8.67. Kbd-2.8.0

#### Linux From Scratch - Version 12.4

### Chapter 8. Installing Basic System Software

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# 8.67. Kbd-2.8.0

The Kbd package contains key-table files, console fonts, and keyboard utilities.

Approximate build time: 0.1 SBU
Required disk space: 43 MB

## 8.67.1. Installation of Kbd

The behavior of the backspace and delete keys is not consistent across the keymaps in the Kbd package. The following patch fixes this issue for i386 keymaps:

    patch -Np1 -i ../kbd-2.8.0-backspace-1.patch

After patching, the backspace key generates the character with code 127, and the delete key generates a well-known escape sequence.

Remove the redundant resizecons program (it requires the defunct svgalib to provide the video mode files - for normal use setfont sizes the console appropriately) together with its manpage.

    sed -i '/RESIZECONS_PROGS=/s/yes/no/' configure
    sed -i 's/resizecons.8 //' docs/man/man8/Makefile.in

Prepare Kbd for compilation:

    ./configure --prefix=/usr --disable-vlock

The meaning of the configure option:

`--disable-vlock`

  This option prevents the vlock utility from being built because it requires the PAM library, which isn't available in the chroot environment.

Compile the package:

    make

The tests for this package will all fail in the chroot environment because they require valgrind. In addition on a full system with valgrind, several tests still fail in a graphical environment. The tests pass in a non-graphical environment.

Install the package:

    make install

### Note

For some languages (e.g., Belarusian) the Kbd package doesn't provide a useful keymap where the stock “by” keymap assumes the ISO-8859-5 encoding, and the CP1251 keymap is normally used. Users of such languages have to download working keymaps separately.

If desired, install the documentation:

    cp -R -v docs/doc -T /usr/share/doc/kbd-2.8.0

## 8.67.2. Contents of Kbd

Installed programs: chvt, deallocvt, dumpkeys, fgconsole, getkeycodes, kbdinfo, kbd_mode, kbdrate, loadkeys, loadunimap, mapscrn, openvt, psfaddtable (link to psfxtable), psfgettable (link to psfxtable), psfstriptable (link to psfxtable), psfxtable, setfont, setkeycodes, setleds, setmetamode, setvtrgb, showconsolefont, showkey, unicode_start, and unicode_stop
Installed directories: /usr/share/consolefonts, /usr/share/consoletrans, /usr/share/keymaps, /usr/share/doc/kbd-2.8.0, and /usr/share/unimaps

### Short Descriptions

chvt | Changes the foreground virtual terminal
deallocvt | Deallocates unused virtual terminals
dumpkeys | Dumps the keyboard translation tables
fgconsole | Prints the number of the active virtual terminal
getkeycodes | Prints the kernel scancode-to-keycode mapping table
kbdinfo | Obtains information about the status of a console
kbd_mode | Reports or sets the keyboard mode
kbdrate | Sets the keyboard repeat and delay rates
loadkeys | Loads the keyboard translation tables
loadunimap | Loads the kernel unicode-to-font mapping table
mapscrn | An obsolete program that used to load a user-defined output character mapping table into the console driver; this is now done by setfont
openvt | Starts a program on a new virtual terminal (VT)
psfaddtable | Adds a Unicode character table to a console font
psfgettable | Extracts the embedded Unicode character table from a console font
psfstriptable | Removes the embedded Unicode character table from a console font
psfxtable | Handles Unicode character tables for console fonts
setfont | Changes the Enhanced Graphic Adapter (EGA) and Video Graphics Array (VGA) fonts on the console
setkeycodes | Loads kernel scancode-to-keycode mapping table entries; this is useful if there are unusual keys on the keyboard
setleds | Sets the keyboard flags and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
setmetamode | Defines the keyboard meta-key handling
setvtrgb | Sets the console color map in all virtual terminals
showconsolefont | Shows the current EGA/VGA console screen font
showkey | Reports the scancodes, keycodes, and ASCII codes of the keys pressed on the keyboard
unicode_start | Puts the keyboard and console in UNICODE mode [Don't use this program unless your keymap file is in the ISO-8859-1 encoding. For other encodings, this utility produces incorrect results.]
unicode_stop | Reverts keyboard and console from UNICODE mode

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