Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!sunic!nuug!ifi!obh
From: obh@ifi.uio.no (Ole Bj|rn Hessen)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: Need help for disabled user of X windows
Message-ID: <1990Nov4.230520.25948@ifi.uio.no>
Date: 4 Nov 90 23:05:20 GMT
References: <10358@milton.u.washington.edu>
Sender: obh@ifi.uio.no (Ole Bj|rn Hessen)
Reply-To: obh@ifi.uio.no (Ole Bj|rn Hessen)
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University in Oslo, Norway
Lines: 32


In article <10358@milton.u.washington.edu>, johnston@milton.u.washington.edu (Craig Johnston) writes:
>   I am working in a computer lab with a bunch of HP workstations.  We are
> currently using Release 3 of X windows on these systems, and need some help
> solving a problem.
> 
>   One of the users can only hit one key at a time.

I don't think you can solve this problem without special hardware
or patches to the X11 server.

One of our users had the same problem. I solved it by patching
the (R3/R4) X11 server. It works by letting the modifier keys
work on the next real key or button, that way your user may be
able to push ctrl-shift-meta-alt & left mouse button with one finger.

[I asked somebody at MIT if they wanted these patches, but they 
weren't particular interested.]

If you're interested, I can send you these patches. Though I don't
know whether you can use the MIT R3/R4 X11 server on the HP.

Before I patched X11, the user used a small program, called 'hsh',
that sits between the user and the shell and interprets some characters
as 'shift' and 'ctrl'. ie. he could type /c if he wanted to push ^C. 
This program works on BSD systems like sun.

I don't read this newsgroup any more, please send me a letter if you 
want me something.

Ole Bjorn.
University of Oslo, obh@uio.no