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<TITLE>The Linux keyboard and console HOWTO: How to get out of raw mode</TITLE>
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<H2><A NAME="s9">9. How to get out of raw mode</A></H2>
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<P>If some program using K_RAW keyboard mode exits without restoring the keyboard
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mode to K_XLATE, then it is difficult to do anything - not even Ctrl-Alt-Del
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works. However, it is sometimes possible to avoid hitting the reset button.
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(And desirable as well: your users may get angry if you kill their Hack game
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by rebooting; you might also damage your file system.)
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Easy solutions involve logging in from another terminal or another machine
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and doing <CODE>kbd_mode -a</CODE>.
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The procedure below assumes that no X is running, that the display is in
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text mode, and that you are at your bash prompt, that you are using a US
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keyboard layout, and that your interrupt character is Ctrl-C.
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As follows: press 2 (and don't release), press F12 (and don't release)
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and immediately afterwards press = . This starts X.
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(Explanation: if a key press produces keycode K, then the key release
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produces keycode K+128. Probably your shell does not like these high
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characters, so we avoid generating them by not releasing any key.
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However, we have to be quick, otherwise key repeat starts. The digit 2
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produces a Ctrl-C that discards previous junk, the F12 produces an X
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Probably your screen will be grey now, since no <CODE>.xinitrc</CODE> was specified.
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However, Ctrl-Alt-Fn will work and you can go to another VT.
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(Ctrl-Alt-Backspace also works, but that exits X, and gets you back into
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the previous state, which is not what you want.)
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<P>Step 2. Setup to change the keyboard mode.
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(For example, by <CODE>sleep 5; kbd_mode -a</CODE>.)
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<P>Step 3. Leave X again.
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Alt-Fx (often Alt-F7) brings you back to X, and then Ctrl-Alt-Backspace
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exits X. Within 5 seconds your keyboard will be usable again.
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<P>If you want to prepare for the occasion, then make
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<CODE>\215A\301</CODE> (3 symbols) an alias for <CODE>kbd_mode -a</CODE>.
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Now just hitting = F7 = (3 symbols) will return you to sanity.
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