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[Tommy Vestermark <tommy.vestermark@xxxxxxxxx>]

The fix introduced for this bug seems to include several regressions for
a lot of people. See Bug #201711, Bug #201887 and Bug #214786.

Generally it seems like a wrong solution to make all this peculiar
keyboard mapping in kernel space and introduce kernel module parameters
(pb_fnmode) for user customization. This Apple specific keyboard
handling fills a significant portion of the HID module and even includes
locale specific mapping! We already have keyboard layout handling
several places in user space and also have the Keyboard Shortcut
application to make special shortcuts for media keys. It seems more
logical that the fn key should be treated as just another modifier key
for general use. It might even make it possible to map it as an insert
key which is missing from the keyboard and would normally be in its
place.

Why is all this done in kernel space?

-- 
macbook3,1 and apple aluminum keyboards fn key does not work
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/162083
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Status in Mactel Support: Fix Released
Status in Source Package "linux" in Ubuntu: Fix Released
Status in Source Package "linux-source-2.6.22" in Ubuntu: Won't Fix

Bug description:
Binary package hint: linux-image-2.6-amd64-generic

fn key is required on apple keyboards to do common functions (delete, pageup/down, home/end, volume, etc). The apple aluminum keyboard and new macbook3,1 ("Santa Rosa") are both affected.

Attached is a patch from the mactel-linux-devel list by Martin Szulecki <mactel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> that adds the aluminum keyboard. I have modified the patch to include the macbok3,1 keyboard as well as additional keycodes that were present on "powerbook" keyboards (delete, pgup/down, home/end).

This patch has been tested on a macbook 3,1 by myself on an amd64 kernel.