On Sat 12 Sep 2026 at 14:35:33 (+0200), Steinar Bang wrote: > Michel Verdier <[email protected]>: > > You can use xev to check your keyboard. Note that Fn do nothing but > > Fn+key give a keycode different from key alone. > > The F1 to F12 keys don't give a "KeyPress event" in xev.
Acting as hot-keys (usually configured to require holding Fn, though not in your case), they would typically produce a variety of outputs in xev, varying from KeyPress/Release, through Focus*/Notify* etc, to nothing. Nothing is where the action is dealt with entirely by the firmware, with no need to inform the OS. (My keyboard backlight hot-key, Fn-F5, behaves like that.) Again typically, the BIOS /swaps/ whether holding Fn yields F1 … F12 or their hot-key equivalents, but doesn't turn either mode off. (Of course, the OS could ignore F1 … F12 altogether if it so wished.) As for resetting the BIOS to eliminate mobo password(s), the "easiest" way I know of is to completely discharge the mobo power. With a laptop, the "ease" depends on how straightforward it is to remove the battery, and coin cell where fitted. (That could involve finding a competent person to do it for you.)¹ Having done that (with AC power disconnected of course), it remains to discharge the so-called flea-power by holding down the power key for as long as you can. A couple of minutes should suffice, but YMMV. When you reconnect the battery, passwords stored on the mobo should have been reset (along with things like the RTC). ¹ There may be reset pads: jumper pins have disappeared AFAICT as devices get ever thinner. Ditto coin cells. Insert disclaimers re loss of warranties, risk of damage, etc. Cheers, David.
