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Windows Keyboards

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by dragonsrage99

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can u use a microsoft windows natural keyboard on linux, and is there anywhere to get the drivers for the additional keys..

Thanks

5 replies

by timwalsh

While this keyboard will operate as a standard keyboard under Linux, the additional key functions are tied directly to Windows functions (hence the product name). Since MS designed the product to work with WINDOWS, you will not find any commercial drivers for any other operating systems. The best you can hope for is to find someone on the Internet whose is knowledgable enough to write his own drivers for Linux

by paulo.sedrez

M$ Natural keyboard is pretty much a QWERTY keyboard with extra keys, so yes, you can use it with Linux.

On console, the extra keys are not of many use; on X Windows environment (a.k.a. "Windows for adults";-), you must edit /etc/X11/XF86Config-4to get the extra keys to work: in the line "Options" "XkbModel", change the model to "microsoft" (for the M$ Natural Keyboard) or "microsoftpro" (for the M$ Natural Keyboard Pro).

Restart your X Server to activate the changes.

Remember that most of the funtionalities of the keys are bound to applications; if your application or your Window Manager does not support them - or does not have them programmed - they will not work.

--Sedrez

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