How can i fix my mute button which is a f4 key

Ask Fedora
1

hi in my laptop my mute button does not works how can i make it to work thanks.
yes f4 key works as alt f4 close application but mute button does not work
system acer swift go ryzen system

2

Are you holding the Fn key while pressing the mute button?

3

Yes if you press fn while fn keys it function as media key brightness sound and camera key works but mute does not work.

4

There were other reports that the mute button stopped working on certain PC models after a Fedora Linux 40 update.

As far as I know, the problem was never solved.

5

Yes, that’s right, it’s still an issue (although I’m yet to try with the very latest version of Fedora, I’m still on 41).
It’s not ideal, but if you would like a workaround going to settings > keyboard > shortcuts lets you add in your own shortcut to mute/unmute

1 Like
6

how to fix this issue can you suggest?

7

If this is the same problem that Robert has, it appears to be something “deep” in the operating system code or maybe even in the firmware. Fixing that code (or even figuring out exactly what is wrong) is non-trivial. Is creating a custom keyboard shortcut as Robert suggested not a sufficient workaround until someone more knowledgeable about that code gets around to fixing the problem?

Edit: FWIW, there is an example here that shows how you might craft a custom udev rule to re-map your mute key to the correct keycode.

Excerpted:

The issue is that the current keycode being emitted by the driver is only recognised by Wayland. X11 and desktops using X11 require F20 to be emitted.

Create a file named /etc/udev/hwdb.d/90-nkey.hwdb with:

# Format evdev:input:b<bus_id>v<vendor_id>p<product_id>

# ** Note **
# The line evdev:input:b0003v0B05p1866* may vary on your ASUS Laptop.  
# Modify the <vendor_id> and <product_id> based on the output of this command to ensure remaps work:
# $ lsusb | grep 'ASUSTek Computer, Inc. N-KEY Device' | awk -F'[: ]' '{print $7" "$8}' | tr '[:lower:]' '[:upper:]'

evdev:input:b0003v0B05p1866*
  KEYBOARD_KEY_ff31007c=f20 # x11 mic-mute

then update hwdb with:

sudo systemd-hwdb update
sudo udevadm trigger

* Note that the above example is for “mic mute”, not “mute”. You would need to modify the example to fit your specific hardware and key mapping problem.

1 Like
8

I’ve noticed recently that many devices are having the same issues with the mute key not working, regardless of the brand or model, but I couldn’t figure out after which update this started.
My mute button has a white LED; when muted, it stays on, and when unmuted, it does not light up.
Here’s what I have done:
From the BIOS, I tried setting the Fn key to be the default (acting as media keys first). The issue remained the same. I also tried setting the function keys (F1-F12) to be the default (requiring Fn for media keys), and the issue was still the same.
Interestingly, my F4 key works as a function key, but when I try to use its associated media function, it does not work.