Lofree 84 keyboard Print Screen

[mikeproctor]

I just got an Lofree84 keyboard (switched from an apple magic keyboard) the "Pts" button, which I assume is print screen, doesn't seem to work. When I hit it the current windows moves over like 2 work spaces??

[Williawar]

Hi, I'm also using Lofree84 Flow (but might not exactly be your model) and I had to first toggle between PC and Mac mode to get some shortcuts working.

On mine its Fn+N and Fn+M to switch modes.

[alex5207]

Wish I'd seen this earlier 😄 Worked like a charm

[mikeproctor]

I spent about an hour researching how I was going to setup key remapping and make it stick before Williawar saved me.

[perfektnacht]

Genius!

[lhargil]

Sir, thank you!

[mikeproctor]

That was it! I'm too stupid to read the manual... I got the Lofree 84 lite and am enjoying it.

[ChrisDrit]

That saved me! Thanks for asking, and answering this one!

[joewinke]

hmm this fixed my printscreen button but then swapped my option/win and command/alt buttons. Anyone experience this? @ChrisDrit @mikeproctor @perfektnacht @alex5207 @Williawar

[perfektnacht]

Check man xkeyboard-config
to see options to change your keyboard inputs. You could leave it on the mode where print screen works and remap the other keys to your liking in input.conf under kb_options. The keyboard in Mac mode makes print screen a macro and I never found a way to make it work. If you prefer Mac mode then you can remap bindings for screen shots to a different series of keystrokes.

[guidomb]

I have encountered the same issue but fn+M did not fix for me. I ended up doing some key remapping, here is the report that claude generated with more details about the issue and the solution. Is this a problem with Flow84 keyboards and Omarchy or is it an Omarchy specific issue?

Lofree Flow84 Keyboard Issues on Linux

Overview

The Lofree Flow84 keyboard has several firmware-level issues when used on Linux that cause incorrect key mappings. This document details the problems discovered and the solutions implemented.

Hardware Information

• Keyboard: Lofree Flow84 (Compx Flow84@Lofree)
• USB Vendor ID: 05ac (Apple - used by Lofree)
• USB Product ID: 024f
• Device Path: /dev/input/event5
• Connection: USB cable

Issues Discovered

1. Number "3" Key Triggers Screenshot Mode ✅ FIXED

Problem:

• Pressing the physical "3" key would trigger the screenshot tool instead of typing "3"
• This made it impossible to type the number 3

Root Cause:

• The keyboard firmware sends USB HID scancode 0x70020 (which is correct for "3")
• However, Linux was interpreting this as Print Screen (KEY_SYSRQ)
• The keyboard is using Apple vendor ID and being processed by the hid_apple kernel module

Solution:
Created a udev hwdb rule to remap the scancode back to "3":

# File: /etc/udev/hwdb.d/60-lofree-flow84-fix.hwdb
evdev:input:b0003v05ACp024F*
 KEYBOARD_KEY_70020=3              # Physical "3" sends 0x70020, map back to "3"
 KEYBOARD_KEY_70046=sysrq          # Physical "PrtSc" sends 0x70046, map to Print Screen

Applied with:

sudo cp ~/60-lofree-flow84-fix.hwdb /etc/udev/hwdb.d/
sudo systemd-hwdb update
sudo udevadm trigger
# Then unplug/replug keyboard

Status: ✅ FIXED - The "3" key now types "3" correctly

---

2. PrtSc Key Moves Windows to Workspace 3 ⚠️ WORKAROUND

Problem:

• Pressing the PrtSc (Print Screen) key moves the active window to workspace 3
• This happens because Hyprland has Super+Shift+3 bound to "Move window to workspace 3"

Root Cause:

• The keyboard firmware sends a key combination when PrtSc is pressed: Super+Shift+3
• Scancodes captured:
  • 0x700e1 → Left Shift (KEY_LEFTSHIFT)
  • 0x700e3 → Left Super/Meta (KEY_LEFTMETA)
  • 0x70020 → "3" (KEY_3)
• This is a firmware-level issue, likely because the keyboard is in Windows/PC mode instead of Mac/iOS mode

Attempted Solutions:

1. Fn+M keyboard mode switch - Did not work (no visible effect)
2. Lofree Key Mapper web tool (https://www.lofree.tech/home) - Failed with WebHID permission errors in browser
3. hwdb remapping - Cannot block modifier keys at this level

Current Workaround:
Added Super+Shift+P as an alternative screenshot shortcut in Hyprland:

# File: ~/.config/hypr/bindings.conf (line 29)
bindd = SUPER SHIFT, P, Screenshot, exec, omarchy-cmd-screenshot

Status: ⚠️ WORKAROUND APPLIED - Use Super+Shift+P for screenshots

• Super+Shift+3 still works for moving windows to workspace 3 (functionality preserved)
• Physical PrtSc key still sends Super+Shift+3 (unfixed)

Potential Future Solutions:

1. Successfully switch keyboard to Mac/iOS mode (Fn+M - needs investigation)
2. Use a key remapping tool like keyd or evremap to intercept the specific key combination
3. Reprogram keyboard firmware using Lofree software on Windows
4. Check if there's a physical Windows/Mac mode switch on the keyboard

---

3. PgUp/PgDown Behave Like Arrow Keys ❓ NEEDS INVESTIGATION

Problem:

• In Ghostty terminal and browser, PgUp/PgDown scroll by single lines instead of full pages
• Behavior is like pressing Arrow Up/Arrow Down

Investigation:

• Kernel-level scancodes are correct:
  • PgUp sends 0x7004b → KEY_PAGEUP (0x68) ✓
  • PgDown sends 0x7004e → KEY_PAGEDOWN (0x6d) ✓
• The keyboard hardware is sending the correct USB HID codes
• Added hwdb mappings just in case:

  KEYBOARD_KEY_7004b=pageup
  KEYBOARD_KEY_7004e=pagedown
  

Likely Cause:

• This is a terminal emulator configuration issue, not a keyboard mapping issue
• Ghostty may need proper terminfo configuration or key binding settings
• Browser behavior suggests it might be a Wayland/input method issue

Status: ❓ NEEDS INVESTIGATION - Works correctly at kernel level, might be application-specific

---

System Configuration

hid_apple Module Settings

The hid_apple kernel module is already configured correctly:

# File: /etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf
options hid_apple fnmode=2

Current parameter values:

fnmode: 2           # Function keys primary, media keys require Fn
iso_layout: -1      # Auto-detect
swap_ctrl_cmd: 0    # Don't swap
swap_fn_leftctrl: 0 # Don't swap
swap_opt_cmd: 0     # Don't swap

Hyprland Bindings

Modified bindings in ~/.config/hypr/bindings.conf:

• Added: SUPER SHIFT, P → Screenshot (workaround for PrtSc)
• Preserved: SUPER SHIFT, 3 → Move window to workspace 3

Files Created/Modified

1. hwdb rule: /etc/udev/hwdb.d/60-lofree-flow84-fix.hwdb
2. Hyprland config: ~/.config/hypr/bindings.conf (line 29)
3. Debug scripts:
   • ~/test-lofree-keys.sh
   • ~/debug-keyboard.sh
   • ~/60-lofree-flow84-fix.hwdb (source file)

---

Technical Deep Dive

USB HID Scancode Analysis

Using hexdump -C /dev/input/event5, we captured the actual scancodes:

"3" Key Press:

04 00 04 00 20 00 07 00  → Scancode 0x70020 (USB HID: "3" key)
01 00 63 00 01 00 00 00  → Before fix: Keycode 0x63 (KEY_SYSRQ/Print Screen)
                         → After fix: Keycode 0x04 (KEY_3)

PrtSc Key Press:

04 00 04 00 e1 00 07 00  → Scancode 0x700e1 (Left Shift)
01 00 2a 00 01 00 00 00  → Keycode 0x2a (KEY_LEFTSHIFT)

04 00 04 00 e3 00 07 00  → Scancode 0x700e3 (Left Super)
01 00 7d 00 01 00 00 00  → Keycode 0x7d (KEY_LEFTMETA)

04 00 04 00 20 00 07 00  → Scancode 0x70020 ("3")
01 00 04 00 01 00 00 00  → Keycode 0x04 (KEY_3)

This confirms the PrtSc key sends Super+Shift+3 at the firmware level.

How hwdb Remapping Works

The Linux input subsystem translates hardware scancodes to kernel keycodes using hwdb rules:

1. Hardware sends USB HID scancode (e.g., 0x70020)
2. Kernel looks up hwdb rules matching the device
3. udev applies the mapping to convert scancode → keycode
4. Applications (like Hyprland) receive the keycode

Our hwdb rule matches:

• evdev:input:b0003 (USB bus)
• v05AC (Vendor ID: Apple)
• p024F (Product ID: Flow84)

---

Known Omarchy GitHub Issues

Flow84-Specific Issue

• Discussion #1267: Lofree 84 keyboard Print Screen
  • Reports the exact same Print Screen button issue we encountered
  • User mentions toggling between PC and Mac mode using Fn+N and Fn+M
  • Note: Fn+M did not work for us (no visible effect when pressed)
  • Note: Lofree Key Mapper web tool (https://www.lofree.tech/home) also failed with WebHID permission errors

Other Related Keyboard Issues in Omarchy

These issues show keyboard mapping problems affect various hardware in Omarchy:

• Issue #1715: Missing keyboard mapping for @ and ~ on German MacBook Air
• Issue #1736: Keyboard with altgr dead keys not properly set
• Issue #1154: Keyboard shortcuts not work after upgrade to Omarchy 2.0
• Issue #2545: Caps Lock not working on Omarchy 3.1
• Issue #2837: Touch Bar Function Key Mode Not Working on MacBookPro16,1
• PR #2331: Keyboard brightness multimedia keys support

---

References

Documentation

• Lofree Flow Fn Keys Fix Repository
• USB HID Keyboard Scan Codes
• USB HID Usage Tables

Tools Used

• udevadm - Device management and debugging
• hexdump - Raw input event capture
• hyprctl - Hyprland configuration
• systemd-hwdb - Hardware database management

---

Quick Reference

Check if hwdb rules are applied

udevadm info /dev/input/event5 | grep KEYBOARD_KEY

Reload hwdb after changes

sudo cp ~/60-lofree-flow84-fix.hwdb /etc/udev/hwdb.d/
sudo systemd-hwdb update
sudo udevadm trigger
# Unplug and replug keyboard

Capture keyboard scancodes

sudo hexdump -C /dev/input/event5
# Press keys, then Ctrl+C

Check hid_apple settings

for param in /sys/module/hid_apple/parameters/*; do
    echo "$(basename $param): $(cat $param)"
done

Current Keyboard Shortcuts

• Super+Shift+P → Screenshot (workaround)
• Super+Shift+3 → Move window to workspace 3
• "3" key → Types "3" ✅
• PrtSc key → Sends Super+Shift+3 (moves to workspace 3) ⚠️

---

Summary

Issue	Status	Solution
"3" key triggers screenshot	✅ Fixed	hwdb scancode remapping
PrtSc moves to workspace 3	⚠️ Workaround	Use Super+Shift+P instead
PgUp/PgDown like arrows	❓ Investigation needed	Kernel scancodes correct, likely app issue

Last Updated: 2025-11-25

[mikeproctor]

On the lowfree Fn+N is the windows mode and what is needed for the printscreen key to work. Fn+M is the mac mode.

[guidomb]

I tried both fn+n and fn+m and didn't work

[mikeproctor]

I just switched to both modes on mine and it works so maybe your keyboard is faulty?? Fn+m then the prtscrn moves the window to the 3rd workspace. Fn+n and prtscrn triggers the printscreen tool.