keyTouch user manual
Second edition, for keyTouch version 1.1
Last updated December 26, 2004
by Marvin Raaijmakers
Click here for this manual in PDF
Table of Contents
1 About keyTouch
2 The user interface
2.1 Key settings
2.2 Keyboard
2.3 Preferences
3 Using keyTouch
3.1 Selecting your keyboard
3.2 Changing the settings of the keys
3.3 Setting your preferences
3.4 Importing special action plugins
3.5 Saving your settings
4 Special action plugins
1 About keyTouch
KeyTouch is a program which allows you to easily configure your extra function keys of your keyboard. This means that you can define, for every individual function key, what to do if it is pressed.
This manual will show you how to use keyTouch.
2 The user interface
KeyTouch has a main window divided into four parts:
- Key settings: Here you can configure the function keys of the keyboard.
- Keyboard: This part shows the currently used keyboard. It also allows to change it.
- Preferences: Because you want full control of what happens when a key is pressed, to work as comfortable as possible, in this part you can set your preferences.
- Help & About: Shows information about keyTouch and from here you can access the documentation.
You can access each part by clicking on its tab.
The main window also has three buttons at the bottom:
- OK: Save the settings and close the program.
- Apply: Save the settings.
- Cancel: Close the program (the settings will not be changed).
2.1 Key settings
The "key settings" part consists of a list of all function keys, of the current keyboard, and a frame (name "Key settings") where a key can be configured. When a key is selected from the list the settings of it will be shown in the "Key settings" frame.
In the frame you can select what to do if the key is pressed:
- Default setting
- Program
- Special action
These three options will be explained later in this manual.
2.2 Keyboard
This part shows the currently used keyboard. You can change the current keyboard by clicking on the "Change..." button.
2.3 Preferences
The preferences part is divided in to three parts:
- Special action plugins: It shows a list of all available special action plugins. You import a new plugin by clicking on the "Import..." button. Download plugins from the keyTouch website by clicking on the "Download..." button.
- User settings: In this part you can set the path of your "Documents directory", the URL of your homepage and the URL of your search page.
- External programs: Here you can set which programs (Internet browser, e-mail program and messenger) you would like to use.
3 Using keyTouch
This chapter describes how to use keyTouch.
3.1 Selecting your keyboard
The first thing you want to do is selecting the keyboard you use. To do this go to the "Keyboard" tab and click the "Change..." button.
Now a window appears. This window contains a list with all available keyboards. Select your keyboard from the list and click the "OK" button.
If your keyboard is not in the list, click on the "Download..." button and download your keyboard from the keyTouch website. Then go back to the "Change keyboard" window and click the "Import..." button. A file select window will appear. Go to the location were you downloaded the keyboard file to and select the file. After this your keyboard will be visible in the list of available keyboards.
When you selected your keyboard, the list of the keys will be reloaded with the keys of your keyboard.
3.2 Changing the settings of the keys
To define what happens if you press a key, you should go to the "Key settings" tab and select the key you want to configure from the list.
There are three options for what happens when the key is pressed:
- Program: A, by yourself assigned, program will be executed.
- Special action: You can select from the "special action" list which "special action" will be executed. (Special actions are plugins. You can import new plugins at the "Preferences" tab.)
- Default setting: This is the default setting of the key, it can either be a program or a special action.
You can select the option you want and fill in the name of the program or select the special action.
3.3 Setting your preferences
Because you want to work as comfortable as possible keyTouch allows you to set your preferences. If you want to do this go to the "Preferences" tab. Here you can set your "Documents" directory, the URL of your home- and search page, internet browser, e-mail program and messenger. These values will be used by special actions. For example: You have key and when it is pressed the special action called "WWW - Home" will be executed. This special action starts the browser with the homepage you filled in. The "Preferences" tab also contains a list of special action plugins. This will be thread in the next paragraph.
3.4 Importing special action plugins
A special action is a plugin which can be executed if a key is pressed. You can import new special action plugins, by going to the "Preferences" tab. Now you can see all currently available plugins installed on your system. To import a new plugin click on the "Import..." button. After doing this the new plugin will appear in the list of plugins and you can select it for configuring a key.
You can download plugins from the keyTouch website: http://keytouch.sf.net . It is recommended that you only use plugins downloaded from the keyTouch website, while it might be possible that a bad person developed it to damage your system.
3.5 Saving your settings
If your want to save the changes you made you can click the "OK" or the "Apply" button on the bottom at the right side of the main window. If you click the "Apply" button only the changes will be saved. If you click the "OK" button the changes will be saved and keyTouch will be closed. You can also discard the changes and close keyTouch by clicking the "Cancel" button.
4 Special action plugins
A special action plugin can be executed when a key is pressed. 14 of these plugins are included with keyTouch. Some plugins require that a program is installed. All plugins are listed below.
| Plugin | Description | Requires |
| Aumix - Mute/Unmute | Mutes or unmutes the volume. | aumix |
| Aumix - Volume decrease | Decreases the volume. | aumix |
| Aumix - Volume increase | Increases the volume. | aumix |
| Runs the e-mail program you defined at the preferences tab. | - | |
| Lock Screen | Locks the screen. | - |
| Messenger | Runs the messenger you defined at the preferences tab. | - |
| My Documents | Opens the "documents directory", you defined at the preferences tab, in a filemanager. | KDE or GNOME |
| WWW - Home | Opens the homepage in the browser, you both defined at the preferences tab. | - |
| WWW - Search | Opens the search page in the browser, you both defined at the preferences tab. | - |
| XMMS | Starts XMMS (X Multimedia System). | XMMS |
| XMMS - Play/Pause | This is equal to pressing the "Play/Pause" button in XMMS. | XMMS |
| XMMS - Stop | This is equal to pressing the "Stop" button in XMMS. | XMMS |
| XMMS - Next | This is equal to pressing the "Next" button in XMMS. | XMMS |
| XMMS - Previous | This is equal to pressing the "Previous" button in XMMS. | XMMS |
As you could read in the previous chapter, you can also download plugins. It's recommended that you only download plugins from the keyTouch website.