[RFC] Remapping volume buttons

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The volume buttons can be remapped to other buttons by editing the file /system/usr/keylayout/sec_key.kl. The problem is changing this file requires a reboot to take affect.

I wrote a daemon to allow on the fly remapping. It works by using uinput subsystem to create a virtual keyboard, listening to the real keyboard /dev/input/event1, and sending the mapped keys to the virutal keyboard whenever a key is pressed.

In order to use it, you need to edit the file /system/usr/keylayout/sec_key.kl, removing (or commenting out with #) the first two lines, and reboot. After this step, the volume buttons are ignored. Now run the daemon (as root). The default configuration is to send SPACE/SHIFT+SPACE for VOL-/+ to firefox and the default browser, down/up arrow to tapatalk, and VOL-/+ to everything else.

The daemon opens a named pipe on /app-cache/.uinput-virtual-keyboard-fifo and can be configured using this pipe.

For example, the command
echo profile com.sec.android.app.ve 231 44
Will map the keys in the video editor to CALL (open phone) and Z.

The daemon is at http://my.svgalib.org/android/pgdn

Source at http://my.svgalib.org/android/pgdn.c

Comments are welcome.

You, dear sir, are a genious.

Really appreciate your effort. Works like a charm.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

Can you provide for a key remap for the stock camera application? Volume up capture picture, volume down focus mode?
Thank you!

Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

The file with the meaning of the keys is /system/usr/keylayout/Vendor_04E8_Product_7021.kl according to it FOCUS is 211 and CAMERA is 212. Unfortunately, FOCUS appears to do nothing, so if you run the command

echo profile com.sec.android.app.camera 211 212 > /app-cache/.uinput-virtual-keyboard-fifo

The VOL+ button will take a picture, but the VOL- button does nothing.

(There is currently no configuration file, so this command needs to run everytime the daemon is started).

Originally Posted by MatanZ

The volume buttons can be remapped to other buttons by editing the file /system/usr/keylayout/sec_key.kl. The problem is changing this file requires a reboot to take affect.

I wrote a daemon to allow on the fly remapping. It works by using uinput subsystem to create a virtual keyboard, listening to the real keyboard /dev/input/event1, and sending the mapped keys to the virutal keyboard whenever a key is pressed.

In order to use it, you need to edit the file /system/usr/keylayout/sec_key.kl, removing (or commenting out with #) the first two lines, and reboot. After this step, the volume buttons are ignored. Now run the daemon (as root). The default configuration is to send SPACE/SHIFT+SPACE for VOL-/+ to firefox and the default browser, down/up arrow to tapatalk, and VOL-/+ to everything else.

The daemon opens a named pipe on /app-cache/.uinput-virtual-keyboard-fifo and can be configured using this pipe.

For example, the command
echo profile com.sec.android.app.ve 231 44
Will map the keys in the video editor to CALL (open phone) and Z.

The daemon is at http://my.svgalib.org/android/pgdn

Source at http://my.svgalib.org/android/pgdn.c

Comments are welcome.

Thanks for the information !..great work. Can you provide how to remap the power button for taking pictures with the camera (sorely missed especially for this device due to its size; touchscreen very awkward esp. for 1-handed shots and have been asking a lot for this even tried to do this myself based on SGS2 hacked camera but got nowhere)

Thanks !

You can try with this (untested) daemon which allows for mapping all four hardware buttons:

http://my.svgalib.org/android/pgdn4

You need to disable the buttons by also removing the 102 and 116 lines from the file /system/usr/keylayout/sec_key.kl and rebooting. By default home and power map to home and power on all applications except for camera, where power, vol+ and vol- map to camera button (take a picture).

I've tried to map the volume buttons 4cm down on the left side.
Wont work. Then i tried for another 2 hours to map them to the right side of my note. (under the on/off button).
Didn't work too...
What am i doing wrong? Do i need a screwdriver to execute the script and the buttons?
:P

What i have done as a temporary measure is edit the
/system/usr/keylayout/sec_key.kl

so that i can use volume down button to start camera as well as take pics

Could someone explain in more detail how to run a daemon? Thanks.

[Edit] Solved. I used Script manager to run it as "is executable" as root and at boot up. But I have to copy it to the internal memory to run it, otherwise, "permission denied".

Thanks. really like it but few issues noted

1. For the camera mod as suggested in post 6 - The home button does not work after the daemon is run. Long press works however.

2. The daemon needs to be in internal memory for it to work with script manager. If in sd card it shows permission denied.
Also since its in internal memory, it gets deleted every time at boot and hence have to copy it there every time after boot.

Is there any other app to run the daemon from sdcard ?


Thanks