Has anybody tested the new RasPi Keyboard?

Does anybody know if the new Raspberry Pi keyboards are RISC OS compatible?

Particularly do they handle BREAK, CTRL-BREAK and ALT-BREAK?

I have some of those small format keyboards which don’t seem to do this, and I am wondering if replacing with Pi ones would be better.

Alan

Does anybody know if the new Raspberry Pi keyboards are RISC OS compatible?

I bought one roughly 18 months ago, and it looks exactly like the the one currently advertised on the Raspberry Pi website. I’m hoping this is the same one.

Particularly do they handle BREAK, CTRL-BREAK and ALT-BREAK?

The keyboard I’ve got doesn’t, no.

KeyMapper can be used to map another key (e.g. PrtScn) to behave as Break, after which Alt-PrtScn invokes System Monitor and Ctrl-PrtScn will reboot the machine.

Also, bear in mind that the keyboard has a built-in hub, so will trigger the “No keyboard present – autobooting” bug on a Pi 1, Pi 2 or Pi 3.

Also, bear in mind that the keyboard has a built-in hub, so will trigger the “No keyboard present – autobooting” bug on a Pi 1, Pi 2 or Pi 3

… and Pi 4. Lightbulb! Thanks.

I’m curious, why is everyone so fascinated with having a small, cramped keyboard with missing keys when they could use a normal layout keyboard?
OK, I get the “it’s small” bit but most people are running their Pi with a display that’s somewhat wider.
That and a quick look at the Currys web site brings up an Advent keyboard (with ALL the keys) for £5.99.

Easy, Steve.

A little 7 inch screen like the one I bought, a Pi, a largish dual output battery, a small keyboard, an old Kleenex box, and half a roll of gaffer tape…

…instant RISC OS portable for under a hundred quid. ;-)

why is everyone so fascinated with having a small, cramped keyboard

In my case it’s for ease of storage. A compact keyboard – including the Official Raspberry Pi keyboard – fits comfortably inside a well-known box manufacturer’s 4-litre box: this allows me to store the Pi 4, keyboard, mouse, PSU and cables in one box. If I wanted a full-sized keyboard I’d have to use an 18-litre box (with the keyboard stored diagonally) – a decidedly more bulky solution.

Bear in mind that the Pi 4 is still “under test” (my main RISC OS machine is a Pi 3B+ with a full-size keyboard) so the keyboard on the Pi 4 doesn’t get much use at present. If I were planning to write a magnum opus I’d switch to a full-size keyboard.

A little 7 inch screen like the one I bought, a Pi, a largish dual output battery, a small keyboard, an old Kleenex box, and half a roll of gaffer tape…

…instant RISC OS portable for under a hundred quid. ;-)

Is there a construction guide page on your site?

…instant RISC OS portable for under a hundred quid

and

In my case it’s for ease of storage. A compact keyboard – including the Official Raspberry Pi keyboard – fits comfortably inside a well-known box manufacturer’s 4-litre box

Ah, understand now. A generation or so on from my Beagle-xM in a DD3 (IIRC) tape box with drill outs for the various ports.
Keeps the dust off the board and if you’re worried about temperatures a small slim fan will fit.
But then the display and keyboard are extra space…

Has anyone done the wireless keyboard/mouse thing and established which work? For your boxed up packages the lack of cables reduces clutter.

Has anyone done the wireless keyboard/mouse thing and established which work? For your boxed up packages the lack of cables reduces clutter.

I recently purchased a new mouse, wireless and it works out of the box – RISC OS – Logitech M220: No issues so far… :-)

Bear in mind that the Pi 4 is still “under test” (my main RISC OS machine is a Pi 3B+ with a full-size keyboard) so the keyboard on the Pi 4 doesn’t get much use at present. If I were planning to write a magnum opus I’d switch to a full-size keyboard.

Since all my often-needed systems are now HDMI- and USB-based, I returned to the good old “one screen, one keyboard, one mouse” setup with the help of a 4K-capable 16 port KVM switch. Works a treat with three PCs, ARMX6, Titanium, MISTer and a selection of Pis.

Works a treat with three PCs, ARMX6, Titanium, MISTer and a selection of Pis

How do you choose which one to use – toss a coin? ;-)

Works a treat with three PCs, ARMX6, Titanium, MISTer and a selection of Pis

How do you choose which one to use – toss a coin? ;-)

It would need multiple coin tosses, so I have instead a sophisticated random number generator running on an IGEPv5 and a BeagleBoard-xM and a PandaBoard ES, and rolling a dice chooses the machine to supply the result ;-)

Seriously – MISTer is for the Retro Archimedes (and C64 and Amiga and Atari and Amstrad…) experience without having to keep a museum of old machines ready-to-run. The PCs are for browsing and using RPCEmu to develop software. Titanium if I need the speed. ARMX6 if I need some speed and also 4K video. The Pis (especially Pi3 and 4) are mostly for compatibility testing on ARMv8. So every machine has its strengths and uses.

I assume it’s the raspberry-pi-keyboard-and-hub we are talking about?

It’s a laptop keyboard as used my 11.3" ASUS Vivobook, with small unpowered USB hub stuck underneath. It’s ok for very occasional use (such as typing in this reply), but I’d opt for a full size keyboard with full travel keys for any serious use.

Also, bear in mind that the keyboard has a built-in hub, so will trigger the “No keyboard present – autobooting” bug on a Pi 1, Pi 2 or Pi 3

… and Pi 4.

Except it works now with 5.28 and RPi4 and the hub works with all 3 sockets. Shame about the Break key.

I’m curious, why is everyone so fascinated with having a small, cramped keyboard with missing keys when they could use a normal layout keyboard?

Not everyone is, Jessica 8~)

But a great big heat sink is interesting.

I’m curious, why is everyone so fascinated with having a small, cramped keyboard with missing keys when they could use a normal layout keyboard?

That’s exactly what I said, including comma’s, 1 month and 4 days ago.
There’s a really, really, really long delay on the echo round here.

Long enough that only the original writer would notice…I’m in the unhappy position of having, many moons ago on this forum, failed to notice my own words echoing back, and agreeing with the apammer…I think it may have been you, Steve, who drew my attention to the fact.

The solution to not having a BREAK key on a small ‘Apple’ like usb keyboard was to get KeyMapper from here:
http://effarig.co.uk/riscos/

Make a ‘keymapper’ directory, I put it in $.utilities
Unpack the module into that directory and add an obey file (I called it !Run but anything would do):

RMEnsure 0.00 RMLoad <Obey$Dir>.KeyMapper
| Change PrtSc/SysReq To Break for keywords without Break
Keymap 13 15

I then added this obey file to “Run at Startup” list in !Boot → Boot → Run

Use the key codes from here:
https://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/show/Low-Level%20Internal%20Key%20Numbers
not the INKEY numbers which are much easier to find.

Now I have ALT-PrtScr and CTRL-PrtScr instead of ALT & CTRL BREAK.

I’ve just treated myself to a very expensive Logitech keyboard and mouse, got it all working with Linux then switched to RISC OS. After a while I need to Alt+Break a stalled application, and disaster – I realised I didn’t have a break key! Luckily after a bit of googling I found that Break could be done with an Fn+B, so Alt+Break and Ctrl+Break work, but require more fingers.

I’ve just treated myself to a very expensive Logitech keyboard and mouse, got it all working with Linux then switched to RISC OS. After a while I need to Alt+Break a stalled application, and disaster – I realised I didn’t have a break key!

Expensive and switching? K780?

Luckily after a bit of googling I found that Break could be done with an Fn+B, so Alt+Break and Ctrl+Break work, but require more fingers.

Keymapper.

Its the MX Keys and MX Master 3.

Its the MX Keys and MX Master 3.

I’m trying to think of something to express how f’n expensive the two are individually and collectively.

Eeeh, that’s nowt. I remember paying over £100 for a replacement Archimedes keyboard in early 90s.

I’m trying to think of something to express how f’n expensive the two are individually and collectively.

Worth it for something that’s used 16 hours a day while working from home.

The previous keyboard and mouse which I’d borrowed from Louie’s Iyonix Aria Cube 11 years ago, were past their best.