"Exotic" keyboard keys mapping basic functions (a proposal)

[gabuzom]

Hey there and thanks for the amazing project!

While totally standard on full-size 103 keys keyboards, some keys such as PrtScr, ScrLock, NumLock are absent from most other compact layouts: 65, 60% keyboards, and from most cheap compact wireless keyboards that can be found to control various SBCs and small projects.

While I found a trick to connect two keyboards and map the PrtScr key of one to a regular key of the other, this is a bit cumbersome and flimsy, and counter-intuitive.

Suggestion: that each shortcut that is hard-coded with one such key also has an alternative with a regular key:
example:
Screenshot = alt+PrtScr AND alt+P
Switch keyboard emulation = NumLock AND ScrollLock AND alt+S
etc.
(ideally that these functions such as Screenshot be remappable!)

That would help immensely!

[sorgelig]

This will interfere with normal keyboard usage

While I found a trick to connect two keyboards and map the PrtScr key of one to a regular key of the other, this is a bit cumbersome and flimsy, and counter-intuitive.

it's not that "i found". This is THE way to do it.
Well, if you use flimsy and cumbersome keyboard then you need to use flimsy and cumbersome workarounds ;)
At least it's one-time operation.

[gabuzom]

well "i found" as: it was recommended in some forum thread, but not in the documentation.

"flimsy and cumbersome" here is totally a personal preference, and/or subjective i think: some people use smaller layout of keyboards for a flourish of reason, from mobility to ergonomics, etc.... Anyone who followed what happened in the mechanical keyboard scene for these last 5-10y would confirm that these layout are abundant and very much appreciated... but i hear: if someone considers it "flimsy and cumbersome" probably means it's enough to exclude all these users from making screenshots with their MiSter ;)))

more seriously: how about finding an alternate shortcut that wouldnt interfere with "normal" keyboard usage then? like ctrl+alt+shift+s, or an alt+Fx etc... after all F10, F12 etc.. have already been chosen as default shortcuts, while they can totally interfere with normal keyboard usage, can't they?

[sorgelig]

for arcade/console cores there is no problem with almost any key combo, and even single key. For computer cores where any combo can be used in normal work such combo may produce unwanted effect.
As for why F12 is used - this was before x86 cores. Other computers were limited with 10 Fx keys. So for ao486 i've added quirk to let F12 be used in core too.

Need to think more about possible solution.

[gabuzom]

Thank you for being open to discussion on the topic!

I think key would be to give the users some sort of control/margin of manœuver on the topic:

• being able to define those core action shortcuts in a text file;
• or a choice between two shortcuts for a given function somewhere... users with keyboard-heavy usage, equipped with "proper" ;) keyboard could chose to use one that make use of their "remote" keys not existing on orginal machines.... while console users with flimsy keyboards could chose the other, more accessible in all configurations;
• ideally to me, but maybe it's worth opening another discussion somewhere, as it is a radically different angle: being able to chose one action to map to the "user" button could solve it all... to me it would definitely be "screenshot", to others it could be whichever function is hard to access with their own configuration... for third-party developpers it would be an occasion to suggest some patches with some dedicated action that could be mapped there ("reboot in screen saver mode", or "launch one game at random" or "launch one at random from favourites" etc.)

long live to MiSTer, their devs and their users! ;) \o/

[sorgelig]

here is the example i'm talking about:
MiSTer-devel/Atari800_MiSTer#15

basically, MiSTer needs a keyboard where more keys are available than any emulated system needs. So even PC104 keyboard is a compromise.

[gabuzom]

Understood! it is a problem indeed!

This all advocates towards flexibility in shortcuts, like the suggestions formulated above:

• assuming there will NOT be one single-configuration that would work for everyone (some people just want to play, some want to compute, some others want to make collections of screenshots, etc.) and for all cores;
• giving some sort of flexibility with core shortcuts;
• letting the users define their use-cases depending on their needs.
  --> over time users suggesting maybe defaults per-core that would make sense, or "profiles", etc. through the sharing of such flexible configurations may emerge solutions initial authors didn't/couldn't think of..?