Linux rolls out the welcome mat for Microsoft's Copilot key
- Reference: 1737747311
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/01/24/copilot_key_linux/
- Source link:
A year ago, Microsoft decided that what Windows PC keyboards really needed was a [1]Copilot key . It had been years since the IT mega-corp added a key, but with Microsoft's AI obsession, the addition of one to invoke the unloved assistant carried a certain inevitability.
As 2024 wore on, Microsoft realized that not every user wanted Copilot to pop up when the Copilot key was pressed, and so allowed it to be customized via the Settings app. Microsoft's handy PowerToys application suite also permitted users to make the key do more than fire up a generative AI assistant.
[2]
However, PCs and their keyboards are not only for Windows. Some are pressed into service as Linux machines where the Copilot key has no meaning. Until now. Or rather, as soon as the Linux 6.14 kernel arrives.
[3]
[4]
Earlier this week, Lenovo's Mark Pearson dropped in a change to the atkbd keyboard driver in Linux to ensure proper support for the key. However, it's up to whatever is being used as a desktop environment to decide what to do with it.
[5]Improved Windows Search arrives... but only for Copilot+ PCs
[6]Copilot invades Microsoft 365 Personal and Family for an extra three bucks a month
[7]Microsoft, PC makers cut prices of Copilot+ gear in Europe, analyst stats confirm
[8]Microsoft hijacks keyboard shortcut to bring Copilot to your attention
Pearson [9]wrote : "Microsoft defined Meta+Shift+F23 as the Copilot shortcut instead of a dedicated keycode, and multiple vendors have their keyboards emit this sequence in response to users pressing a dedicated 'Copilot' key.
"Unfortunately, the default keymap table in atkbd does not map scancode 0x6e (F23) and so the key combination does not work even if userspace is ready to handle it.
"Because this behavior is common between multiple vendors and the scancode is currently unused, map 0x6e to keycode 193 (KEY_F23) so that key sequence is generated properly."
[10]
It's a simple enough change. However, it does raise the question of what the community would like this key to be used for. Maybe it could open a browser with https://copilot.microsoft.com/ ready loaded, possibly with "Which is better? Vim or Emacs?" as the first request. Or perhaps something as prosaic as a task switcher.
Either way, support for the Copilot key is on its way. What would you like it to do? Clean answers on a postcard to Vulture Towers or in the comments section below. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/04/windows_keyboards_copilot/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z5QbkDfmiQq7f-id6OAvBAAAAQw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5QbkDfmiQq7f-id6OAvBAAAAQw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z5QbkDfmiQq7f-id6OAvBAAAAQw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/20/microsoft_unveils_windows_search_improvements/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/17/copilot_microsoft_365/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/14/ai_pcs_europe_sales/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/12/11/microsoft_copilot_keyboard_shortcut/
[9] https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/dtor/input.git/commit/?id=907bc9268a5a9f823ffa751957a5c1dd59f83f42
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z5QbkDfmiQq7f-id6OAvBAAAAQw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Pretty obvious
If you hold it down for 5 seconds it should summon our lord and saviour Satan to install Windows ME. The true pinnacle of damnation.
Re: Pretty obvious
It should run a random bash command - as root
Re: Pretty obvious
You forgot to force activate UPnP on your router and linux, set it to "exposed host", download apache/rsync/ssh/samba/nfs/ftp/gopher/whatever from 10 years ago and start it with anon access enabled.
Does anyone make a replacement keycap with a Coke bottle in it? I would enjoy that.
Obvious action for the key.
Fire up Eliza in a terminal window.
> And what about "Fire up Eliza in a terminal window." do you want to discuss? _
It should open the pod bay doors.
I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that, podbaydoor.dll not found, BSOD
It
should be black writing on a black background and light up black when pressed
Re: It
Or show the message "Please do not press this button again".
Obvious
It should install a script that generates random words and returns them to any {spit} AI that tries to scrape your data.
It should then remove itself.
Re: Obvious
Exactly. Where (most of the time) I have to use Microsoft, I don't want coprolite. When I'm using Linux, the last thing on earth that I want is to have the abomination follow me there.
Excellent term (coprolite) to apply to this P.O.S.
Kudos for the linkage!
Now I understand what that keyboard image refers to (fossilized feces).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprolite
I have already prepared my black tape that says "Ctrl"
30 years of typing on PC keyboards and my right pinkie still fumbles at that funny-looking symbol that means (something.)
Microsoft makes keyboards?
Never really occurred to me that they did that, but then I avoid M$ products more or less instinctively although I do have Win10 on the machine I am currently using. Looked up their range and discovered that the surface keyboard with copilot key is on offer for £400+.
I'll stick to my DAS KEYBOARD - standard QUERTY layout with sound knob and sleep button as the only non-traditional controls. I had one an age ago and then disappeared down the path of gaming keyboards etc. Unfortunately that is the road to madness when you are trying to drive several PCs with different OS's from one another. The Das Keyboard is solid German engineering and I'm sure could be used to beat a burglar to death if called upon to do so. Which is comforting.
Re: Microsoft makes keyboards?
It's not just MS, my new HP laptop has the key.
Never press it twice
I don’t see any alternative and I’m sorry about this. When the Copilot key is pressed on Linux it plays this video on a loop: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lLPAUHdyjRI
(Caution Steve Balmer and Bill Gates trying to emulate human joy)
It should order coffee from any IoT coffee maker on the local area network, or from a preconfigured online provider
What should it do?
Hello:
> ... what the heck should it do?
I'll be as clear as possible:
It should fuck the hell off.
By this I mean that there should be an option in every distribution's installer to not do anything but what it did before some dickhead thought that this was a good idea.
eg:
Select keyboard layout -> option 1: no microsoft shit
And then continue with the installation as usual .
My IBM ca. 1995 model 'M' does not and will not ever have any pilot or whatever that crap is called.
.
We should call it the BOFH key.
It would order the proper quantity of quicklime and a carpet to roll up. Then procure the rental truck to take the contents to the landfill properly. Every BOGH should have this. I'm sure Simon would approve.
Pretty obvious
If you hit the Copilot key it should gather up all your /home/* files (including . stuff like .ssh/) and throw them up on publicly accessible dropbox then post a link to twitter.
If you hit the key 5 times in a row, then for accessibility it should just set your root password to 'password', take down your firewall, and (again) post your IP to twitter.
The good people there will surely help you summarize your data.
And hey, still better than Recall.