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Idea #5231: Automatically start virtual keyboard or virtual mouse when one is not detected

Written by gQuigs the 20 Mar 08 at 19:11. Category: Accessibility. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
When I start the Ubuntu LiveCD and my keyboard or mouse isn't detected that is very annoying. We cannot expect people to know shortcut keys to start a mouse, or how to turn the on-screen keyboard on.
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Solution #1: "No input" Recovery
Written by gQuigs the 20 Mar 08 at 19:11.
No Keyboard, but mouse: ask if user wants to start on-screen keyboard

No Mouse, but keyboard: ask if user wants to enable mousekeys (numlock keys as mouse), alert user of how to turn on and off


Propose your solution

Attachments
spec Blueprint no-input-recovery: [Information on this blueprint will be retrieved soon]


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Comments
alvevind wrote on the 20 Mar 08 at 19:38
Nice idea.
But not every keyboard has a numpad, so it should be possible to use the arrow keys instead (in conjunction with ctrl or switch or alt).

Eldmannen wrote on the 20 Mar 08 at 20:05
Pretty clever and cool idea.

fragro wrote on the 20 Mar 08 at 21:42
Good idea!

days_of_ruin wrote on the 20 Mar 08 at 22:27
yeah great idea, but like alvevind said
not all keyboards(laptops) have num pads.

dan.fernandez wrote on the 20 Mar 08 at 23:35
Laptops with screen smaller than 15' usually don't have a keypad (too narrow for it to fit). But, they usually allow some kind of Fn key to change a set of normal keys into the keypad section while holded, so it shouldn't be such a problem.

Very nice idea, btw. Modded up!

Starbetrayer wrote on the 21 Mar 08 at 07:05
I approve

natureflow wrote on the 21 Mar 08 at 12:19
great :D

mateusza wrote on the 23 Mar 08 at 12:28
If both are disconnected we can still try make us of:
* power, reset and lid button
* eject button on CD
* joystick
* IrDA remote controller
* bluetooth phone
* microphone
* camera
* accelerometers
* and... thermometers! :-)

mateusza wrote on the 23 Mar 08 at 12:28
*use*

Auzy wrote on the 19 Apr 08 at 03:10
Clearly a good idea..

OSX warns users when it doesn't detect a keyboard. And it will automatically start searching for a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse

davim wrote on the 9 May 08 at 09:47
Cell writer would be a good one for this http://risujin.org/cellwriter/

davim wrote on the 9 May 08 at 09:47
Cell writer would be a good one for this http://risujin.org/cellwriter/

r0g wrote on the 12 Sep 08 at 02:41
No Brainer +1 :)

gQuigs wrote on the 8 Dec 08 at 06:56
I'm working on it :)

RainCT (Ubuntu developer) wrote on the 2 Feb 09 at 22:21
Great idea!

dan.fernandez:
Speaking as someone with an 15.4" laptop (without keypad), please don't. Enabling "Num Lock" makes half of the keyboard useless, so it is not a good solution.

RainCT (Ubuntu developer) wrote on the 3 Feb 09 at 16:16
Erm... I'm speaking nonsense, as laptops have inbuild mouse and keyboard so this doesn't really apply to them :P.


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