How do I adjust keyboard repeat rate? [solved]

[KenJackson]

I used to be able to speed up the keyboard with this command.

 

kbdrate -r 30 -d 250

 

It set the keyboard repeat rate to 30 characters per second, and the delay to 250 ms (a quarter second) from when I press a key until it starts repeating. (I have to do it as root due to privilege.)

 

The command reports that it worked, but when I hold down any key, it takes over a second before it starts repeating. That seems like forever when I'm typing fast and I just want the stinking cursor to start moving (e.g. if I'm pressing an arrow key). It makes no difference if I try to set a shorter delay.

 

This worked very well up until 2 or 3 years ago, same hardware. It's been driving me crazy ever since.

 

Does it work for anyone? Is there another way to speed up the keyboard?

Edited June 14, 2008 by KenJackson

[Greg2]

Go to your menu > tools > system tools > control center > peripherals > keyboard > keyboard repeat > and adjust the rate and delay.

[KenJackson]

There isn't any control center menu. The closest I see is Configure Your Computer.

 

That opens an app with various choices including the keyboard, but it only lets me select my keyboard layout and keyboard type.

 

Anyway, I have less confidence in GUI solutions. They generally tend to be pretty interfaces to more simple commands, like kbdrate.

[KenJackson]

I found the answer at man kbd.

 

I added this line to the kbd driver section in /etc/X11/xorg.conf.

 

Option "AutoRepeat" "175 40"

 

Come to think of it, the kbdrate command may have stopped working about the time the switch was made from XFree86 to Xorg. This solution is good, but it would be better if the Xorg drive would listen to the kbdrate command.

[daniewicz]

Thanks for posting your solution KenJackson.

 

The Control Center Greg2 was referring to was the KDE Control Center.

[coverup]

you could also try xset

[AussieJohn]

Hello Ken.

 

How long have you been using Linux or Mandriva ???.

 

I am curious as to how you came up with the view :-

 

"Anyway, I have less confidence in GUI solutions. They generally tend to be pretty interfaces to more simple commands, like kbdrate."

 

Not being critical, just curious.

 

If you had used Greg's suggestion properly you would have had your solution quickly but I suspect you didn't try it because you think cli is better. Control Centre is in the menu as Greg stated (also was pointed out that it is known as KDE Control Centre) and if you had clicked on it you would have found Keyboard under Peripherals. I checked and it is there. I see it everytime I do an install because also there is Mouse and in it I select single click instead of the Windows inspired default double click.

 

I have been using Mandriva for years and only twice had a problem with a gui that I needed to use the cli to recover. It was the results of updates to MCC that proved to have bugs but that was years ago.The other rare times I use cli is when there is no gui to perform something.

 

Cheers. John.