Re: Multiple Keypress/release problems.

[Chris <chris@starforge.co.uk>]

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#Sunday 30 December 2001 19:40# Message from Steve Baker:

> Is this a Linux keyboard driver thing - or an X-windows issue or just a
> hardware limitation of the PC keyboard?  I've tried this both on my no-name
> ergonomic keyboard and on my laptop's keyboard - the effect is the same on
> each of them.

It is a hardware limitation, or rather a limitation built into the keyboard 
encoder ICs inside the keyboard itself and possibly the keyboard decoder 
circuitry on the motherboard. I've no idea if USB keyboards are subject to 
the same restrictions. 

http://www.ifbbc.com/html/did_you_know.html

may be of some interest. Most PC keyboards these days are membrane based so 
they will use the multikey option.

> * Is there a software fix for this?

Nope.

> * Does anyone know the rules that determine which keys will work with which
>   key combinations?  Maybe I can work around it by picking just the right
>   set of keys.

I believe it depends on the make of keyboard. For example I have two 
connected to my Linux box now - a no-name "multimedia" keyboard via PS/2 and 
my trusty Sun Type 5 connected to COM1. On the no-name the problem is exactly 
as you describe, but the type5 can handle wa and s but not 4 keys....

Chris
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