[Xbindkeys-devel] A small issue with xmodmap and xbindkeys

[Klaus Brinkmann]

I'm not sure if this of interest to any of the developers, but I wanted 
to share the following experience in any case. I tried the following on 
a small handheld linux-device called "Open Pandora". That's why I am 
speaking of "shoulder-buttons".

I noticed a slight incompatibility related to the combination of 
xbindkeys and xmodmap. If you bind a key to be used by xbindkeys and 
modify that key with xmodmap while xbindkeys is running, then the key is 
still bound and can not be used. Just running "xbindkeys -p" does not 
help. You have to kill/restart xbindkeys.

Example:
 I wanted to run a program by pressing the left shoulder-button. Also I 
wanted to be able to quickly change the configuration between starting 
that program that way and using the button as Shift_R (the default). For 
that I configured xbindkeys to start the program when F20 is being 
pressed. Of course that key does not physically exist. But I planned to 
quickly change the function of the left shoulder-button from Shift_R to 
F20 by using xmodmap. It works the one way: While xbindkeys is running, 
I set it to F20, run "xbindkeys -p" and can launch the program by 
pressing the shoulder-button. But when I set the button-mapping back to 
Shift_R, then neither the program is being launch on triggering the 
button, nor the Shift_R-function works. "xbindkeys -p" does not help. 
"killall xbindkeys" makes it work again.
Maybe there are better ways of solving my plans anyway.

Something different would it be possible to include a function into 
xbindkeys that only runs the program specified in .xbindkeysrc if a 
certain windows is focused? If not focused then the key should be 
unchanged and not completely deactivated.
 A more advanced version of this would be to be able to configure the 
same keycombination with different results for different, focused windows.

Lomaxx