The new Microsoftslop copilot key always sends the following key-sequence when pressed:

copilot key down: left-shift-down left-meta-down f23-down f23-up left-meta-up left-shift-up
copilot key up: <null>

This means there’s no real key-up event when you release the key --> it can’t be used (properly) as a modifier like ctrl or alt.

The workaround is to send a pretend key-up event after a time delay, but then you mustn’t be too slow / fast when pressing a shortcut.

tldr: AI took a perfectly working modifier key from you.

— edit —
Some keyboards apparently do the “right” thing and don’t send the whole sequence at once, you can remap those properly with keyd, see: https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd/issues/1025#issuecomment-2971556563 / https://github.com/rvaiya/keyd/issues/825

copilot key down: left-shift-down left-meta-down f23-down
copilot key up: f23-up left-meta-up left-shift-up

this will still break left-shift + remapped copilot and left-meta + remapped copilot, but RCtrl remaps should work as expected

  • RejZoR@lemmy.mlEnglish
    4·
    7 days ago

    But if you slap Linux on it, it just does nothing then or is it mapped as old AltGr or whatever?

    • ziggurat@lemmy.worldEnglish
      51·
      7 days ago

      Neither, it will be as if you pressed all those keys in the list above, which will most of the time do nothing

  • chraebsli@programming.devEnglish
    0·
    6 days ago

    why even buy that slop of hardware beforehand? if you dont want that feature, you might be happier with another brands laptop

        • UltraBlack@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          4 days ago

          Lenovo has one too…

          Framework is a good call but they are unfortunately still not that established and are generally aimed at people who don’t like copilot anyway

  • p0358@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    0·
    6 days ago

    My laptop had UEFI update that fixed the key-up thing and mentioned it allows holding the key in the changelog. So make sure to check for updates if you care

  • Alaknár@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    33·
    6 days ago

    In Windows:

    PowerToys -> Keyboard Manager -> New Shortcut -> press the Copilot key -> select “Ctrl (right)” from the drop-down. Job done.

    Not sure why is it so hard on Linux that it generates such headlines.

  • Fokeu@lemmy.zipEnglish
    1551·
    8 days ago

    Congrats Microsoft, you managed to enshittify a goddamn keyboard key.

    • Fizz@lemmy.nzEnglish
      92·
      8 days ago

      I reckon the co pilot key is used more than the key it replaced. I dont even know what that key did.

      • Redjard@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        16·
        7 days ago

        On laptops it usually replaces right ctrl, sometimes right alt.
        Both these are needed to make lots of shortcuts viable, or possible at all with one hand.

        right alt is also an importand 3rd shift layer for many languages’ keyboards, hence them replacing right ctr often instead of the less popular alt.

      • definitemaybe@lemmy.caEnglish
        5·
        7 days ago

        The open menu key. It’s the one I remap to Compose (for special characters, like Comp±-- to get —).

    • JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      84·
      8 days ago

      When was the last time you on purpose used the application key on your keyboard to open the right-click context menu so you could navigate it using the arrow keys? Because that is the key it replaced - Microsoft has demanded for the last 32 years that the two spaces between CTRL and ALT on Windows compatible keyboards are used for the Windows key, and the Application Key, so that people using one-button mice (or no mice) can use the Windows GUI.

      • morto@piefed.socialEnglish
        12·
        8 days ago

        Well… I use it. I find it faster to use than the right click gesture in the touchpad and the touchpad’s buttons are awful to press, so I use the keyboard button and navigate with the touchpad

        • RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          3·
          8 days ago

          Is a middle click even an option on a touchpad? I get annoyed that I can’t even right click hold and then left click. Rip fishing minigames on trackpad

          • morto@piefed.socialEnglish
            4·
            8 days ago

            Sorry, I meant right click. By the way, tapping with 3 fingers usually works as a middle click, at least on gnome

      • SqueakyBeaver@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        3·
        8 days ago

        My laptop has a control key there. I know on some larger desktop keyboards there’s the application key, but I’ve not seen one on many keyboards from the last 10 years

      • [object Object]@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        7 days ago

        I’ve used it yesterday. Haven’t been at the desktop today, but will use the key when I get at it.

        Normally it’s mapped to alt in my setup, while alt is remapped to ctrl, but I haven’t gotten around to figuring out how to do that with Cinnamon. Meanwhile, Double Commander allows adding useful actions in the context menu, and Emacs has the commands menu (M-x) mapped to the ‘application’ key.

    • REDACTED@infosec.pubEnglish
      1·
      7 days ago

      You could even argue that bottom row is for command keys, not macro or function keys like F keys or print, pause, etc., but then again Fn key is literally called function

    • attero@discuss.tchncs.deOPEnglish
      18·
      8 days ago

      It’s arguably worse, because Samsung has full control over software, hardware, and firmware of their devices.
      Even if MS would like to fix this mess, they can’t.

      • [object Object]@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        7 days ago

        Theoretically I think they could redefine it as a new distinct key instead of the combo — as is done with the windows and context-menu keys. That would allow it to be remapped properly.

        • Pup Biru@aussie.zoneEnglish
          2·
          7 days ago

          well that’s what they should have done but now what it’s implemented there are a lot more parties that need to come to the table to fix the mess… some hardware might not be able to fix the mess, but i’d be surprised if this shit show were implemented on hardware rather than firmware

          • [object Object]@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            7 days ago

            Eh, MS can just issue new requirements for their compatibility stamp, just like they did in the first place and many times previously. Newly produced laptop and keyboard models would have the fixed behavior, the same way they got the broken behavior.

            • Pup Biru@aussie.zoneEnglish
              1·
              7 days ago

              new ones sure but there are a bunch of these broken machines out there now: far more than there otherwise would be, because microslop forced the upgrade for windows 11

              i guesssss if they do it soon enough the existing models will still be in their support period and they’d kinda be forced to update, assume it’s a software or firmware fix

  • MagicShel@lemmy.zipEnglish
    381·
    8 days ago

    Did Microsoft demand vendors include such a button with those specs? If not, that sounds like a vendor issue, and I’d be looking at other vendors. Either way I’m happy to use keyboards/OSs without that “feature.”

      • brsrklf@jlai.luEnglish
        331·
        8 days ago

        So to be clear, this key sequence is just how windows interpret the key, the hardware is exactly the same and any other OS can still use it as the context menu key?

        Edit : oh, just saw the thing about the linux workaround. So no, they actually fucked it up on hardware level. Wow.

        • HyperfocusSurfer@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          0·
          6 days ago

          *on the firmware level, to be precise: keyboard polling is commonly done by the Embedded Controller, which is flashable (not by users, generally, tho, but during the uefi update, for example). Sometimes there are separate keyboard controllers, but those are not really common.

          So, if vendors want to fix this garbage, they can. Smth tells me, they don’t care, tho

        • attero@discuss.tchncs.deOPEnglish
          38·
          8 days ago

          nope, the hardware / keyboard controller sends a complete key sequence instead of a distinguishable key-up and key-down event. The OS can interpret that sequence as it sees fit, but you loose the physical key-up signal when you release the key with your finger.

          • Corngood@lemmy.mlEnglish
            14·
            8 days ago

            That’s insane. Even if they did this intentionally to be as difficult as possible, they locked themselves out of being able to detect long presses?

            • attero@discuss.tchncs.deOPEnglish
              11·
              8 days ago

              I’ve made an update edit: Some hardware vendors fucked up when to send the key-up-sequence apparently so now every keyboard can behave differently. I don’t know if this makes the situation better or worse.

          • JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            2·
            8 days ago

            Though any competent manufacturer, especially when talking about laptops, would still have the application key under FN (as is shown in that example image), and give the ability for users to select which one is the default function in the BIOS.

      • MagicShel@lemmy.zipEnglish
        51·
        8 days ago

        AI PC / Copilot+ label

        Okay that sounds solvable, at least. I mean, I hate it, but it seems that a person is getting what they pay for here. Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully there will be plenty of non-AI PC / Copilot+ computers and keyboards.