bindcode --release does not work (but bindsym --release does)

[herrsimon]

Hello,

I'm trying to show an xclock window only while a key is pressed, as is the case for i3bar in hide mode. Technically, this would be possible if i3 allowed assigning different commands when pressing and releasing the same key, i.e. one could then write

keysym [KEY] [COMMAND1]
keysym --release [KEY] [COMMAND2]

As far as I understand, the current behaviour is to only use the keybinding which appears last in the configuration file.

Does anything speak against allowing such a double-binding on press and release for both the keysym and keycode statement? Maybe, to avoid confusion, one could also implement some new option like

keysym --pressrelease [KEY] [COMMAND1] [COMMAND2]

Best,

Simon

[Airblader]

Allowing this makes sense to me. I think we should avoid a new flag for this. Using --release is the right way.

[nmschulte]

As I understand, this (--release bindings being distinct from non---release bindings) works as one expects:

bindsym $mod+b exec notify-send "$mod+b"
bindsym --release $mod+b exec notify-send "$mod+b --release"

-- I played with this for #2442

[herrsimon]

@nmschulte Thanks for looking at this. Your example works perfectly here, however, what I'm trying to do (and didn't mention as I didn't know that it apparently makes a difference) is binding two different commands to the $mod key. I'm trying to achieve this via keycodes, i.e. for me the relevant configuration would read ($mod is caps lock with keycode 66 , the behaviour is reproduceable when $mod is the windows or alt key):

bindcode 66 exec notify-send "press"
bindcode --release 66 exec notify-send "release".

The "press" notification is shown but the "release"-command isn't executed.

[nmschulte]

This must be a difference between bindsym and bindcode, I imagine. See update below.

This works for me and seems like it'll suffice for you:

bindsym $mod+Caps_Lock exec notify-send "press"
bindsym --release $mod+Caps_Lock exec notify-send "release"

---

$mod is caps lock with keycode 66

Keycode 66 is Caps_Lock. Using it with bindcode and bindcode --release gives the expected behavior for me: pressing Caps_Lock is caught by the regular bindcode and releasing is caught by the bindcode --release statement.

[Airblader]

I'm changing this to a bug issue since apparently it should work already… :-)

[stapelberg]

I can reproduce this with 4.13-197-ge6682f86: bindsym’s --release option works as @nmschulte explained, but for bindcode, it doesn’t work.

[ghost]

What's the state of this issue? I'm still experiencing it in v4.14.1. However, for me, neither bindsym nor bindcode (+ --release) flag works. Trying to have Mod4 (which is Super_L) to execute a command on keypress and another on key release but nothing works so far; only the first command of the two works. For example:

# Both bindsym and bindcode didn't work.

bindsym Super_L exec <a command>      # This one works.
bindsym --release Super_L exec <a command>      # But not this one.

[Airblader]

What's the state of this issue?

[nmschulte]

The following works for me w/ Debian Sid packaged i3.

nmschulte@desmas-l:~$ i3 -v && aptitude show i3 | grep Version
i3 version 4.14.1 (2017-09-24) © 2009 Michael Stapelberg and contributors
Version: 4.14.1-1

bindcode 66 exec notify-send "bc $mod"
bindcode --release 66 exec notify-send "bc $mod --release"

---

bindsym --release Super_L exec <a command> # But not this one. also does not work as expected for me. Using xev, Super_L key events do not appear either.

Swapping the order of the bindsym/.. --release for Super_L is funky too. With --release before, neither of the two commands seem to work. With --release after, only the "press" command works.

bindsym --release Super_L exec notify-send "<a command> release"
bindsym Super_L exec notify-send "<a command> press"

[ghost]

@Airblader Lol fair enough xD
It's just that this issue has been bugging me lately, so I just want to know if anyone has been working on/has figured out any temporary solution to this.
Anyway, sorry if I asked such a retarded question...

@nmschulte Just tried and unfortunately, it does not work for me. My code:

# 133 is the code for Super_L, which is Mod4
bindcode 133 exec notify-send "normal"      # This works
bindcode --release 133 exec notify-send "release"      # This doesn't

Edit: Should have mentioned: Mod4 is also my $mod key. If I use bindcode on other keys (such as bindcode 66 as mentioned before), it works as expected. But for my $mod key (Super_L) and also Alt_L, it doesn't work.

[klemens]

Using Super_L as modifier and single key works fine for me with 4.14.1 using a combination of bindcode and bindsym, see #3024 for details.

[ghost]

@klemens Unfortunately it didn't work for me. I've tried all combinations, including bindsym + bindcode, with different commands but no luck :(

My code:

bindsym Super_L exec notify-send "hello"      # This one works
bindcode --release 133 exec notify-send "hi"      # But this one doesn't

If I comment out one of the lines, the other one will work.

[sinh3ck]

@klemens Your workaround seems to almost solve the problem. I say almost because for me, floating_modifier Mod4 stops working.