mod2 + XF86Launch1
```

Add the output to your $HOME/.xbindkeysrc:

Example .xbindkeysrc :

```
# For the benefit of emacs users: -*- shell-script -*-

###########################

# xbindkeys configuration #

###########################

#

# Version: 1.7.3

#

# If you edit this file, do not forget to uncomment any lines

# that you change.

# The pound(#) symbol may be used anywhere for comments.

#

# To specify a key, you can use 'xbindkeys --key' or

# 'xbindkeys --multikey' and put one of the two lines in this file.

#

# The format of a command line is:

#    "command to start"

#       associated key

#

#

# A list of keys is in /usr/include/X11/keysym.h and in

# /usr/include/X11/keysymdef.h

# The XK_ is not needed.

#

# List of modifier:

#   Release, Control, Shift, Mod1 (Alt), Mod2 (NumLock),

#   Mod3 (CapsLock), Mod4, Mod5 (Scroll).

#

# The release modifier is not a standard X modifier, but you can

# use it if you want to catch release events instead of press events

# By defaults, xbindkeys does not pay attention with the modifiers

# NumLock, CapsLock and ScrollLock.

# Uncomment the lines above if you want to pay attention to them.

keystate_numlock = enable

keystate_capslock = disable

keystate_scrolllock= disable

##################################

"thunderbird &"

    m:0x10 + c:163

    Mod2 + XF86Mail

"galculator &"

    m:0x10 + c:148

    Mod2 + XF86Calculator

"scrot &"

    m:0x10 + c:107

    Mod2 + Print

"firefox-bin &"

    m:0x10 + c:180

    Mod2 + XF86HomePage

"opera &"

    m:0x10 + c:151

    Mod2 + XF86WakeUp

"aterm -e mocp &"

    m:0x10 + c:179

    Mod2 + XF86Tools

"xchat &"

    m:0x50 + c:53

    Mod2+Mod4 + x

"pcmanfm &"

    m:0x10 + c:135

    Mod2 + Menu

"aterm -e alsamixer &"

    m:0x10 + c:121

    Mod2 + XF86AudioMute

# Penguin + f

"filezilla &"

    m:0x50 + c:41

    Mod2+Mod4 + f

# Penguin + s

"skype &"

    m:0x50 + c:39

    Mod2+Mod4 + s

# Penguin + v

"VirtualBox &"

    m:0x50 + c:55

    Mod2+Mod4 + v

# Penguin + k

"keepassx &"

    m:0x50 + c:45

    Mod2+Mod4 + k

# Penguin + g

"gnupg &"

    m:0x50 + c:42

    Mod2+Mod4 + g

# Penguin + r

"roxterm &"

    m:0x50 + c:27

    Mod2+Mod4 + r

# Penguin + p

"pidgin &"

    m:0x50 + c:33

    Mod2+Mod4 + p

# Penguin + A

"aterm &"

    m:0x50 + c:38

    Mod2+Mod4 + a

# Penguin + enter

"fbrun &"

    m:0x50 + c:104

    Mod2+Mod4 + KP_Enter

    Mod2+Mod4 + Return

##################################

# End of xbindkeys configuration #

##################################
```

Topic is SOLVED

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