Configure your multimedia keys

Many keyboards have multimedia keys. Those keys typically allow you to increase/decrease, mute and unmute sound on your PC, but many more exist. Using these keys can make you more productive - instead of opening a console and typing command, you just type a key and the associated application pops up.

As an example, I have a key on my keyboard that pictures a calculator. First let's find out the name of this key:

Start xev. Move your mouse pointer to the rectangle in it. Type a key. You get an output like this:

KeyPress event, serial 44, synthetic NO, window 0x4200001,
    root 0x2b0, subw 0x4200002, time 47123941, (36,44), root:(38,67),
    state 0x10, keycode 148 (keysym 0x1008ff1d, XF86Calculator), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes: 
    XFilterEvent returns: False

So this key is named XF86Calculator.

Then open a console and run the command

systemsettings

Select "Shortcuts and Gestures" -> Custom Shortcuts -> Edit -> New -> Global Shortcut -> Command/URL As trigger, press this key, as "Action" enter kcalc

Lock your screen

To lock your screen under KDE you can use the command

/usr/lib64/kde4/libexec/kscreenlocker --forcelock

See also

• find out where your configuration changes are stored
• http://www.linux-club.de/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=116414
• http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php?topic=83439.0;wap2