10.100. Kbd-2.0.1

The Kbd package contains key-table files and keyboard utilities.

10.100.1. Installation of Kbd

Prepare Kbd for compilation:

CC="gcc ${BUILD64}" PKG_CONFIG_PATH="/tools/lib64/pkgconfig" \
    ./configure --prefix=/usr --disable-vlock --enable-optional-progs

The meaning of the new configure options:

PKG_CONFIG_PATH

Use pkg-config to obtain the location of the test library metadata built in Section 6.14, “Check-0.9.13”.

--disable-vlock

Prevents Kbd from trying to build the vlock program, which requires Linux-PAM.

--enable-optional-progs

Installs several additional programs.

Compile the package:

make

To test the results, issue:

make check

Install the package:

make install

Some of the programs from Kbd are used by systemd to initialize the system, so those binaries need to be on the root partition:

mv -v /usr/bin/{loadkeys,setfont} /bin

Install the documentation:

mkdir -v /usr/share/doc/kbd-2.0.1
cp -R -v docs/doc/* /usr/share/doc/kbd-2.0.1

10.100.2. Contents of Kbd

Installed programs: chvt, deallocvt, dumpkeys, fgconsole, getkeycodes, kbdinfo, kbd_mode, kbdrate, loadkeys, loadunimap, mapscrn, openvt, psfaddtable (link to psfxtable), psfgettable (link to psfxtable), psfstriptable (link to psfxtable), psfxtable, resizecons, setfont, setkeycodes, setleds, setmetamode, setvtrgb, showconsolefont, showkey, unicode_start, unicode_stop
Installed directories: /usr/share/consolefonts, /usr/share/consoletrans, /usr/share/doc/kbd-2.0.1, /usr/share/keymaps, /usr/share/unimaps

Short Descriptions

chvt

Changes the foreground virtual terminal

deallocvt

Deallocates unused virtual terminals

dumpkeys

Dumps the keyboard translation tables

fgconsole

Prints the number of the active virtual terminal

getkeycodes

Prints the kernel scancode-to-keycode mapping table

kbdinfo

Obtains information about the console

kbd_mode

Reports or sets the keyboard mode

kbdrate

Sets the keyboard repeat and delay rates

loadkeys

Loads the keyboard translation tables

loadunimap

Loads the kernel unicode-to-font mapping table

mapscrn

An obsolete program that used to load a user-defined output character mapping table into the console driver; this is now done by setfont

openvt

Starts a program on a new virtual terminal (VT)

psfaddtable

Adds a Unicode character table to a console font

psfgettable

Extracts the embedded Unicode character table from a console font

psfstriptable

Removes the embedded Unicode character table from a console font

psfxtable

Handle Unicode character tables for console fonts

resizecons

Changes the kernel idea of the console size

setfont

Changes the Enhanced Graphic Adapter (EGA) and Video Graphics Array (VGA) fonts on the console

setkeycodes

Loads kernel scancode-to-keycode mapping table entries; this is useful if there are unusual keys on the keyboard

setleds

Sets the keyboard flags and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

setmetamode

Defines the keyboard meta-key handling

setvtrgb

Sets the virtal terminal RGB colors

showconsolefont

Shows the current EGA/VGA console screen font

showkey

Reports the scancodes, keycodes, and ASCII codes of the keys pressed on the keyboard

unicode_start

Puts the keyboard and console in UNICODE mode. Never use it on CLFS, because applications are not configured to support UNICODE.

unicode_stop

Reverts keyboard and console from UNICODE mode