IBM SSK club!

[idollar]

As I understand it, if you press Shift+ScrollLock, the controller switches to the numeric layer and you can input numbers over the virtual numpad on the alpha keys. Is that right?

Lets try it. I type some text without pressing Shift-ScrollLock ....
and n26w a0 typ5ng s60e 06re text w5th the n40ber36c2 pressed.
This text is typed back after releasing the Shift-Scroll-lock

So the answer is yes, you are right

Does this also change the status of NumLock on the PC, i.e. if you plug in a second keyboard with a NumLock LED, does it go on and off when you press Shift&ScrollLock on the SSK? Or is it like an Fn key in that the PC doesn't know anything about its status?

The answer to this question is yes also.
Two facts demonstrate it:
1.- The popup of the windows box stating that the number lock is on
2.- The led in my external controller which lights.

If the latter is right, is there also a way to change the "standard" NumLock status so you can use the virtual numpad in navigation mode?

Yes, there is.

The procedures is the following:

a) Set the mumber lock (Shift-scroll)
b) Press and hold shift

(first the normal press, then the num-lock, then the num-lock+shift)

u = 4 = left
o = 6 = right
8 = 8 = up
k = 2 = down
m = 0 = Ins
/ = . = DEL
7 = 7 = Home
9 = 9 = Pageup
i = 5 =
; = * = n.a.
- = - = n.a.
= = + = n.a.


I hope that this answers all your questions

------

BTW - Officially I am not a member as I have not posted the official picture.

Cheers

[andrewjoy]

i think it is just an FN lock , i cannot test it unfortunately as i have nothing around with a number pad light on it and i don't think mac has num lock anyway

[Muirium]

Macs have no Num Lock, but SSK does numeric entry on Macs just fine anyway! I suspect the embedded navigation controls within the numpad layer are simply ignored on OS X and show up as numbers instead; just like with a fullsize keyboard. The SSK is pretending to be one via its controller after all.

[Halvar]

Thanks a lot! Now I think I understand.

idollar, your post should definitely establish official membership ... Which doesn't mean you shouldn't post pictures ...

Cheers

[idollar]

Halvar, I could test a debian system at home later if you need to complete the W7 and Mac reports ... let me know.

[andrewjoy]

debian ...... ewwwwwwwe

Its fine , i just find apt-get overly complicated and confusing and the way you add repos to it is messed up .

give me pacman any day.

Debian itself its fine its just apt-get that terrible.

[scottc]

Debian is great, apt is great! Arch has been useless since they switched to systemd.

[andrewjoy]

i hated systemd at first . but i like it now.

I do miss the installer however , its a shame that has gone.

main reason i love arch is pacman and the awesome documentation. Other distros should be ashamed of there documentation vs arch.

I want to try a stage 1 gentoo install one day as well just so i can say i have

[Muirium]

Wait, I thought Arch was the flavour of choice on DT?

Something that would be amusing is statistics on who is using what OS / distro. I don't think a poll would be as informative as the server logs!

As for the hardware bit of the user agent string, I'm pretty sure I'm the only PowerPC user around here, even if occasionally. (PowerBook G4 right now.)

[scottc]

i hated systemd at first . but i like it now.

I do miss the installer however , its a shame that has gone.

main reason i love arch is pacman and the awesome documentation. Other distros should be ashamed of there documentation vs arch.

I want to try a stage 1 gentoo install one day as well just so i can say i have

Systemd itself wasn't the problem, it was mostly the attitude of the maintainers from around that time onwards. Things like the perfectly functional installer that were scrapped, constant breaking updates requiring manual intervention, and other pains in the ass at a much higher frequency than before. I'd used Arch for something like 2-3 years before that, and at that point I just gave up and went to Debian.

I agree about the documentation, however. I still sometimes use the ArchWiki for Debian.

You can try Gentoo, but don't say that we didn't warn you...



I did it. Once. On a measly 1.3Ghz Ultra Low Voltage i3. Even used it for a few weeks. Never again.

[Halvar]

Macs have no Num Lock, but SSK does numeric entry on Macs just fine anyway! I suspect the embedded navigation controls within the numpad layer are simply ignored on OS X and show up as numbers instead; just like with a fullsize keyboard. The SSK is pretending to be one via its controller after all.

So I understand this correctly: you cannot use cursor navigation functions on the numpad of a mac full size keyboard anyway, so you also can't use them on the SSK, right?

Halvar, I could test a debian system at home later if you need to complete the W7 and Mac reports ... let me know.

I don't think that's needed. I think I understand what I need to send now. Thanks anyway!

Pressing numpad keys together with Shift to get their navigation functions also works on a standard fullsize keyboard with NumLock on in Windows, so that seems to be something the OS does.

[Muirium]

So I understand this correctly: you cannot use cursor navigation functions on the numpad of a mac full size keyboard anyway, so you also can't use them on the SSK, right?

Bingo. I think there aren't even separate HID codes for numpad Page Up etc., simply the OS interprets the numpad keys as it likes, either respecting Num Lock state or ignoring it entirely like the Mac.

The whole concept of a numpad navigation layer is straight off the original IBM PC keyboard. Apple never needed to backwards support it.

All USB keyboards look like this to OS X:

http://deskthority.net/post209185.html#p209185

Num Lock is a mysterious key, which OS X interprets as "Clear", supposedly a third kind of Delete! Most software chooses to ignore it. Most Macs are hooked up to compact Apple keyboards which omit it anyway.

[Halvar]

Ah, I see. So if you press Shift+ScrollLock on the SSK, do you get "Clear"?

[Muirium]

No. What you get is no keypress, as I remember. Instead, the SSK toggles its internal numpad when you press Shift + Scroll Lock. The SSK's controller handles the numpad state all by itself.

Incidentally, Scroll Lock is also ignored by Macs! We only use Caps Lock. The Scroll Lock key is interpreted as F14 by OS X, like the diagram says.

I'm glad you're asking all this. I think I know what you're up to!

[alinh]

New member of the select SSK club checking in



(former) NIB SSK and NIB 9ft SDL to PS2 cable - both from Cindy

Birth date 01 Oct 1990



Thanks Cindy for the keyboard and cable and thanks Iacoizumi for proxying them

PS: I do have red escape key, but Daniel already took a pic of his SSK with one so...

[seebart]

Ah two new members in one day, welcome alinh! I own one of those 9ft SDL cables also.All keyboard cables should be that long!

[andrewjoy]

I did not know she had long ones ...... i want a long one

[alinh]

I did not know she had long ones ...... i want a long one

She still has a box of them. Drop Cindy a PM

[andrewjoy]

I did not know she had long ones ...... i want a long one

She still has a box of them. Drop Cindy a PM

i know i have one . but mine is standard length

[Muirium]

I have two. One standard. One long. Chicks really dig that surprise I got waiting for them!

[seebart]

I have two. One standard. One long. Chicks really dig that surprise I got waiting for them!

[emoji61] [emoji61] [emoji61] [emoji50]

[Muirium]

Quick. Pants up, it's the cops!

[idollar]

Hi,

I just realised that I have already posted some pictures of the SSK that I used for the test above here:
http://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/shal ... t9598.html

It is a different view ...

DSCF1905.jpg (211.24 KiB) Viewed 7032 times

22nd-July-1987
1391472


BTW: apt-get works perfectly fine for me. Who needs more ?

[alinh]

BTW: apt-get works perfectly fine for me. Who needs more ?

I do. That's why I use aptitude

[idollar]

BTW: apt-get works perfectly fine for me. Who needs more ?

I do. That's why I use aptitude

You are showing a wrong "aptitude"

[alinh]

BTW: apt-get works perfectly fine for me. Who needs more ?

I do. That's why I use aptitude

You are showing a wrong "aptitude"

You might be right : "This aptitude does not have Super Cow Powers."

[Redmaus]

Nothing crazy, but its mine.

IMG_20150102_003701.jpg (473.63 KiB) Viewed 6928 times

Artsy Shot

IMG_20150102_003729.jpg (403.34 KiB) Viewed 6928 times

Sticker

Space Cadaver.jpg (497.15 KiB) Viewed 6928 times

[Redmaus]

Sorry for phone potato pics

[ShivaYash]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp_CbRqjuuM

[LLRnR]

Hey, I can finally join the SSK club now! I received my very first SSK yesterday from Cindy's used SSK batch.

It has a few chips here and there and a few stain marks that just won't go away, but it looks great after cleaning!



It's an old beauty that saw the light of day when I had just mastered walking:

Spoiler:

...and which accumulated dust ever since

Now it's clean and everything works, but it does require a bolt mod.

I've been using my brand new/old SSK for half a day and I realize there can't be any other IBM after the SSK in my life. Well, except for a Model F AT maybe...

I'm currently daydreaming about a couple of sets of blank key caps (a standard pebble/pearl one, as well as a colored one for fun, I think pebble/orange or pebble/green would be awesome). But I need to slow down for a bit, I've been spending way too much on keyboards since I joined DT.