Comment by pixl97

5 days ago

I think it's more of the buttons perform specialized tricks to launch bloatware in Windows.

Some of the issue here is the keys themselves have almost no standardization, even across models. Hell, possibly in the same model sometimes. Some backend windows driver captures these signals via a 50 mile long series of if statements that make grown men weep when viewed. This later can mean your totally working fix for the kernel doesn't actually work on a 1/3rd of that fleet of laptops.

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pixl97

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leakycap  5 days ago

> I think it's more of the buttons perform specialized tricks to launch bloatware in Windows.

The linked article is discussing play/pause buttons as well as a "mode-switch" button that allows the play/pause button to have a second function. I do not understand how any of these regular functions become bloatware in your estimation.

> Some of the issue here is the keys themselves have almost no standardization, even across models.

There is actually widespread standardization, which is why many important keys work by default. Laptops sometimes have buttons to disable the internal wifi or adjust the keyboard brightness. These keys are less universal, but still hard to categorize as bloatware.

> ome backend windows driver captures these signals via a 50 mile long series of if statements that make grown men weep when viewed.

I don't know any grown men who would weep when viewing this. I'm confused that you do not like a simple solution (if statements, which a computer has zero problems following precisely even if it is complex to you) nor the complex solution ("bloatware")

> This later can mean your totally working fix for the kernel doesn't actually work on a 1/3rd of that fleet of laptops.

Most devices used in fleets are well-supported in linux after a few years, specifically because of users like the linked article who spend time making buttons worked when pressed.