Re: 9.0 bata2 & keymap

Nathan Whitehorn wrote:
>>>> On 09/15/11 14:57, Fbsd8 wrote:
>>>> Out of the 9 USA maps only "us.iso.acc.kbd" worked somewhat.
>>>> The keyboard 9 key block above the arrow keys don't function.
>>>> Issuing the "man cmd_name" command doe's display the man page,
>>>> but the {Page up, Page down keys } don't work.
>>>> Also when using the "ee" edit command the {delete, Page up, Page down
>>>> keys } don't work. This does not happen in any of the previous releases.
>>>>
>>>> Further more, localization of the keyboard should not be forced on the
>>>> user during the install process. This BSDinstall option should be
>>>> disabled or removed.
>>> 
>>> You can press "Cancel" there, which will cancel keymap selection and 
>>> keep the default. The utility being invoked is just kbdmap(1), and any 
>>> changes to it need to go there.
>>> -Nathan
>> 
>> 
 >> .. maybe name that button "skip" then?
 >>
 >
 >The button is provided by kbdmap, as is the entire screen. We could 
add >an "installer" mode to kbdmap that names it skip instead of cancel, 
of >course. I'm traveling for another 2 weeks and won't have time to do 
 >that, however.
 >-Nathan
 >

Nathan

Its good to be talking directly with the bsdinstall author.

Changing the cancel button in the kbdmap command to skip, does not 
address the problem, which is the lack of knowledge of the standard 
bsdinstall user. I've been using Freebsd since 4.0 and never used the 
kbdmap command or for that matter even knew it existed.

The real question is not "how to change the kbdmap command" but one of 
should bsdinstall even be presenting this option? Localization of 
Freebsd has all ways been a advanced configuration task in previous 
releases and maybe it should remain that way. Even in the comments of 
bsdinstall you call this option as optional. The easiest solution is 
just to comment out this code in bsdinstall.

As you stated above "selecting the cancel button will keep the default". 
How is the bsdinstall user suppose to know this? Changing 'cancel" to 
"skip" still does not address the problem that users are NOT going to 
know that doing so will give them the old default. This is a good case 
for a help dialog screen.

One way to keep the localization option is to add an informational 
bsdinstall dialog screen asking the user if they want to modify this 
install to use a keyboard that is language specific, (ie: Japanese 
keyboard, Russian keyboard, ect). Including a statement saying that 
selecting localization will launch the system kbdmap command, and then 
selecting the cancel button will result in the default used in previous 
releases to be used. This gives the user the information needed to base 
a intelligent decision on and keeps the kbdmap command unchanged.

Another way would be to add an entry to the top of kbdmap command 
database labeled "(default) description" so its highlighted on the 
initial display and hitting enter will take this selection.


Now I must point out that I tested hitting the cancel button in the 
kbdmap command. It worked in that no keymap= statement was inserted into 
/etc/rc.conf but it must also make some other changes some where else in 
the system because if you do select an entry from the kbdmap database 
and them remove the keymap= statement that was inserted into 
/etc/rc.conf and then reboot the system, it will hang on reboot.

Another point of interest is when selecting "cancel for the default 
keyboard" still results in the block of 9 keys above the arrow keys to 
not function. Issuing the "man cmd_name" command does display the man 
page, but the {Page up, Page down keys } don't work. Also when using the 
"ee" edit command the {delete, Page up, Page down don't work. There may 
be more system utility commands with the same flaw.

This may indicate that the default keyboard map in kbdmap command has 
changed, is not the same as in previous releases or some thing else in 
the 9.0 system has changed. In either case this needs research.

Joe