[HOWTO] Remap Hardware Buttons

[diabel44]

When you move your software buttons to status bar, there is a problem with apps that cover full screen and don’t have “menu” or “back” button. For example “Gallery”. You have to push longer power buttons and switch to buttons mode to end application or get to menu. I have found this quite irritating so I prefer to have “one click” button to get this working. When you get lcd density to 130, your status bar is very small and is difficult to touch soft buttons.

By editing file /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl you can remap your buttons.
Note that this require permanent root with rw access to system partition.

Ive tested this on Archos 70 rotted with OC kernel http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=897877 it should work with chulri method http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=930197 and UrukDroid http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=895599.
Thx guys for great work
Doesn’t work with Archangel because it needs rw acces to /system/.
Maybe some “magic” can make a script to force android to use keyboard layout from different location (sdcard for example).

Like with all operations on system files, you can broke your system when something goes wrong. Remember, I'm not responsible for anything.

If you use other keyboard than default you probably have to edit another file from /system/usr/keylayout/. I’ve tested this only for standard keyboard.

After made changes to qwerty.kl you have to restart device.
In this example I’ve remapped + button as “Menu” and Volume – as “Back”.
Remember that you will loose ability to control volume with hardware buttons.
To set to default mapping simply copy original file or edit it and restart device.
Before you start, make a backup of original file.
Go to terminal:

su
cp /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl.org

Next, open /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl file with text editor

And find line

key 115 VOLUME_UP
key 114 VOLUME_DOWN
key 116 POWER WAKE


These are our hard buttons.
Change it to

key 115 MENU
key 114 BACK
key 116 POWER WAKE

Restart android and you have Menu under volume+ and back under volume-

To reset to default, simply go to terminal and:

su

cp /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl.org /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl

and reboot.

Of course feel free to experiment to other button mapping. :]

 

[d31b0y]

very nice. Will be trying this out for sure. Was looking for a better way than button Savior / buttons panel.

Will test during my very busy Friday afternoon work day

Can't "thanks" from tapatalk but will be sure to get you later

Sent from my A101IT using Tapatalk

 

[wdl1908]

Nice added to the list of modifications possible with the different root methods here

 

[MASTER MC]

When you move your software buttons to status bar, there is a problem with apps that cover full screen and don’t have “menu” or “back” button. For example “Gallery”. You have to push longer power buttons and switch to buttons mode to end application or get to menu. I have found this quite irritating so I prefer to have “one click” button to get this working. When you get lcd density to 130, your status bar is very small and is difficult to touch soft buttons.

By editing file /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl you can remap your buttons.
Note that this require permanent root with rw access to system partition.

Ive tested this on Archos 70 rotted with OC kernel http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=897877 it should work with chulri method http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=930197 and UrukDroid http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=895599.
Thx guys for great work
Doesn’t work with Archangel because it needs rw acces to /system/.
Maybe some “magic” can make a script to force android to use keyboard layout from different location (sdcard for example).

Like with all operations on system files, you can broke your system when something goes wrong. Remember, I'm not responsible for anything.

If you use other keyboard than default you probably have to edit another file from /system/usr/keylayout/. I’ve tested this only for standard keyboard.

After made changes to qwerty.kl you have to restart device.
In this example I’ve remapped + button as “Menu” and Volume – as “Back”.
Remember that you will loose ability to control volume with hardware buttons.
To set to default mapping simply copy original file or edit it and restart device.
Before you start, make a backup of original file.
Go to terminal:

su
cp /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl.org

Next, open /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl file with text editor

And find line

key 115 VOLUME_UP
key 114 VOLUME_DOWN
key 116 POWER WAKE


These are our hard buttons.
Change it to

key 115 MENU
key 114 BACK
key 116 POWER WAKE

Restart android and you have Menu under volume+ and back under volume-

To reset to default, simply go to terminal and:

su

cp /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl.org /system/usr/keylayout/qwerty.kl

and reboot.

Of course feel free to experiment to other button mapping. :]

I

I have edited .kl file using both ES File Explorer & adb shell , but edited file is restoring to previous on reboot. Is there a way to permanently change the .kl files

 

[MASTER MC]

I have edited .kl file using both ES File Explorer & adb shell , but edited file is restoring to previous on reboot. Is there a way to permanently change the .kl files

I got it. It should be edited and changed to /system using twrp recovery.
I mapped volume button to power. It works correctly only when device is powered on and it doesnot reboot when shutdown. Can u tell me where I should make changes to work to power on the device .