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GNOME 2.0 Desktop for the Solaris Operating Environment Accessibility Guide

Configuring the Keyboard

Use the Keyboard Accessibility preference tool, also known as AccessX, to configure the keyboard accessibility options. To start AccessX, choose Applications -> Desktop Preferences -> Accessibility -> Keyboard.

The AccessX dialog enables you to customize your keyboard in the following ways:

Before You Can Use AccessX

Before you can use the AccessX preference tool, you must enable XKB on your Solaris system.

Note –

XKB is not currently supported on Sun Ray™ systems.

To enable XKB on a non-Sun Ray system, perform the following steps:

  1. Log in as root.

  2. Check if the path and file /etc/dt/config/Xservers exists on your system.

  3. If the /etc/dt/config directory does not exist, enter the following command:


    mkdir -p /etc/dt/config

  4. If the Xservers file is not present, enter the following command:


    cp /usr/dt/config/Xservers /etc/dt/config/Xservers

  5. Open the Xservers file in a text editor and scroll to the end of the file.

  6. Append the following to the command line at the end of the file:


    +kb

  7. Save and close the file.

  8. Enter the following command at a command line:


    pkill -HUP dtlogin

  9. Log out of your GNOME session and log in again.

  10. To verify if XKB is running, enter xdpyinfo and search for XKEYBOARD in the extensions list.

To Activate the Keyboard Accessibility Options

To activate the keyboard accessibility options, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the Enable keyboard accessibility option.

  2. Select the Beep when enabling/disabling keyboard accessibility features option to receive an audible notification each time a user enables or disables a keyboard accessibility option using the following keyboard shortcuts:

    • Press-and-hold Shift for eight seconds to enable or disable the slow keys feature.

    • Press Shift five times to enable or disable the sticky keys feature.

  3. To automatically disable the keyboard accessibility options if the options are not used for a specified number of seconds, select the Disable if unused for X seconds option. Use the slider to specify the number of seconds of keyboard idle time required before the system disables the keyboard accessibility options.

    This option is intended for computers that are shared by a number of different users, some of whom require the keyboard accessibility options.

To Enable the Keyboard to Emulate the Mouse

The mouse keys feature enables you to use the numeric keypad on the keyboard to emulate mouse actions. This feature benefits users who have difficulty using a mouse or other pointing device. To enable and configure the mouse keys feature, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the Enable Mouse Keys option.

  2. Configure the following options to determine the behavior of the mouse pointer when you control the pointer from the numeric keypad:

    Maximum pointer speed

    Use this spin box to specify the maximum speed, in pixels per second, at which the pointer moves around the screen.

    Time to accelerate to max speed

    Use this spin box to specify the duration, in milliseconds, before the pointer accelerates to the maximum pointer speed.

    Start moving this long after keypress

    Use this spin box to specify the interval, in milliseconds, between a keypress and the time when the pointer starts to move.

When you enable mouse keys, the keys on the numeric keypad have the following functions:

Table 2–1 Numeric Keypad to Mouse Functions Mapping

Numeric Keypad Keys 

Function 

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 

Move the mouse pointer around the screen 

5 

Mouse button click 

0 

Mouse button double-click 

. 

Mouse button press 

/ 

Mouse button 1 

* 

Mouse button 2 

- 

Mouse button 3 

Some systems also use the function keys to emulate the mouse buttons. The common function key to mouse button mappings are described in the following table.

Table 2–2 Function Keys to Mouse Functions Mapping

Function Key 

Function 

F2 

Mouse button 1 

F3 

Mouse button 2 

F4 

Mouse button 3 

To Enable the Slow Keys Feature

The slow keys feature enables you to customize how the keyboard handles user input in the following ways:

To enable and configure the slow keys feature, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the Enable Slow Keys option.

    Tip –

    To select or deselect this feature from the keyboard, press-and-hold Shift for eight seconds. This keyboard shortcut automatically selects all of the slow keys options. If you selected the Beep when enabling/disabling keyboard accessibility features option, after four seconds the system beeps three times to indicate that the system is about to select or deselect the feature. If you enable this feature from the keyboard, you must press-and-hold Shift for eight seconds again to disable the feature.

  2. Use the Only accept keypress after x msecs slider or spin box to specify the duration, in milliseconds, for which you must press and hold a key before the system accepts the keypress. Use the Testing Area to test the slow keys setting and modify the setting as required.

  3. To enable audible indications of keyboard input and acceptance, select the following options:

    Beep when key is pressed

    Select this option to hear a beep when you press a key.

    Beep when key is accepted

    Select this option to hear a beep when the system accepts a keypress.

    Beep when key is rejected

    Select this option to hear a beep when the system rejects a keypress. The system rejects a keypress if you do not press-and-hold the key for the duration that is specified in the Only accept keypress after x msecs setting.

To Enable the Bounce Keys Feature

The bounce keys feature enables you to customize the keyboard to ignore rapid, repeated keypresses of the same key. For example, users with impaired motor skills might press the same key several times when they intend to press the key once. This feature enables you to customize the keyboard to ignore repeated keypresses.

To enable and configure the bounce keys feature, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the Enable Bounce Keys option.

  2. Use the Ignore keypresses within x msecs slider or spin box to specify the duration after the first keypress for which the system ignores repeated keypresses of the same key. For example, if you select a duration of 500 msecs, the system ignores all repeated keypresses of the same key that occur within 500 msecs of the first keypress.

  3. Select the Beep when key is rejected option to hear an audible indication when the system ignores a key.

Note –

If you wish to enable the bounce keys feature, please ensure that the Enable Slow Keys option is deselected. The slow keys feature requires you to press a key for a specified duration before the system accepts the keypress as a valid keypress. If you cannot press the key for the duration that is specified by the slow keys setting, the system does not accept your input unless you deselect the Enable Slow Keys option.

To Enable the Sticky Keys Feature

The sticky keys feature enables you to press the keys in a key combination in sequence rather than simultaneously. This feature is designed for users who are unable to press two or more keys simultaneously.

To enable and configure the sticky keys feature, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the Enable Sticky Keys option.

    Tip –

    To enable the sticky keys feature from the keyboard, press Shift five times. This keyboard shortcut automatically selects all of the sticky keys options. If you selected the Beep when enabling/disabling keyboard accessibility features option, the system beeps to indicate that the system is about to select or deselect the feature. If you enable this feature from the keyboard, press Shift five times again to disable the feature.

  2. Select the Beep when modifier is pressed option to receive an audible indication each time you press a modifier key. This option is useful to remind you whether a modifier key is active or inactive.

  3. To automatically disable the sticky keys feature when a user presses two keys simultaneously, select the Turn off Sticky Keys when two keys pressed simultaneously option.

You can use the sticky keys feature in latch or lock mode. The following table describes how to choose a mode and the difference between the two modes.

Table 2–3 Sticky Keys Latch or Lock Mode

To use the sticky keys feature in... 

Press the modifier key... 

The modifier key stays active until... 

Latch mode 

Once. 

You press a non-modifier key. 

Lock mode 

Twice in quick succession. 

You press the modifier key again. 

For example, if you want to press Alt + F1, you should do the following:

  1. Press Alt to latch the modifier key. The Alt key remains active.

  2. Press F1. The key combination is now complete. After you press F1, the Alt modifier key is no longer active.

As another example, if you want to press Ctrl + Alt + Tab, you should do the following.

  1. Press Ctrl twice to lock the modifier key. The Ctrl remains active.

  2. Press Alt.

  3. Press Tab. The key combination is now complete.

  4. To unlock the modifier key, press Ctrl again.

To Enable Audible Notifications for Toggle Keys

A toggle key is any key on the keyboard that can switch between two states. The Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock keys are toggle keys. Most toggle keys have an associated light emitting diode (LED) on the keyboard that lights when the toggle key is active. To assist users with visual impairments, you can customize the keyboard to emit an audible notification when a user presses a toggle key. For example, when you press Num Lock, you can determine whether the key is toggled or not toggled by the sound.

To enable accessible toggle keys, select the Enable Toggle Keys option. When you activate the Num Lock, Caps Lock, or Scroll Lock keys, the system beeps once. When you deactivate a toggle key, the system beeps twice.

To Enable the Repeat Keys Feature

The repeat keys feature enables you to repeat a keystroke multiple times without pressing the key more than once. This feature is designed for users who cannot release keys quickly, for example users who operate a mouth stick. When you enable repeat keys, you can specify the duration for which you must press a key before the key starts to repeat.

To enable and configure the repeat keys feature, perform the following steps:

  1. Click on the Repeat Key Preferences button. The Keyboard Preferences dialog is displayed.

  2. Select the Keyboard repeats when key is held down option to enable the repeat keys feature.

  3. Use the Delay slider to specify the duration for which you must press a key before the keyboard interprets the action as a repeat key. If you have difficulty releasing keys, select a long time delay.

  4. Use the Speed slider to specify the speed at which the keyboard repeats the keypress as input.