Trying to Install Endeavor on a laptop with Additional non Standard keys

[fx9]

I’m trying to install Endeavour OS on a laptop that has some additional non standard keys on the keyboard. Its a desktop replacement laptop the Acer Predator 17 with a GTX 1060. Here are some pictures of these keys:

I highlighted the ones that might not work under Endeavor OS without some user intervention in Blue. I’m aware that I might not get any backlight keys under linux but what about these side keys? or the top row function keys? The only one I might need in the top row function keys is the external monitor one.

The button right of the trackpad is a disable trackpad button, don’t know why this is here, usually laptops don’t have this button.

Here is a closeup of the side keys

[pannxe]

Pretty sure the additional keys on the function row will work (at least they work on my Asus laptop). There should be a way to setup the macro keys on the left. I am not sure what the green one does tho so I cannot answer that.

[dalto]

The quickest way to see what works out of the box is to boot off of the live iso and see what works.

I think a lot of those will work without any additional hassle. That trackpad disable button may be hardware.

Those keys on the left probably won’t work unless they are standard in some way or someone has written drivers for them.

[freebird54]

There is an ‘app’ for determining what each key generates as a keycode - from where you can set the result you want from that keypress. First off, see what already works as you would hope - it will be more than you expect (more than likely).

Secondly, see what you need to know from here:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Map_scancodes_to_keycodes

as it may be a setup that already has been ‘created’ and available.

Good luck, and good hunting…

[fx9]

I tested all the keys on the left side of the keyboard but they don’t work correctly. It seems it doesn’t show up as a valid scancode in showkey, but in dmesg you would see messages like this:

[ 1296.945629] acer_wmi: Unknown function number - 7 - 2
[ 1297.316663] acer_wmi: Unknown function number - 7 - 2
[ 1297.730754] acer_wmi: Unknown function number - 7 - 2
[ 1298.140668] acer_wmi: Unknown function number - 7 - 2
[ 1298.499683] acer_wmi: Unknown function number - 7 - 2
[ 1298.799677] acer_wmi: Unknown function number - 7 - 2
[ 1299.062647] acer_wmi: Unknown function number - 7 - 2
[ 1299.342627] acer_wmi: Unknown function number - 7 - 2

here is the lsmod for what its worth, my laptop is an Acer Predator so I guess it makes sense its installed:

$ lsmod| grep acer
acer_wmi               32768  0
sparse_keymap          16384  1 acer_wmi
rfkill                 32768  8 acer_wmi,bluetooth,cfg80211
video                  53248  1 acer_wmi
wmi                    36864  4 intel_wmi_thunderbolt,acer_wmi,wmi_bmof,mxm_wmi
i8042                  36864  1 acer_wmi

[otherbarry]

Try searching the Arch forum / wiki for any compatibilty info for your exact make and model.

There is a whole forum section dedicated to laptop issues, you may find info for this specific laptop.

[fx9]

Sadly I have found nothing, for this exact make and model on the Arch forums or wiki. I’m pretty much the only person using linux on this thing. Will update if I find anything though.