Linux From Scratch - Version 7.3-rc1

Chapter 6. Installing Basic System Software

6.51. Kbd-1.15.5

The Kbd package contains key-table files, console fonts, and keyboard utilities.

Approximate build time: 0.1 SBU
Required disk space: 20 MB

6.51.1. Installation of Kbd

The behaviour of the Backspace and Delete keys is not consistent across the keymaps in the Kbd package. The following patch fixes this issue for i386 keymaps: 

patch -Np1 -i ../kbd-1.15.5-backspace-1.patch

After patching, the Backspace key generates the character with code 127, and the Delete key generates a well-known escape sequence.

Fix a bug that causes some keymaps not to be loaded correctly: 

sed -i -e '326 s/if/while/' src/loadkeys.analyze.l

Prepare Kbd for compilation: 

./configure --prefix=/usr --datadir=/lib/kbd \
  --disable-vlock

The meaning of the configure options:

--datadir=/lib/kbd

This option puts keyboard layout data in a directory that will always be on the root partition instead of the default /usr/share/kbd.

--disable-vlock

This option prevents the vlock utility from being built, as it requires the PAM library, which isn't available in the chroot environment.

Compile the package: 

make

This package does not come with a test suite.

Install the package: 

make install
[Note]

Note

For some languages (e.g., Belarusian) the Kbd package doesn't provide a useful keymap where the stock “by” keymap assumes the ISO-8859-5 encoding, and the CP1251 keymap is normally used. Users of such languages have to download working keymaps separately.

Some of the scripts in the LFS-Bootscripts package depend on kbd_mode, loadkeys, openvt, and setfont. As /usr may not be available during the early stages of booting, those binaries need to be on the root partition: 

mv -v /usr/bin/{kbd_mode,loadkeys,openvt,setfont} /bin

If desired, install the documentation: 

mkdir -v /usr/share/doc/kbd-1.15.5
cp -R -v doc/* \
         /usr/share/doc/kbd-1.15.5

6.51.2. Contents of Kbd

Installed programs: chvt, deallocvt, dumpkeys, fgconsole, getkeycodes, kbdinfo, kbd_mode, kbdrate, loadkeys, loadunimap, mapscrn, openvt, psfaddtable (link to psfxtable), psfgettable (link to psfxtable), psfstriptable (link to psfxtable), psfxtable, setfont, setkeycodes, setleds, setmetamode, showconsolefont, showkey, unicode_start, and unicode_stop
Installed directory: /lib/kbd

Short Descriptions

chvt

Changes the foreground virtual terminal

deallocvt

Deallocates unused virtual terminals

dumpkeys

Dumps the keyboard translation tables

fgconsole

Prints the number of the active virtual terminal

getkeycodes

Prints the kernel scancode-to-keycode mapping table

kbdinfo

Obtains information about the status of a console

kbd_mode

Reports or sets the keyboard mode

kbdrate

Sets the keyboard repeat and delay rates

loadkeys

Loads the keyboard translation tables

loadunimap

Loads the kernel unicode-to-font mapping table

mapscrn

An obsolete program that used to load a user-defined output character mapping table into the console driver; this is now done by setfont

openvt

Starts a program on a new virtual terminal (VT)

psfaddtable

A link to psfxtable

psfgettable

A link to psfxtable

psfstriptable

A link to psfxtable

psfxtable

Handle Unicode character tables for console fonts

setfont

Changes the Enhanced Graphic Adapter (EGA) and Video Graphics Array (VGA) fonts on the console

setkeycodes

Loads kernel scancode-to-keycode mapping table entries; this is useful if there are unusual keys on the keyboard

setleds

Sets the keyboard flags and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

setmetamode

Defines the keyboard meta-key handling

showconsolefont

Shows the current EGA/VGA console screen font

showkey

Reports the scancodes, keycodes, and ASCII codes of the keys pressed on the keyboard

unicode_start

Puts the keyboard and console in UNICODE mode. Don't use this program unless your keymap file is in the ISO-8859-1 encoding. For other encodings, this utility produces incorrect results.

unicode_stop

Reverts keyboard and console from UNICODE mode