The new Microsoftslop copilot key always sends the following key-sequence when pressed:

copilot key down: left-shift-down left-meta-down f23-down f23-up left-meta-up left-shift-up
copilot key up: <null>

This means there’s no real key-up event when you release the key --> it can’t be used (properly) as a modifier like ctrl or alt.

The workaround is to send a pretend key-up event after a time delay, but then you mustn’t be too slow / fast when pressing a shortcut.

tldr: AI took a perfectly working modifier key from you.

— edit —
Some keyboards apparently do the “right” thing and don’t send the whole sequence at once, you can remap those properly with keyd, see: https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd/issues/1025#issuecomment-2971556563 / https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd/issues/825

copilot key down: left-shift-down left-meta-down f23-down
copilot key up: f23-up left-meta-up left-shift-up

this will still break left-shift + remapped copilot and left-meta + remapped copilot, but RCtrl remaps should work as expected

  • FireWire400@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    My ThinkPad has one and it is just kinda there… despite it supposedly being remapable since Kernel 6.16 or so I can’t get it to properly remap.

    I’d love to map it to open LM Studio lol

  • texture@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    happy to be typing this comment on a framework laptop, where no such key is to be found.

    interesting post, and thanks for the info. i cant believe the crap MS pulls. Linux is easier than ever. Join us.

  • p0358@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    My laptop had UEFI update that fixed the key-up thing and mentioned it allows holding the key in the changelog. So make sure to check for updates if you care

    • Wispy2891@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      9 months ago

      Not really, it sends a combination of 3 really fast button combination on press and doesn’t report to the os when your finger releases the key. You need to run a daemon that detects that specific combination and emulates a finger release after a specified time

      Assholes. Couldn’t they just remap one of the useless “internet” keys from the 00s like KEY_HOMEPAGE or XF86Mail??

      Or create a brand new scancode since they could change the kernel without any problem, especially because the manufacturers would need to change the keyboard firmware anyway AND because copilot requires special hardware, it doesn’t need retro compatibility with older windows versions that don’t have the scancode in kernel or in the keyboard driver

      • FrChazzz@lemmus.orgEnglish
        0·
        9 months ago

        I have one on my Lenovo IdeaPad I bought a few months ago and am running Mint on. I remapped it to bring up the menu almost immediately. No issues. It acts like a Super key. Maybe this is a model specific thing?

        • nibbler@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
          0·
          9 months ago

          As I read it, you can’t use it as modifier as it does not ever release. So bringing up a menu directly works, but copilot+x is troublesome to map

  • ColdWater@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    If this garbage is on my keyboard I will drill that motherfucker out no second thought

    • Wispy2891@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      9 months ago

      I have a Lenovo usb keyboard with a fn Key in place of the Ctrl key that has absolutely no purpose. It’s for volume control like fn+F7 BUT… IT ALSO HAS DEDICATED BUTTONS FOR VOLUME CONTROL!!

      After the nth time I accidentally switched fn and Ctrl I took a screwdriver and popped it out permanently (being USB it doesn’t report fn status to the os and of course the BIOS doesn’t allow FN remapping because it’s not a laptop)

  • JayGray91🐉🍕@piefed.socialEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    Noted. Do not buy used laptops with microslop cancer button.

    A shame because they’re all still good hardware. Just don’t want to deal with the cursed button.

        • Nalivai@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          9 months ago

          Less than one percent of the keyboard being less-then-useful, that you can even make useful with some effort, is hardly a dealbreaker, it doesn’t even rises in severity to “bad” let alone “very bad”

          • msage@programming.devEnglish
            0·
            9 months ago

            Dunno about you, but I use every key on larger layouts, so this is definitely a hard no for me.

            As long as there are other options, this is a straight up downgrade for no benefit. So absolutely no.

            • Nalivai@lemmy.worldEnglish
              0·
              9 months ago

              I also use 100% of whatever I have. It’s just I don’t get how reducing it by less than 1% is a dealbreaker. It’s weird to me how sometimes people are hung up on some minor issue

    • GalacticSushi@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      0·
      9 months ago

      Yeah I’ve bought my last couple laptops from my company’s asset disposal department, I’ve gotten pretty good deals and usually just need to replace the battery after a few years. Not looking forward to when their stock starts getting into the models with slop buttons.

  • TootSweet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    Jesus. I guess we’re going to have to start figuring out how to reverse engineer our keyboards so we can install QMK on random built-in laptop keyboards and cheap Logitech membrane keyboards to repair the damage Microsoft has done to them.

  • Alaknár@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    In Windows:

    PowerToys -> Keyboard Manager -> New Shortcut -> press the Copilot key -> select “Ctrl (right)” from the drop-down. Job done.

    Not sure why is it so hard on Linux that it generates such headlines.